The Swelling of Lips, Tongues, Hands, and Feet Explained

If you have ever experienced the swelling of your eyelids, lips, tongue, hands, or feet, you may have a disorder called Angioedema. These reactions are commonly caused by allergies to food or insect bites. The severity can range from mild to potentially fatal if an individual’s airway swells up. It is estimated that roughly 10-20% of the population will go through this at least once in their lifetime.

There are more than a couple things that can cause angioedema from allergens—food, certain medicine, insect bites, and latex are the most common. Your body’s immune system believes that something is threatening its delicate ecosystem to which it releases a chemical to attack the “threat”. This causes the area of focus to swell, as there is no real danger there to begin with.

If you have dealt with the swelling of your eyelids, lips, tongue, hands, feet, or genitalia, it is important to explore treatment options with a health care professional. At Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Medical Group, our team of medical professionals have the knowledge to help accurately diagnose and treat you.

Call 805-658-9500 to speak to one of our team members and book an appointment today. You can also schedule an appointment online. Continue reading to learn more about other swelling disorders and treatment options.

Other swelling disorders

Angioedema is a disorder that affects deep skin tissues much like other disorders. Each disorder tends to target different parts of the body. If any of these symptoms have happened to you, consider seeking medical consultation as soon as possible.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

EoE is an allergic/immune condition affecting the tissues of the esophagus. It is typically brought on by food allergies or environmental allergies. When a flareup happens, the esophagus swells to the point of not being able to eat food because of the build up of white blood cells.

Sinusitis

Much like angioedema and EoE, sinusitis is an allergic reaction. Swelling can occur in the sinuses, nasal passageways, or mucus membranes making it difficult to breath and smell through your nose.

Ocular allergies

As the name suggests, this allergic reaction targets the eyes. They become red, puffy, watery, itchy, or swollen. The immune system mistakenly thinks your body is under attack by a foreign contaminant and targets your eyes. This causes them to swell to an uncomfortable to sometimes painful level.

How we can help

Our team of specialists are experts in the underlying issues that cause swelling: allergies and immunology. We can provide allergen testing to better identify exactly what is causing your immune system to attack certain parts of your body. Once that is identified, our professionals may provide specific medication to dull the current symptoms. Further, they will coach you on how to prevent similar reactions in the future.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist your uncomfortable swelling. Call 805-658-9500 to book an appointment. You can also schedule an appointment online. Get rid of the discomfort of swelling, plan a consultation today.