Allergic reactions are far from always a rash and itching. Sometimes they are manifested by such a terrible phenomenon as Quincke's edema. It often poses a considerable danger to life, so if you or relatives, God forbid, develop symptoms quickly, urgently call an ambulance.
Over a period of several minutes to several hours, facial skin swells. This is especially true for the area around the mouth, the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and tongue swell. It is possible to increase in other places, for example, swelling around the eyes, often swollen hands. Often this process is accompanied by itching or pain. Nerve compression causes numbness. At the same time, urticaria is often observed.
In severe cases, breathing is difficult and becomes wheezing. There is less oxygen in the blood, and only tracheal intubation can save . This is the only way to prevent death as a result of the cessation of breathing.
Sometimes Quincke's edema occurs due to recent exposure to an allergen (such as peanut butter), but more often the agent that caused the edema remains unknown. The same allergen may not cause such a reaction every time a contact with it occurs. Therefore, in a disease, Quincke's edema is always an element of unpredictability. Strictly speaking, this is not always a purely allergic manifestation.
Patients also often have a stomach ache, intense vomiting, diarrhea with a large amount of fluid, and the rash has no relief and does not itch. If the patient has manifestations from the intestine, the white blood cell count usually increases significantly. Sometimes this condition is confused with acute appendicitis: there are cases when operations for appendectomy were performed in vain. White blood cell count decreases as symptoms decrease.
Sometimes Quincke's edema is accompanied by swelling of the limbs and genitals. Soreness in this case depends on the location and degree of manifestation of the swelling. Minor injuries, operations and mechanical irritation can also cause swelling. On average, the condition of predisposed people occurs once a month, develops in 12 hours and fades away after 2-5 days.
The main role in the occurrence of an attack is bradykinin. This peptide forces the vessels to expand, the wall of the vessel becomes more easily permeable, and fluid rapidly compresses into the intercellular space, which compresses the nerves and blood vessels, making the condition worse. On the face, this is especially noticeable, because there is little connective tissue, and therefore swelling is very pronounced.
Bradykinin is a pain mediator; it is secreted by different types of cells in response to various stimuli. If you suppress its activity, the symptoms of Quincke edema are significantly reduced and the risk of the condition is reduced.
Often, edema is provoked by drugs - inhibitors of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (enalapril, captopril). The fact is that normally this enzyme suppressed by drugs destroys unnecessary bradykinin, and therefore, if its action is terminated, bradykinin begins to act very actively, provoking edema.
With a hereditary tendency, Quincke edema occurs due to abnormality of the complement system (a mechanism in the functioning of the blood system). Connections of this abnormality with genetic factors have already been found.
Increasing the likelihood of an attack is the use of foods such as cinnamon and alcohol, as they themselves expand the blood vessels. Therefore, those who are prone to Quincke's edema should not use such substances. You may not notice the connection, since in this case the symptoms often begin after 24 hours. Pineapples and turmeric, on the other hand, reduce the chance of an attack.
Of the drugs, an attack can also be provoked by aspirin or ibuprofen, to a lesser extent this applies to acetaminophen, although the presence of a weak connection in this case is scientifically proven.
Quincke edema in children is not fundamentally different from Quincke edema in adults. However, the baby has worse protective reactions of the body, so you need to see a doctor without any delay.