Experiencing Angioedema and Allergies

Our bodies seem to be full of fun surprises. When you think of all of the systems in the body, it's a miracle that things work as well as they do!

For years, I have had a weird swelling on one side of my face. It has happened repeatedly, and I can't figure out what is causing it. Every once in a while, I notice part of my right face is swollen when I wake up in the morning. I start to put on my makeup and think, "Is it the lighting? Did I sleep weird on my pillow and cause part of my cheek to swell?"

Is an allergy the cause of swelling?

I have food allergies, so my first thought was, "Do I have Anaphylaxis?!" I hadn't eaten anything, and I wasn't having any other symptoms. I have a seafood allergy, so I know what anaphylaxis feels like - and this wasn't it.

Was it the lighting? I would move my face from side to side and change the lighting. No, my right cheek and jaw were swollen. I started taking pictures to show my doctor.

Pro Tip: take pictures of swelling, hives, rashes, etc. Have you ever had your car make a weird sound, and it stops by the time you get to the shop? And you feel like an idiot trying to recreate the sound? The same thing can happen with swelling, hives, or a rash. When you can get an appointment to see your doctor, the rash or hives may be gone. So take photos to document it!

I went to a new doctor (highly recommended by a friend), and he thought it might be angioedema. ¹

What is angioedema?

Most people have heard of edema, which occurs when part of the body swells due to a buildup of fluid in the tissues. Some people can have that when they have heart problems, and their legs swell.

Angioedema causes swelling, but it happens in the deeper tissues of the skin. It's more common in the face or lips but can also affect the tongue or throat. New Doctor: If your tongue or throat swells, get to the ER or call an ambulance—FAST!

Luckily, my swelling just affected the right side of my face. After a few visits and running a blood test, he wasn't sure what was happening. That happens sometimes, and I appreciate a doctor who tells me, "I don't know." After all, they are like detectives trying to solve a case. Some cases (or medical problems) can't be solved.

The mystery continues

A few years later, The Hubster started having symptoms of angioedema. He would wake up and say that his top lip itched. If he touched it, it would instantly swell up. Luckily for him, he has a full beard - so it's not as visible as my face swelling.

But the difference was that his lip itched like crazy.

Do you know how it is when you have an itch, but are you trying not to scratch it? Yeah. It's pure torture. If he would touch his lip, it would get bigger. If he left it alone, the swelling would eventually go down, and his top lip would return to normal.

We couldn't find any pattern or figure out what was causing his lip to swell either.

Another mystery. But at least we know the name of the mystery now - angioedema.

Has anyone else experienced this?