In addition to trauma, there are several other reasons that the tissue around the eyes can become blackened “The skin of the eyelid itself is very loose and flexible and contains no subcutaneous fat. As a result, the muscles and blood vessels around the eye are quite close to the surface of the skin, ” explains Jon H. Bosland, M. D. “So you can get vascular congestion around the eyes that will cause them to look kind of dark and purplish,” he continues. For this reason, it is not uncommon for people with severe allergies and long-lasting allergic swelling to experience what is referred to as an “allergic shiner” in one or both eyes.

You can also get a black eye from distant injuries such as a skull fracture. “In this instance, the fracture initiates back behind the eyes but the blood migrates up into the tissue around the eyes,” explains Bosland.

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This morning’s racquetball game was going so well until your opponent hit that unbelievable shot that bounced off the wall and hit you right in the eye. After he finished apologizing profusely and the pain subsided somewhat, you picked up your ego and went home. But now you’re beginning to resemble a prizefighter who lost the prize! Your eyelid is nearly swollen shut, the area around your eye is turning black and blue, and the throbbing pain is back in full force. You’re starting to wonder if there’s more to this injury than meets the eye.

As horrifying as a black eye can look—and as embarrassing as it can be to explain—it is usually nothing that will cause lasting or serious.

Still, anyone with a black eye need to see a doctor in order to rule out damage to the eye itself. (It is especially important to see a doctor without delay if there is any change in vision.) Once you are sure everything is all right, there are some steps you can take at home to care for your shiner.

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