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Angioedema is sudden swelling that is often caused by an allergic reaction. It can be very serious if your throat becomes swollen and your breathing is affected. Treatment can help keep the swelling under control.
Angioedema is where a part of the body suddenly becomes swollen.
You'll usually have a raised, itchy rash (hives) if an allergic reaction has caused the swelling.
Areas of the body commonly affected include:
Sometimes the bowel may also become swollen, which can cause stomach pain.
Less commonly, the throat can swell up, leading to breathing difficulties. This is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is needed.
You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised or itchy.
These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
You may not need treatment for angioedema if the swelling is mild or it only affects a small area of your body.
If the swelling is severe or widespread, or if it affects your lips, tongue, or throat, you'll usually need emergency treatment in hospital.
Treatments for angioedema include:
If you have a type of angioedema that keeps coming back (hereditary angioedema), you may also need medicine to stop this happening.
You may have regular reviews to check if your treatment is working.
If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, you may need to go back to hospital for further tests and treatment.
| Cause | Type |
|---|---|
| Angioedema caused by an allergic reaction to certain foods, medicines or substances | Acute allergic angioedema |
| A non-allergic reaction to a medicine, most commonly angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors | Non-allergic angioedema |
| Long-term angioedema where the cause is unknown | Idiopathic angioedema |
| A rare and potentially life-threatening type of angioedema that's often inherited from your parents | Hereditary angioedema |
| A very rare type of angioedema that you can get if you have lymphoma (cancer), or a condition that affects the connective tissue, such as lupus | Acquired angioedema |
