Hamburg  - The consequences of a night of drinking often show the next day around the eyes. They can be bloodshot and shadows can appear on the skin around the eye sockets.

Drinking and a lack of sleep are not the only causes of these conditions. It also depends on lifestyle. Healthy eating, exercise and as little stress as possible can help prevent redness and shadows around the eyes, but sometimes genetics is to blame. People who are predisposed to shadows can't do much about it.

There are solutions for all other cases, but people should also be aware that long-lasting shadows or "bags" under the eyes and tear ducts are possible signs of a serious illness.

"When the eyelids are swollen, but not red, it often indicates a kidney or thyroid illness," said professor Christiane Bayerl of an association for dermatology and cosmetology in Munich. If the eyes are frequently inflamed, pigment cells can develop, making the skin around the eyes darker. The affected areas lighten after a few months.

"Rings around the eyes caused by the build up of pigment could result from spending too much time in the sun or the solarium," added Harald Bresser, a dermatologist in Munich.

The darker the blood vessels, the more visible they are. As the skin under the eyes is very thin, circles appear even more intense there.

"When the blood vessels are poorly supplied, the blood flowing through contains less oxygen and appears darker," said Bayerl. People who sit at a computer for long periods of time without any fresh air or activity, often have a poor oxygen supply. In addition, many people in this category also have poor nutrition.

To help alleviate the problem, those affected should ensure they take enough iron, which is important for blood synthesis because iron-containing haemoglobin transports oxygen in the blood. Sufficient liquids - two to three litres a day - also is important.

Skin cells are made partially of water and the less water they contain the easier it is for arteries under the skin to show through, said Anja Baustian of a German nutrition therapy association in Aachen.

After an operation on the face or an inflammation affecting the face, the result usually is not circles under the eyes, but swelling. This is usually caused by the disruption of lymph drainage, said professor Manfred Tetz, an eye doctor in Berlin. In such cases, a lymph drainage or the cooling of the swollen eyelids can help. Gels and pads made especially for the purpose are available, said Bayerl.

"Contact with something cold causes the blood vessels to contract and subsequently more fresh blood flows through the blood vessels," said Tetz. On the whole this stimulates circulation and works as a sort of training for the skin, which afterward looks rosier.

Many people affected by rings under the eyes or swollen eyelids swear by tea bags or apply haemorrhoid creams. Experts, however, advise against such solutions.

"Tea bags contain substances that can trigger allergic reactions," Tetz warned. And using creams meant to treat haemorrhoids will make the skin thinner over time. "Aside from that the creams contain contact allergens that can cause redness," said Bayerl. (dpa)