Angioedema Causes

Allergic Angioedema Causes

Allergic angioedema is caused by the immune system. Normally the immune system protects the body from infection by producing antibodies, which locate potential harmful threats such as bacteria or viruses. In the case of allergic angioedema, the immune system mistakenly identifies harmless proteins in certain substances as a threat, and responds by producing chemicals such as histamines. These cause blood vessels to expand, promoting swelling of the skin.

Well known triggers of allergic angioedema include:

• nuts, shellfish ,milk and eggs
• some medication such as penicillin, aspirin and ibuprofen
• wasp and bee stings

Idiopathic Angioedema Causes

By definition, idiopathic means a condition of unknown origin. Therefore, it follows that the exact cause of idiopathic angioedema is not known, although certain factors may act as triggers to swelling attacks. Some examples are caffeine, alcohol, stress and overheating. Clearly, by avoiding such triggers, an improvement of symptoms can be achieved.

Drug-induced Angioedema Causes

The most common cause of drug-induced angioedema is a medication called an ACE inhibitor, which is used to treat high blood pressure. ( ACE= angiotensin converting enzyme). Although they are useful in lowering blood pressure they may cause a chemical inbalance that may trigger severe swelling.
Less common triggers include vaccines, non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, bupropion and statins.

Hereditary Angioedema Causes

Hereditary angioedema is caused by a genetic fault in a gene known as C1-1NH. This fault prevents the production of sufficient C1-1NH protein, which has an important role in regulating the immune system. This deficiency can cause the immune system to trigger angioedema symptoms. Hereditary angioedema sufferers have a 50% chance of passing the condition to their children.

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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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What Is Angioedema?

Angioedema is swelling that arises in the tissues just below the skin surface, most commonly found around the eyes and lips. Similar to hives, but whereas hives consists of itchy patches on the skin surface, angioedema is swelling at a deeper, more profound level. 

Typically, angioedema is caused by some form of allergic reaction, possibly to food or medication. Following an allergic reaction, histamine is produced by the body, causing blood vessels to swell. In rare instances, angioedema could be an indication of Hodgkin’s Disease or leukaemia.

Points to note:

•          Angioedema can be either hereditary (HAE) or acquired (AAE).
•          Some attacks have an instant effect, whereas some take longer to develop.
•          An attack may only affect one side of the body, and not the other.
•          Most cases are mild in form, but severe attacks may cause the tongue and throat to swell.

Obviously, if the throat or tongue does swell, the airways may become blocked and the problem can then become life threatening, and urgent attention will be needed.

Some angioedema symptoms to look for:

•          Sudden appearances of red welts around eyes, lips, hands and feet.
•          Burning, swollen, itchy and painful patches
•          Discoloured patches on the hands, feet or face.
•     Swollen throat (rare)