Swollen cheek and lips like a gorilla

My husband woke up today with his cheek and lips swollen grotesquery . . . He has done this in the past when he took aspirin and once when he used a dye on his mustache.  Neither of these things this time . . . The only unusual thing he ate was a chocolate brownie . . . Does anyone have any ideas for me?

[Cherie762]

did the brownie have nuts? he could be devloping a new allergy, or if it was a nut he has never eaten,,nuts are one of the number one food allergies..another thought check uner the hairs on his moustace real good and make sure you dont notice a spider bite,

[Ninky]

Thank you Cherie, you know when I had him check under his moustace he did find a little sore spot that looked like it could be a bite.  God Bless you, we would never have thought of such a thing . . . He is better today, but still a bit swollen , , ,

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Unexplained swelling of the lip and cheeks without any predisposing disease is frequently caused by allergies. An allergic reaction can occur suddenly, even in a person with no previous history of allergy.This swelling of the lip and cheeks is called angioedema.It is the rapid swelling (edema) of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues.Symptoms include swelling of any body part which appears suddenly and comes and goes.

Diagnosis is by clinical examination and complete blood tests,electrolytes and renal function tests.Traetment is by antihistaminics and steroids.

Other possibilities of swelling of lips may be acromegaly,Crohn’s disease,cardiac or renal disorders,herpes and myxedema.It is very difficult to make a diagnosis without examination.So pls get your husband examined by a physician and the diagnosis confirmed.Also sometimes angioedema can be life threatening when it involves the larynx and airways.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.