Constant Facial Swelling
In April 2023, I woke up one day with my face swollen. I shrugged it off since I had school and I waited until summer. I started getting very sick with a sinus infection that would go away so I went to an ENT in June and they gave me prednisone for a couple of days. I then went back a second time because my symptoms came back. Then 2 weeks later I went to get tested and I’m allergic to many things outside and inside. Such as pollen and dust mites. I started my immunotherapy in August of 2023 and I kept on getting worse so the doctor gave me prednisone for a span of about 50 days. I had to get a septoplasty and a couple of other surgeries in order to stop the sinus issues. I got the surgery in November of 2023 and I kept on getting sick until January of 2024. By January 2024 I was completely fine with no more symptoms. I still take immunotherapy and I’m always outside. I use Flonase, Zyrtec, and azalestine. But none of these medication help with my face swelling. I have almost no symptoms of allergies since January. My only symptoms is I get a little bit of post nasal drip in the morning up it goes away. My main issue is my face is extremely swollen and the swelling never goes away, other than that I have no other symptoms. I go to an ENT every month and they always tell me they aren’t sure if the swelling is from the allergies. I’ve had a blood test for thyroid and other things but everything came back clear. Is this truly an issue of allergies or could it be something else. If it is allergies is there something I can do to get rid of the swelling. Please someone help, I’ve been very depressed dealing with this and no one can give me answers. Please offer some advice.
Yea the doctors don’t really know what’s wrong. It’s sad but there’s nothing I can do about it. Thanks for trying to help.
Oh, goodness,
. I am so sorry you are dealing with this issue. To others, it might seem like a small issue, but it's not. And it's frustrating that your doctors don't seem to know (or to be overly concerned) with what may be causing the facial swelling.
Would you describe it as swelling and not puffiness (puffiness could be an indication of fluid retention as opposed to an immune/allergic response). And you are no longer on prednisone, correct? Because steroids can cause facial swelling.
I have no doubt you know more about this than I do, as you have been dealing with it for quite some time now. Without any other symptoms, the most logical answer would be that this is due to allergies. But, please keep in mind, I am not saying that is definitely the case. And, it sounds like you are doing all you can to control your allergies, so any suggestions I might offer, well, you have tried them.
I am sorry I don't have a good answer for you or any suggestions as to how to manage this symptom. My son experiences extreme facial swelling when he is exposed to certain chemicals used on asphalt, but he also experiences other symptoms along with the swelling (watery eyes, itching, welts, etc). So, again, your situation has me well and truly stumped.
If you are using any sunscreens or bug sprays since you like being outdoors, I would check those and make sure you aren't reacting to those.
I do understand why this is depressing you. Facial swelling can be pretty noticeable and no one likes being stared at or avoiding going out because you don't want to deal with the curious looks, among other things.
The best thing I can suggest is to keep digging for answers (not really helpful advice, I know). I know it's exhausting and probably disheartening, but it's your best option for getting to the bottom of what's going on.
And, for what it's worth, in my son's case, we still don't know exactly what chemical causes his reaction; we just narrowed it down to "some chemical". He had to give up Marching Band because there was no way to avoid this practice field and no allergy medication or preventative controlled his allergic reaction. I only share that to say, that, to a degree, I get it. It's really frustrating.
I do hope you get some helpful input from other community members and don't give up pushing for answers.
Best, Erin, Team Member.Hi, and thanks for replying. The only steroid I use is Flonase. I would say it’s more puffy than swollen. It’s weird though because my dermatologist said it doesn’t look like water retention and the CT scans didn’t show anything either. Also the weirdest thing is I’ve spent the past few days mainly outside and I haven’t used any allergy medication for the past 8 days because I have allergy testing. The puffiness is still the same but I don’t have any other symptoms.
From,
Jason, yep. Your situation still has me stumped. And, not to bring up my son again, but it was even stumping his allergists. Unless we wanted to pay for more expensive, possibly inconclusive testing, we just had to make peace with narrowing down his reaction to "some chemical or paint used on particular asphalt spaces". Not very helpful for him or us.
And, I think doctors sometimes lose interest when they can't figure out a patient's problem relatively quickly. And, since it's not life threatening, they think, "Oh, well. He'll be fine." It's dismissive and frustrating, to say the least. I kind of feel like this is the boat you find yourself in.
Ugh. Again. I wish I had some more helpful input for you, but I don't.
Best, Erin, Team Member.
