Types Of Angioedema

There are four main types of angioedema.

Allergic Angioedema

This type of angioedema is the most common and is caused by an allergic reaction, often affecting those people suffering from food allergies.

Extremely severe allergic reactions can lead to a swelling of the throat, associated breathing difficulties and a rapid drop in blood pressure. This extreme allergic reaction is termed anaphylaxis, and should be treated immediately as an emergency.

In the majority of cases, allergic angioedema is short term, because as soon as the allergen responsible for triggering the attack is identified, future attacks can be avoided.

Idiopathic Angioedema

This type of angioedema is one in which the causes for the swelling are unknown. Chronic idiopathic angioedema is rare, but those people that do suffer may also experience urticaria symptoms.

There are certain factors that may be responsible for triggering idiopathic angioedema:

• Stress
• Thyroid gland issues
• Iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiencies
• Dental, sinus or gallbladder infections

Drug-induced Angioedema

This type of angioedema occurs as a rare side effect of certain medications. Examples of this are types of medication called ACE inhibitors, which are used to treat high blood pressure. ( ACE = angiotensin converting enzyme) The symptoms can occur at any time following the commencement of the medication, and can last for up to three months after stopping.

Hereditary Angioedema

This type of angioedema is the rarest form, where the swelling occurs as a result of inheriting faulty genes. Hereditary angioedema occurs following a lack of a protein in the blood called C1-esterase inhibitor. Any swellings tend to arise slowly, and can affect the throat, bowel and cause stomach pain.

Typically, hereditary angioedema attacks tend to begin following puberty, often triggered by:

• Infection
• Trauma
• Contraceptive pill
• Pregnancy

The general prognosis for angioedema sufferers is good, with symptoms usually passing fairly quickly. However, the attacks can be unpredictable, and frequent reoccurrences can be both irritating and unpleasant.

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