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Allergic swelling of the face is a local reaction of the body to certain allergens entering it. At the same time, tissues intensively collect excess fluid due to problems with intercellular water exchange. Read the article about what to do for a person who has swelling of the face due to an allergy, and how to give him first aid.
Causes of swelling
Facial swelling due to allergies occurs due to the negative effects of the allergen on the body.
With such a pathological reaction, blood circulation slows down, the metabolic process worsens, and fluid accumulates in the affected area (most often on the face), increasing the volume of soft tissues. This condition requires immediate professional intervention, as it entails irreversible consequences. Allergies manifested by swelling can develop due to exposure to the following irritants:
- Some food products (honey, nuts, chicken protein, citrus fruits);
- Pharmacological drugs;
- Insect, arachnid, wasp or bee bites;
- Chemical, household products;
- Flowering pollen, poplar fluff;
- Dust, house mites;
- Animal wool (cats, dogs, rabbits, birds);
- Poor quality cosmetics.
Manifestations of allergies
The appearance of characteristic allergy symptoms when the face is swollen is a natural reaction of the immune system. The skin of the face turns red, the eyelids, lips and nose swell, rashes and itching are possible. Sometimes the swelling is so severe that a person cannot open his eyes. What to do in such a situation?
Symptoms may appear immediately after the introduction of the stimulus or after some time. Therefore, it will not be possible to quickly identify and eliminate the allergen. Treatment is a complex and lengthy process; multiple allergy tests will be required.
The first reaction may be minor and last about half an hour. Sometimes swelling of the skin appears suddenly and disappears just as quickly. In this case, treatment is not required; to prevent re-swelling of the facial skin, it is necessary to find out the cause. The allergic factor is divided into several main groups:
- insect bites (bees, wasps and mosquitoes);
- facial skin care products (creams, lotions and soaps);
- food products;
- some plants and pollen;
- house dust;
- household chemicals;
- medicines;
- animal hair and bird feathers;
- ultraviolet rays, cold.
If your face suddenly becomes swollen, you should seek help from a doctor. If this is not possible for any reason, you should try to relieve the swelling of the skin yourself. Do not scratch your skin or use alcohol, soap or cosmetics on your face.
Main symptoms
Swelling in the facial area occurs very quickly. Enlarged areas can block the airways and eyes, causing the person to feel serious discomfort.
In addition to extensive facial swelling, additional symptoms of an allergic reaction include:
- Redness of the skin;
- Swelling of the eyelids (the eyes are almost invisible) and swelling of the lips;
- The skin becomes overly tense;
- The appearance of a small rash;
- Severe itching in the area of fluid stagnation.
Swelling that occurs due to allergies must be eliminated immediately. This should be done by a qualified doctor to prevent the condition from worsening.
Swelling of the face due to allergies - causes
Sometimes swelling appears for simple reasons not related to allergies:
- drinking alcohol, salty foods;
- minor infectious process;
- injuries.
But if an allergy begins with swelling of the face, it is necessary to immediately provide assistance, because such swelling is pathologically dangerous.
If the disease does not develop quickly enough, it is recommended to change the environment and change clothes. Perhaps this is a consequence of the work of contact allergens. After allergy symptoms go away, swelling of the face will no longer bother you.
What could be the danger?
Untimely assistance entails the development of dangerous conditions due to swelling. In severe situations, the victim’s tissues near the mucous membranes, tongue, and nose swell. Such phenomena interfere with swallowing and normal breathing.
Also, due to severe swelling, a person may lose consciousness, and the meninges and blood vessels may be affected. The patient begins to develop anaphylactic shock and collapse.
Allergic swelling on the face - symptoms
There are about 300 thousand substances that can be allergens and cause swelling in dangerous forms. Typical areas of swelling are the tongue, lower lip, larynx, and cheeks. They increase significantly in size, leading to suffocation.
Allergic swelling of the face should be treated by a doctor. Self-medication can worsen symptoms.
It is necessary to provide emergency treatment, as minutes count in such situations. You should not self-medicate, as delay can be fatal. Treatment must be immediate and qualified - only this will save lives.
Typically the symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- the patient's eyelids and lips have multiple swellings;
- skin color changes;
- severe itching along with swelling of the affected areas.
- rash in the form of hives.
Photo: swelling of the face and eyes
Often the patient does not experience pain when swelling develops, and the symptoms of the pathological condition themselves develop very quickly. The tissues in the area where excess fluid accumulates are so tense that they don’t even bend when pressed.
To treat these manifestations, an antihistamine is administered to relieve allergic swelling and the swollen areas are monitored. If there is no therapeutic effect, you should immediately call a doctor. The introduction of a stronger drug with its help will quickly eliminate the symptoms of facial edema.
Allergic swelling of the face in a child
Swelling can occur not only due to allergies, but also due to heart disease and kidney disease, which also needs to be taken into account.
First aid
Every person should know how to help an allergy sufferer with facial swelling. The subsequent effectiveness of treatment depends entirely on first medical aid. In case of severe swelling, the following emergency measures should be taken:
- Immediately remove the allergen (if it is, for example, a bee sting, wasp sting, chemical substance) from the body or take the patient to a safe place where there are no dangerous irritants;
- Take an antiallergic drug (Loratadine, Tavegil, calcium chloride);
- Try to restore the patient’s calm state;
- Call an ambulance immediately.
All the described actions must be quick in order to maximally improve the allergy sufferer’s condition and prevent dangerous complications.
What is the danger of facial swelling due to allergies?
Angioedema (synonym: Quincke's edema) is a very rapidly developing swelling in the tissues of the face, neck, and in severe cases, the entire body. Most often it occurs in children and women.
The disease is caused by an immediate reaction of body cells to the ingress of an allergen, as a result of which local veins and capillaries begin to expand sharply.
The problem with this edema is that if it occurs, and doctors organize treatment that relieves all the symptoms of this pathology, this does not mean that the disease will not occur in the future. Those who have had it have a much higher risk of relapse than others.
Therefore, it is necessary to identify the substance that provoked the reaction and prevent it from entering the body, and also always carry a card with you indicating this product. This will help doctors take emergency measures and prescribe the right treatment.
Medical care and treatment
Professional, emergency care should be provided by medical professionals. It includes the following activities:
- The use of sorbents, which provoke the removal of allergenic components and dangerous toxins from the victim’s body (Enterosgel);
- Glucocorticosteroid drugs are administered to eliminate the progression of the unfavorable process (Pridnisolone, Dexamethasone);
- To relieve swelling and remove excess fluid, diuretics (Lasix, Mannitol and others) are used;
- Allergy symptoms can be relieved with the help of fast-acting anti-allergy drugs (Pipolfen, Tavegil, Diphenhydramine).
After emergency medical care is provided, the patient is taken to a medical facility to determine the cause of the swelling and prescribe effective therapy.
To determine the allergen, a special analysis is carried out, during which the doctor ensures contact of various irritants with the skin of the allergic person and observes the reaction. Blood and urine are also sent for testing. Only after diagnosing and determining the nature of the allergy can the doctor begin prescribing treatment, which lasts two weeks.
Therapeutic measures must be comprehensive. First of all, the doctor prescribes antihistamines: Cetirizine or Fexofenadine.
During treatment, you must completely limit yourself from contact with the irritant.
To restore the functioning of the immune system and regulate important processes, a vitamin complex is also prescribed. During the period of therapy, the patient must periodically visit the doctor so that he monitors his condition and, if treatment is unsuccessful, explains what to do next and what medications to use.
Traditional medicine is often used to relieve facial swelling and reduce allergic reactions. However, their use must be agreed upon with your doctor, since in most cases self-medication ends in disastrous consequences.
Traditional methods
Despite their simplicity and accessibility, some folk remedies are quite effective and help relieve swelling and inflammation. This is especially true for pregnant women with allergic edema. A decoction of sage, string, green tea, chamomile and oak bark is suitable for cleansing the skin and washing.
You can apply lotions to a swollen face by moistening a napkin with sour milk or whey. To relieve heat and swelling on the face, use compresses with ice cubes from decoctions:
- dandelion;
- calendula;
- burdock;
- bear ears.
These medicinal plants have a diuretic effect, the decoction can be taken orally.
Flax seed is widely used as a lotion. The gruel (a tablespoon per 100 grams of boiling water) is applied cold using a cloth napkin. Inflamed skin rashes are treated at night with an ointment of the following composition: 100 grams of melted pork fat, birch tar - 2 tablespoons and sulfur powder - 3 grams are taken as a base.
You can apply compresses to the area of swollen eyelids by applying fresh cucumber circles. An egg mask will relieve swelling from excess sun rays. Apply whipped egg white to the skin several times. After the mask has dried, it is washed off with clean water and the skin is lubricated with a nourishing cream.
In case of allergic reactions and swelling of the facial skin, you should use cosmetics, household chemicals and medications with caution. Avoid highly allergenic foods and minimize salt intake. Add more fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet and increase the amount of liquid.
Effective ways to relieve swelling
There are effective folk methods that allow you to remove allergic swelling from the face and eliminate unpleasant signs of pathology. To do this, you can use the following recipes:
- A spoonful of Bear's Ears herb is thoroughly crushed and poured with 200 milliliters of boiled water. For two hours, the resulting liquid is infused in a dark, cool place, then filtered and consumed in a tablespoon 15 minutes before meals;
- Two tablespoons of crushed dandelion and burdock root are poured into 800 ml. boiling water, then cover with a lid and leave in a darkened room for 24 hours. After the specified exposure, the resulting product is filtered and consumed one glass (about 200 ml) before each meal;
- Two tablespoons of cranberries are crushed and the juice is separated from the pulp. The pulp is filled with water and placed on low heat until it boils. After this, all the ingredients are mixed in one container, filtered and consumed one glass 3-4 times a day.
Traditional medicine recipes are distinguished by their safety and effectiveness, but even their use requires consultation with your doctor.
Types of edema, first aid, duration of edema
There are two types of edema: local reaction to an allergen and angioedema. In the first case, you will experience slight swelling, itching or rash. This condition can be treated at home. In the second case, there is severe swelling of the face, tongue, throat, and upper eyelids. This is a serious condition in which you need to call a doctor immediately.
To provide first aid, eliminate the allergen, take a horizontal position, take antihistamines, open access to fresh air, and apply a cold compress. If the allergy is caused by food or medications taken orally, do a rinse. If this does not help, call for medical help.
It is forbidden to wash your face with soap, scratch yourself, wipe your skin with alcohol, or apply makeup.
Facial swelling lasts up to 6 weeks if you do not take any measures. Treatment will reduce this period to a week.
Below you will learn more about how this pathology occurs in children, adults, and pregnant women. You will find more detailed ways to combat the problem with medications and folk remedies.
How to recognize the type of allergy?
The two types of swelling of the face and eyes carry different degrees of danger and require different responses.
A local reaction caused by skin contact with an allergen is characterized by:
- skin disorders in the form of spots, rashes with itching and slight swelling;
- the place of direct contact has more pronounced manifestations;
- The general condition of the body is stable, the only concern is skin rashes.
You can survive this scourge at home using folk remedies and sorbents. It should be noted that facial swelling in a child with allergies can be significant, even with local exposure.
Quincke's edema requires timely hospitalization and treatment in a hospital, so calling an ambulance is required.
- significant accumulation of fluid in the tissues, which is expressed in swelling of the face, mucous membranes of the mouth, tongue, throat, the upper eyelids swell most severely;
- change in general condition - pallor of the skin, drop in pressure, lack of air, difficulty breathing, vascular spasms.
The condition is very serious and is not limited to skin manifestations. Sometimes, with significant contact with an allergen, urticaria turns into angioedema and also requires urgent hospitalization.
