After waking up from a good night's sleep, my single eyelids became double. Am I sick?

Have you ever had this experience: your eyelids are single before going to bed, but they become double when you wake up? The opposite phenomenon also happens: you have double eyelids before going to bed, but they become single eyelids when you wake up. Is this change normal?

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To understand the reason, we must first understand the formation principle of single eyelids and double eyelids. Whether a person has single eyelids or double eyelids has a lot to do with the structure of the upper eyelid . This has to do with the two key muscles on the eyelids - the orbicularis oculi and the levator palpebrae superioris. The orbicularis oculi is ring-shaped and surrounds the eyes in the middle. It is this muscle that allows us to close our eyes. The levator palpebrae superioris is mainly responsible for allowing us to open our eyes.

The formation of double eyelids requires that both muscles are relatively developed, the skin and subcutaneous fat above the eyes should not be too thick, and there should be an adhesion belt between the eyelids and the face. Only when these conditions are met at the same time can the orbicularis oculi muscle and the levator palpebrae superioris muscle fully function, allowing the upper eyelid to form wrinkles when the eyes are open, which is what we call double eyelids.

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Then why do your eyelids change after you wake up from sleep?

This situation is often closely related to our sleep the night before. For example, if you drink too much water the night before, the water may be concentrated in the eyes, causing swollen eyes after waking up. In fact, irregular work and rest, lack of sleep, and even excessive sleep can all cause upper eyelid swelling .

When the upper eyelid is swollen, the orbicularis oculi muscle and the levator palpebrae superioris muscle cannot function fully, and when you open your eyes again, the double eyelids will become single eyelids .

Sometimes, due to abnormal sleeping conditions, the levator palpebrae superioris muscle may become tighter, and the original single eyelids may become double eyelids . However, no matter which situation it is, it means that your eyes are not getting enough rest, which is a signal sent to us by the body .

But don't worry too much about this change. Generally speaking, the upper eyelid will return to its original state after the swelling subsides or the levator palpebrae superioris muscle recovers. If it looks really uncomfortable, you can also use hot compresses and massage to promote blood circulation and speed up the swelling. Generally, it will recover quickly.

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Of course, there is another situation where single eyelids turn into double eyelids or double eyelids turn into single eyelids when there is local skin allergy . For example, when urticaria or topical eye creams cause local allergic edema, the double eyelids will naturally disappear due to local swelling. Chronic simple lichen in the upper eyelid area, also known as neurodermatitis, can also cause local skin thickening and wrinkles, leading to the appearance of double eyelids or even triple eyelids. In this case, targeted anti-allergic treatment is needed to restore the normal skin quality of the eyelids, which will naturally improve significantly.

Therefore, friends with allergies should pay more attention !

In addition, systemic diseases, such as kidney disease, chronic wasting disease and other reasons causing hypoproteinemia can also cause changes in the appearance of the eyelids. At this time, the cause must be identified and symptomatic treatment must be given.

Review | Bu Kailai, Chief Physician, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Shenzhen Hospital (Longgang)