Do you experience a swollen face every morning which goes away as you progress in the day? Weird isn’t it? Have you wondered why it happens?

The most general cause of puffiness in the face early morning is fluid retention in the facial area. There are multiple reasons why fluid can get retained –

• If you have consumed salty foods the previous night, your body tends to retain more water due to high sodium levels. This results in a puffy face
• Alcohol consumption leads to dehydration which results in fluid retention in the body and around your face
• Hormone fluctuations / periods
• Sleeping position – lying down for some people leads to water retention in the face area and subsides quickly upon standing upright after sleep

So what do we do about it?

Typically, puffy face is harmless if it subsides soon after waking up. We can address it by-

• Washing face with cold water
• Massaging face with cream
• Cold compress to your face area
• Good hydration
• Undisturbed sleep
• Cutting salty food for dinner
• Elevating your head region while going to sleep

However, if your swollen face persists for longer in the day, occurs randomly or is combined with other physiological symptoms like rashes, lethargy or infection, it could be a sign of an underlying medical issue and needs doctor’s attention.