k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 DD11 has always had darker circles under her eyes....but they seem to have gotten more prominent lately. I'm starting to wonder if they are just part of her genetics (which is what I always assumed), or if there is another cause for them? She sees the pediatrician yearly and has always gotten a clean bill of health aside from her ADD & anxiety. She does battle digestive issues, but they seem to have subsided quite a bit in the last 6-8 months. Any ideas/thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Listening in because my daughter has the same issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankcassiesmom Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Allergy/sensitivity shiners. They are the first symptom of an allergy or sensitivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinmami01 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Allergy/sensitivity shiners. They are the first symptom of an allergy or sensitivity. I have heard this too. I have really dark circles under my eyes as well. I've never bothered to get it checked out, but I keep hearing its a clear sign of allergies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Dh has chronic dark circles, too. They've been attributed to his (also) chronic sinus issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 My dd5 has dark circles, and they always look worse when she is tired or has had too much sugar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Another vote for allergy shiners. My allergic kiddo's are often dark, and he always has them to some degree. Exposures to allergens always worsens them. Could be environmental or food allergies. One more thought, though unlikely if she's otherwise healthy - I had enormous dark circles under my eyes for years. But I was not healthy, just couldn't find the cause. Once we found and treated an underlying infection - the circles went away. For me, it was babesiosis. Whew. Glad to have the circles gone, though they were the least of my worries at the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 A mixture of genetics and allergies. My kids and I all have these. They are more obvious in the winter with fair, untanned skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susann Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Wow, in that little bit she looks just like my dd! In dd's case, there are no allergies but she does have celiac disease which we're told was the cause of her dark circles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I attached a pic of my 7yo daughter. This is a normal day for her. She has days that are much much worse, but this is a normal or better day for her circles. Just ignore that face she's making... I wonder if it is an allergy connection for us as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I have always had dark circles and in the last 6 months they got a lot worse. I had blood work done at my last annual exam and it turns out I was severely Vit D deficient. I wear sunscreen on my face every day and since it is winter I am wearing sleeves/long pants. I began taking Vit D supplements and in 3 weeks my under eye circles are still there but not nearly as prominent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 :bigear::bigear::bigear: DD9 has had these forever (so has my mom, they have the same coloring), and it's always bothered me. I've heard the allergy connection and have also heard them specifically connected to a dairy sensitivity. We're going dairy-free in a few days for DD6, but I'm VERY curious to see if it will help DD9's shiners. I never thought of sugar or anything else, and she doesn't seem to have any other allergies or symptoms of anything. If dairy-free doesn't help, I have no idea where to start with anything else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I might be nuts, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary...that skin is extremely thin. Everyone I look at has circles under their eyes, as I look around my office, and I just looked at my 6 year old's school picture and he looks the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I agree with pp it is a sign of allergies/intolerances especially with "digestive" issues. I'd be looking into elimination diets/testing personally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Could just be a trait. I've always had dark circles under my eyes. They do get worse with allergies or dehydration. I spend more money on under-eye concealer than any other makeup product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 My kids' doctor calls them allergy shiners. They have mild seasonal allergies, but have not been tested to see exactly what they're allergic to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? Food intolerances do not show up on allergy testing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Dunno, but your dd has beautiful eyes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? My son has food allergies, so he avoids the foods. He still has the allergic shiners at different points during the year. In our case they are likely from the environmental allergies. They lessen when he's on benadryl or when he's not exposed to many allergens. Unfortunately, his skin testing has him allergic to just about everything, so he often has the shiners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? Yes, me and just about all of my kids have seasonal allergies and we all have drak circles under our eyes. Sometimes that is the ony symptom but taking Zyrtek even when there are no other obvious symptoms helps. We are all extremely fair by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy5 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 ALLERGIES!!!! My son had/has terrible dark circles ... first thing our allergist said when he saw him is that something is triggering it. Turns out he has bad food allergies ... other than dark circles - he was having digestive issues...and hyperactivity/neuro symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Interestingly, I have major seasonal allergies. Genetics are not in her favor in terms of allergies. Nobody in our immediate family has genetic dark circles, which is what makes me wonder if it IS something else. I'm not sure if the picture does them justice.....they are REALLY dark. It looks like she has black eyes a good portion of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 It runs in dh's family and our son has them. He definitely doesn't have food allergies, but I'm not sure about environmental. I'm not worried about it because our niece and nephew on dh's side also have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celia Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I have these horrible dark circles as well, as does my eldest son. I just had our whole family tested for allergies, and three guesses as to who has intolerances to wheat, eggs and dairy? I thought it must be genetics as well, but lo and behold, it's food. And I feel SO MUCH BETTER now avoiding these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 I have these horrible dark circles as well, as does my eldest son. I just had our whole family tested for allergies, and three guesses as to who has intolerances to wheat, eggs and dairy? I thought it must be genetics as well, but lo and behold, it's food. And I feel SO MUCH BETTER now avoiding these things. So, do you have intolerances or allergies? If it is intolerances, how did you find out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbasil Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 My daughter gets those when she's been drinking milk. I have read that they're a common symptom of lactose intolerance. DD has no other lactose intolerance symptoms, but when I eliminate milk (she still gets lots of cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, etc -- cultured milk) they completely disappear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 it's allergies. people used to stop me and tell me to let my baby nap :001_huh: He usually had just woken up from a nap! It was food allergies. It's not completely gone due to seasonal allergies but it's much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Allergy/sensitivity shiners. They are the first symptom of an allergy or sensitivity. :iagree::iagree: All of my allergies kids were just like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 See, I am very ambivalent about the "allergy shiner" thing. I heard this about ds. I had/have them, my mother has them, my brother has them. To me, it just seems like delicate eye skin and a light complexion that does it. I agree that tired or sick or in poor health will make this look a lot worse, but in the case of some family genetics, I think there's just always going to be some of this. I went on a long and arduous food elimination program with ds when he was little, but it never made any difference in any "symptom," including the purple eye circles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 (edited) The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? Testing negative doesn't mean a thing. My son was diagnosed with severe learning delays and had diarrhea five times a day for a year and a half. The doctor's diagnosed "severe learning delays" and "family circumstances" (gee, thanks for blaming me) and could find nothing else wrong with him that would cause diarrhea. I had to do an elimination diet to find out he had severe lactose intolerance. I had specifically asked about that and told he tested negative. We removed dairy from his diet and the diarrhea was gone in three days, he started talking in three months, completely caught up (no delays) in two years, and is now way ahead. Yeah, I'm so glad I trusted the doctors on that one. :glare: Oh, and he has allergic shiners. Years later, we found out that he is also allergic to most of the trees in this area and can't eat half a dozen fruits in their raw form. Can't really fix the tree thing so his bags are here to stay. DD got them really bad (looked like a black eye) when she got dairy as a toddler. Edited February 15, 2012 by joannqn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I think allergy shiners for both of the kiddos pictured. My oldest dd had eyes like that, occasional unexplained tiredness, and started getting headaches. She tested off the chart for environmental allergies. The scratch test on her forearm sent red welts up to her armpit! I notice a difference in her eyes based on allergen exposure and medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Oh, and he has allergic shiners. Years later, we found out that he is also allergic to most of the trees in this area and can't eat half a dozen fruits in their raw form. Can't really fix the tree thing so his bags are here to stay. Tree pollen allergies are supposed to respond well to allergy shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I knew I had a photo somewhere. I posted about my son's allergic shiners on my blog way back when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 (edited) Tree pollen allergies are supposed to respond well to allergy shots. Thanks, I'll ask about it when we see our doctor next. It was never suggested as an option. They prescribed Zyrtec (which gave him crazy mood swings) and a nasal spray. Edited February 15, 2012 by joannqn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I knew I had a photo somewhere. I posted about my son's allergic shiners on my blog way back when. The poor little guy! His whole eye area is red. :001_huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 My DD had terrible dark circles under her eyes all her life. She recently started having digestive issues and so I put her on a gluten free diet - no more dark circles (and she has very fair, thin skin). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Thanks, I'll ask about it when we see our doctor next. It was never suggested as an option. They prescribed Zyrtec (which gave him craze mood swings) and a nasal spray. My most recent allergist told me that pollens respond very well to shots, but dust, cat, and dog do not. That matches my experience. I went straight through the bottles to maintenance for pollens. I worked on the others for 8 years. :tongue_smilie: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 The thing is.....she's been tested for food allergies due to the digestive issues. Could environmental allergies do the same without obvious outward symptoms? From our experience, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 I have thought about gluten for her more times than I can count, but I've never done anything about it, because I know we can't afford it & I'm just sure I wouldn't have the time to cook "special" meals. I just don't know how to make it work for my family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 My whole family must be allergic to the same stuff then. I have them, my mom has them, my sister and brother, and all 4 of my children. Now one of my children does get allergy shiners when his allergies are really bothering him. It is very different from the day to day dark circles he normally sports. I have yet to find a concealer that covers it enough to not look like the walking dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 My whole family must be allergic to the same stuff then. I have them, my mom has them, my sister and brother, and all 4 of my children. Now one of my children does get allergy shiners when his allergies are really bothering him. It is very different from the day to day dark circles he normally sports. I have yet to find a concealer that covers it enough to not look like the walking dead. If my (or her) entire family had them, I probably wouldn't even have asked. I do think it is sometimes genetic, but in her case (since she is the only one) is that the likely scenario? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 When some of my children had them, I was concerned that they were not getting enough sleep or enough nutrients. I was surprised when their pediatrician said theirs were allergy shiners. They have seen several pediatricians and allergists since then, and all have agreed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakimberly Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 I think allergy shiners for both of the kiddos pictured. My oldest dd had eyes like that, occasional unexplained tiredness, and started getting headaches. She tested off the chart for environmental allergies. The scratch test on her forearm sent red welts up to her armpit! I notice a difference in her eyes based on allergen exposure and medication. Interesting. I am dairy-free, my kids are allowed small amounts of cheese but no other dairy. The specific dd pictured had no dairy for a year and still had them during that year. So I'm guessing it isn't dairy for her. But she does have seasonal allergies and takes zyrtec daily. She's a strong, healthy kid - no real symptoms of anything weird. I only popped in because I was curious if there was a reason for it. I only get nasty circles when I don't sleep enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Definitely allergies. My daughter who has severe allergies and asthma has no health problems at all in her new home in Central America. When she was home at Christmas, within 24 hours she had dark circles under her eyes and needed her inhaler. :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Interesting. I am dairy-free, my kids are allowed small amounts of cheese but no other dairy. The specific dd pictured had no dairy for a year and still had them during that year. So I'm guessing it isn't dairy for her. But she does have seasonal allergies and takes zyrtec daily. She's a strong, healthy kid - no real symptoms of anything weird. I only popped in because I was curious if there was a reason for it. I only get nasty circles when I don't sleep enough. Our past pediatricians suspected food allergies, and put dd on various elimination diets. Her symptoms never changed. It turns out to have been environmental all along. Her eye circles clear up on meds, but of course the meds cause tiredness. There is no easy answer. :confused: Does your dd have eye circles even with zyrtec? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Wow, in that little bit she looks just like my dd! In dd's case, there are no allergies but she does have celiac disease which we're told was the cause of her dark circles. We see the dark circles in our family celiacs also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Sorry, OP, I did not read all the replies, but recently read up on milk allergies. I learned that one of the symptoms of hidden milk allergies is dark circles under the eyes. Also, it is cyclical, usually worsening in winter months. Someone may have already mentioned this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotAVampireLvr Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 allergies. My 4 y.o. and I are the most allergic in the family and we both have shiners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 both me and my lucky ds have very fair skin and we have dark circles under our eyes like you wouldn't believe-sometimes his even look like "black eyes" I have bad allergies so I know that's what mine are (most of the time)-kiddo hasn't been tested for allergies yet- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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