Q: My one year old son sometimes has swelling under his eyes. The swelling is more pronounced when he gets up after sleep and the swelling is sometimes more and sometimes less. It subsides after 2-3 hours. He is undergoing treatment for urinary infection. However, please advise the possible causes of swelling under the eyes and remedy for it.

A:Puffiness or swelling around the eyes can occur in a variety of situations, most commonly following kidney disorders. The swelling starts appearing early in the morning and disappears during the day. As the disease progresses, the swelling becomes evident on rest of the body including face, abdomen, feet, scrotum and back. Similar swelling can develop with disorders of heart and blood vessels, severe anemia and other disorders leading to heart failure. In most of these cases, the the swelling affects both the eyes and is symmetrical. Similar puffiness can follow allergic reactions and is often unilateral. A good clinical examination and relevant investigations can confirm the cause of the swelling. Since your child is having urinary tract infection, it will be worthwhile to investigate for kidney functions.