Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List
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Treatment of Angioedema
For mild hives or angioedema, you can try some self-help measures such as:
- Taking a cool shower or applying a cold compress to the affected area;
- Wearing loose, light clothing;
- Avoiding rubbing or scratching the affected area;
- Applying an over-the-counter antihistamine cream or taking an antihistamine tablet, to relieve any itching.
If you need to go to your GP or to hospital, treatment usually involves taking a corticosteroid drug to reduce the swelling. You might be given antihistamines or adrenaline to deal with the allergic reaction.
An attack of inherited (genetic) angioedema is treated with an injection of the C1 inhibitor, the substance that your body is deficient in. Alternatively, you may be given fresh frozen plasma, a part of the blood that carries all the proteins including C1 inhibitor.
If you’re having difficulty breathing because of swelling in your voicebox (larynx), you should go to your local Accident and Emergency unit or call for an ambulance. In an emergency situation a tube may be passed down your throat to help get oxygen to your lungs, or you may have a tracheotomy. This involves making a cut into the windpipe below the swollen part of your airway, providing a new opening through which you can breathe.
An adrenaline injection will be given if you have an anaphylactic shock – a serious allergic reaction that affects the heart and lungs, which can make it hard to breathe and cause unconsciousness and even death.
