Eyes have dark circles - should we be worried?

[NvrGiveUp]

Hey all,

T's eyes have had dark circles the past few days and we are getting worried. She did not hit her head or anything like that. We wore thinking that maybe how her mask is hurting the bridge of her nose is maybe also giving her the black eyes? Please help if this has ever happened to you.

Thanks!
Pam :roll:

 

[brooksea]

Sorry about T. Could she have a sinus infection? One sign is dark circles under the eyes.

I'm afraid I have no other explanation for you. Hopefully others will.

 

[GlenBrittle]

Hi Pam,

I don't think that the mask can directly give her dark circles.
To me , dark circles mean the person is not sleeping properly. Following that thought , I am wondering if her mask is leaking too much and thus causing to not get the quality of sleep that she should be getting.
Is she taking the mask off during the night and not putting it back on ?
Is she dehydrated ?


Glen

 

[NvrGiveUp]

Thanks CJ and Glen for your quick responses. She definitely does not take off her mask at night or else she probably would not wake up in the morning :O I was reading someone else had a pinched nerve or something from their mask ... not sure if that would do it or not. When she is awake during the day she does not use her bi-pap except when she takes breaks in her recliner. She can't lean back without feeling like she can't breathe, so that is why she definitely has to use her bi-pap whenever she is not sitting up. She even has a fear of laying flat, so she always sleeps a little propped up. I am starting to wonder if her pressure might need to be adjusted or if she might need some oxygen or something additionally? She does wake up a few times in the night so I can reposition her arms for her, but she said she slept well last night but her eyes seem darker today. Her diet is pretty good, she basically tries to eat as much as she can Poor T has a big belly and everything else is little. Her forearms and lower legs are tiny But she is still kicking butt. I told her she is not allowed to get any smaller

Please help if anyone else knows of anything....

God bless...

Pam

 

[brooksea]

Here is something form Mayo Clinic about dark circles:


Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff

If you get plenty of sleep, haven't been to a party in years and still have dark circles under your eyes, that's not unusual. Fatigue and high living aren't the main reasons for under-eye circles. What appear to be under-eye circles are sometimes just shadows cast by puffy eyelids or hollows under your eyes that develop as a normal part of aging.

Here are some of the most common causes of true under-eye circles:

* Allergies
* Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
* Heredity — dark under-eye circles can run in families
* Lifestyle factors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol and caffeinated sodas
* Nasal congestion (which dilates and darkens the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose)
* Pigmentation irregularities — these are a particular concern for people of color, especially blacks and Asians
* Sun exposure, which prompts your body to produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color
* Thinning skin and loss of fat and collagen — common as you age — which make the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes more obvious

The thinning of skin jumped out at me. Has she lost muscle tone in her face?

You may need to get this checked out by the doc if you are worried.

 

[NvrGiveUp]

Thanks CJ... I think she has had some changes in her face ... just slightly. If I compare to her before ALS then I would probably say a big change. But thinking of the past few months not really much change. I'll ask the neurologist. Thanks again