What Causes Dark Circles and How to Manage Them?

When you sleep too little during exams, you can see dark circles under the eyes. But poor sleeping is not the only cause behind dark circles. It can appear due to allergies, aging, and genetics. Changing your habits and using some remedies can help in removing dark circles. Having dark circles problems under the lower eyelids is very common. Sometimes, you can also see bags under your eyes that make you look like a panda. This is a sign that you’re tired. But there can be a few other reasons behind this problem. Dark circles are common in older adults, people who have dark skin tones or have a genetic predisposition. Meanwhile, fatigue is the most well-known cause of dark circles. Usually, dark circles are not a serious condition and do not need medical attention. However, it can make you look tired or aged.

Common causes behind dark circles

Fatigue

Staying up the whole night, oversleeping, extreme fatigue, or anything can cause dark circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation leads to skin dullness. Due to fatigue, dark tissues and blood vessels beneath the skin start appearing. When you sleep less, fluid starts to build up under the eyes which makes them puffy. Sometimes, dark circles can be the shadow of your puffy eyes.

Eyestrain

Your eyes can strain when you are watching too much TV or a computer screen. Nowadays, people spend their whole day in front of their laptops or phones. This can enlarge the blood vessels around the eyes and make the skin around the eyes darker.

Age

Another common reason behind dark circles is age. Your growing age is the natural factor behind dark circles. With age, the skin starts getting thinner. This happens due to a decrease in fat and collagen. Due to this, the dark blood vessels under the skin become more visible and cause dark circles.

Allergies

Any kind of allergic reaction can trigger your dark circles. When a person has an allergic reaction, the body releases histamines to fight off the allergens. Due to this, the person may face some symptoms like redness, itchiness, and puffy eyes. Histamines may also cause blood vessel dilation that is more visible beneath the skin. When a person has allergies, he often is urged to scratch and run the itchy skin around the eyes. These actions can worsen the condition and can lead to dark shadows beneath the eyes.

Dehydration

You can get various skin conditions due to dehydration. When the body is not hydrated, the skin beneath the eyes starts looking dull. Your eyes also start looking sunken as the eye’s proximity is clone to the underlying bone.

Genetics

Skin conditions can be genetic. If anyone in the family has dark circles problems then you can face the same problems. The inherited traits start appearing in childhood. But over time, the condition may reduce or can get worse.

Sun exposure

Sun is bad for your skin. When your skin gets exposed to the sun, it starts producing excess melanin. It is a pigment that gives color to the skin. But when the person is too exposed to the sun (usually for the skin), it can cause pigmentation and the exposed skin to look dark.

Anemia

It is a condition where the red blood cells are less than normal. Due to this problem, you can feel dizzy, lightheaded, weak, short of breath, and tired. When a person has anemia, he can notice the paleness in the skin but dark circles under the eyes. Holistic doctors New Jersey may prescribe iron supplements to manage the condition.

Treatment options for dark circles

Chemical peeling

If a person is facing dark circles issues due to skin conditions like pigmentation then a chemical peel may help to reduce it. In this treatment, the damaged skin cells get removed and healthier skin appears. Some other medical options are laser surgery, surgical implants, carboxytherapy, etc.

Apply a cold compress

If you get dark circles due to poor sleep then you can try a cold compress to reduce swelling. Take a few ice cubes and wrap them in a cloth. Now apply it to your eyes. Apply a cold compress for about 10 minutes. You can also dampen the cotton pad with cold water and keep it on the eyes for 20 minutes. It will reduce puffiness and dark circles.

Get good sleep

If you are noticing dark circles then you should manage your sleep time. Go to the bed timely and try to get good sleep for about 8 hours. Keep your bedroom cool and dark to get good sleep. It will reduce your face stress and dark circles.

Stay hydrated

Drink a good amount of water to reduce dark circles and keep the skin dehydrated. Try to drink at least 4-5 liters of water every day. If you can’t drink this much water, you can drink juices and high water-content fruits.

What are The Best Ways to Manage ADHD in Kids?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a chronic mental health condition that affects millions of children. This condition can use hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. Kids or adults with ADHD face trouble doing a single task or sitting still for a long time. You can also notice inattention and changes in energy levels due from time to time. But people with ADHD face this problem often as compared to other people. ADHD can affect your studies, work, and lifestyle. This mental disorder is common in children. However, adults can also get ADHD. 

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

  1. Trouble in focusing
  2. Get distracted easily
  3. Difficult in sitting still
  4. Forget to complete tasks
  5. Often interrupt people while they’re talking

The kid who experiences hyperactivity and impulsivity may face symptoms like:

  1. Unable to sit or remain seated for a long time
  2. Trouble in playing or completing any task quietly
  3. Talks a lot
  4. Often interrupt when others are speaking or doing some task
  5. Hard to wait for their turn

The kid who has difficulty focusing may face symptoms like:

  1. Always make mistakes
  2. Miss small details while working or studying
  3. Hard to maintain focus while reading or listening 
  4. Difficult in managing daily tasks
  5. Lose items often
  6. Get easily distracted

Types of ADHD

Predominantly inattentive: This is a type of ADHD where the kid is unable to focus, complete tasks, or follow instructions carefully. 

Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive: People with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive ADHD are unable to wait for a long time, can’t be seated, and always interrupt people.

Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive: People with this ADHD have symptoms of both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive behaviors. The common symptoms may include the inability to pay attention, an above-average energy level, and a tendency toward impulsiveness.

What are the causes and risk factors for ADHD?

There are no exact causes behind ADHD but there are a few factors that can develop ADHD:

Genetic: One of the biggest causes of ADHD can be genes. Some research shows that ADHD can run in families. If any of the parents had ADHD then their kids might get the same condition. 

The problem in the nervous system: With age, your nervous system also grows. ADHD can occur when there is a problem with the central nervous system at crucial moments during development.

Environment: Few environmental factors like lead exposure can lead to ADHD or other mental health conditions.

Risk factors for ADHD

  1. If any of your blood relatives like parents or siblings have this condition; you may get the same.
  2. ADHD can occur when the month smoked, drank alcohol, or used drugs during pregnancy.
  3. Born prematurely kids can develop ADHD.
  4. Exposure to toxins like lead found in pipes or paints can grow this condition.

Common complications due to ADHD

Having ADHD can cause various difficulties in life. People with ADHD may face complications like:

  1. Poor school performance
  2. Financial issues
  3. The trouble with the law
  4. Poor work performance 
  5. Alcohol or drug abuse
  6. Unstable relationship
  7. Poor self-image
  8. Suicide attempts, etc.

Best treatment options for ADHD

Medications

Medications can be very helpful in treating and managing ADHD symptoms. You should talk to a doctor and get the best medications for the condition. Doctors may prescribe CNS stimulants to manage the symptoms. These drugs increase the number of brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine. If stimulants are not working, doctors may suggest non-stimulant medications such as atomoxetine, antidepressants, etc. 

These medicines can help in managing symptoms of ADHD but can have a few side-effects such as headache, irritability, trouble sleeping, weight loss, stomach upset, etc.

Homeopathy for ADHD

You can try homeopathy for ADHD. Look for homeopathy in NJ and get the best treatment for this mental condition. The homeopath will ask a few questions like your diet, environment, and other mental or physical conditions and then prescribe homeopathic medications. These medications will help to manage ADHD symptoms without causing any harmful side effects. 

Therapy for ADHD

Certain psychotherapies can help your kid to manage the symptoms of ADHD. Psychotherapy is very useful to open up the feeling and coping with ADHD. People with this mental condition often have issues with managing relationships. In psychotherapy, you learn new behavior patterns to respond properly. It teaches someone how to monitor other behaviors and change them accordingly. This is a good strategy to behave in a particular situation. Doctors often suggest CBT manages ADHD. This therapy focuses on changing negative patterns of thinking. It replaces negative thoughts with positive ones which help to improve self-confidence. 

Doctors often suggest some additional treatment options manage ADHD conditions like social skills training. If the kid has ADHD, the doctor may suggest parenting skills training. In this training, parents learn techniques to understand and manage the behavior of their kid. Some of the common techniques for parenting skills training include immediate rewards, timeout, togetherness, striving for success, stress management, etc. Sometimes joining support groups can also improve ADHD symptoms.