According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, while infants, children, teens, and older adults may need more. Sunken eyes are often an indicator that someone is not getting enough good quality sleep. Usually, people who have sunken eyes experience improvement by increasing water intake and limiting diuretic beverages.ĭrinking 8 to 10 glasses of water per day can help people avoid sunken eyes. It affects every organ in the body, included the largest of them all – the skin. Water is the most necessary thing the body needs to stay healthy. Share on Pinterest Dehydration may cause sunken eyes, so drinking water may help. However, many fractures are orbital blowout fractures, where the bony rim of the eye is intact, but the thin floor of the eye socket has ruptured or cracked.Ī 2015 report in Clinical Ophthalmology finds that injury to the eye is common in 29 percent of orbital fractures. Most orbital fractures heal within a few weeks or months. TraumaĪny injury to the face or the bones around the eyes can cause the eyes to appear sunken. Nasal congestion and pressure are symptoms of a sinus infection and should be brought to the attention of a doctor. Inflamed sinuses are another culprit of sunken eyes. These effects are attributable to inflammation in the tiny blood vessels below the eyes or blocked nasal passages, which can be associated with allergies. AllergiesĪllergies can cause the eyes to sink and dark circles to form under them. These losses can cause the skin in the face to sag and the eyes to appear sunken. Smoking causes collagen and skin elasticity degradation.

As an example of the effect of DNA, the position of the eyes in the sockets is due largely to genetics. It is possible for sunken eyes to be caused by a person’s genetics or DNA. Sometimes, the weight loss is dramatic enough to cause blood vessels below the eyes to become prominent, and the skin to be transparent, producing the appearance of sunken eyes.ĭramatic weight loss may also cause nutritional deficiencies, which can lead to sunken eyes. Most people tend to lose weight in their face first.

The loss of collagen causes the eyes to settle back into the eye sockets, making the eyes appear sunken. The first place where collagen loss is most noticeable is the skin under the eyes. not being awake for more than 20 minutes during the nightĬollagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and gives the skin its strength and flexibility.Īs the body ages, it tends to lose collagen.taking no more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

Not enough sleep or poor quality sleep can cause sunken eyes and discoloration of the delicate skin just below the eyes.Īccording to a 2017 report, good quality sleep has the following necessary elements: Establishing a good sleep pattern may help to treat the condition. Share on Pinterest Disrupted sleep, or a lack of sleep, may cause sunken eyes. Vitamin C helps with absorbing iron and decreasing bruising, whereas vitamin K is responsible for blood clotting.ĭeficiencies in one or both of these vitamins can lead to easy bruising, unhealthy skin, and sunken eyes. In fact, “hollow” eyes is one of the symptoms of undernutrition, as reported in the SM Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. Vitamin deficienciesĭeficiencies of vitamin C, vitamin K, and iron can cause eyes to become sunken. The most common cause of sunken eyes is dehydration, or not having enough water in the body.Ĭonsuming too much coffee, soda, and prepackaged drinks may cause diuretic effects, including increased production of urine, which may lead to dehydration. This means that causes can be avoided or treated in good time to prevent the recurrence of sunken eyes.īelow are some examples of health and lifestyle issues affecting the skin under the eyes: Dehydration When these causes are corrected, sunken eyes can resolve without further treatment. Most cases of sunken eyes relate to the quality of an individual’s nutrition and healthy living. Share on Pinterest Sunken eyes may not cause any adverse symptoms, apart from the skin around the eyes appearing darker and ‘hollow’.

Sunken eyeballs