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Welcome to question of the day #35
Why do some patients complain of dark circles around the eyes?
This is a common complaint, often expressed by female patients. Patients are usually over age 50, or 20-30 year old age groups. The common underlying mechanism is a chronic low-grade irritation-inflammation and/or increased levels of melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
Ask the patient about:
Itch
Foreign-body, ‘scratchy’ sensations
Pregnancy
Management
Lubrication/lavage with artificial tear products
Cool compresses
Mast-cell stabilization (if allergic component suspected).