What is angioedema?

Angioedema is a localized edema of the dermis, mucous membranes and fatty tissue, which can occur due to a variety of different causes. Synonym of this disease is considered to be Quincke's edema and allergic edema.

Etiology of the disease

Angioedema can cause many things, phenomena and objects that surround a person in everyday life. It can be:

- medicines. Angioedema can cause many types of antibiotics, immunoglobulins, sulfonamides, and also B vitamins;

- food products. Quincke may be affected by crustaceans, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries and chocolate;

- insects. Some insects can produce poisonous toxins that, upon admission to the human body, will immediately cause angioedema, if the patient has an allergy to this kind of poison. Such insects include bees, hornets and wasps;

- latex. Rarely, but still can trigger an allergic reaction of latex products, in particular, condoms, gloves, urinary and intravenous catheters;

- epidermal allergens. Epidermal allergens capable of causing allergic edema include saliva and dander of cats, dogs and other animals.

Symptoms of the disease

Edema begins in 15 minutes (maximum half an hour) after contact with the allergen, that is, the reaction rate is very fast. It is often accompanied by hives.

Edema is often localized in places where subcutaneous fat is well expressed, for example, on the lips or eyelids, and also in the mouth, for example, in the soft palate or tongue. In addition, there are cases when the swelling begins to develop on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. In this case, there is a high risk of asphyxia.

If the angioedema develops on the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, the symptoms will be as follows: barking cough, difficulty breathing, noisy breathing, cyanotic shade of the face, anxiety of the patient. If the victim at this point does not quickly provide medical assistance, then he may die because of asphyxia.

In addition, very often there are cases of development from the usual angioedema, anaphylactic shock, which outside the hospital walls often end in a lethal outcome.

Anaphylactic shock has the following with the symptoms:

- itching,

- hives,

- swelling of the throat, pharynx and larynx,

- bronchospasm,

- vomiting,

- nausea,

- stomach ache,

- hypotension,

- violation of the heart rate,

- development of OSSN,

- convulsions,

- a coma.

Without the provision of timely and qualified assistance in the unfavorable course of the disease, the patient most often dies from lack of oxygen (asphyxia) as a consequence of swelling of the throat.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment is almost always symptomatic, but every medical professional must know the well-defined algorithms for eliminating this syndrome.

With edema of the larynx, the patient is administered adrenaline and antihistamines, followed by inhalation with the use of vasoconstrictors, and then the patient is hospitalized in a specialized ENT department. If it is not possible to expand the airways by medicinal methods, tracheotomy and intubation are performed.

With anaphylactic shock, it is necessary to stop the arrival of the allergen if possible - this is due to the widespread cases of anaphylactic reaction to infusions of various drugs. After this, it is necessary to ensure the patency of the airways, if necessary, intubating the patient or producing a tracheotomy. After this, parenterally administered adrenaline, dopamine, norepinephrine and antihistamines. With the development of edema associated with food or drug allergy, a course of curative fasting with the use of enterosorbents and laxatives is administered.