angiodema

I have been having problems with swellings inside the tissues of my cheeks. I have itchy skin all over, at times... my face becomes extremely red and my lips begin to tingle and swell. itchy ,scratchy, watery and red eyes are also a problem. I had a scratch test which shows many food and pollen allergies. I am awaiting blood test results. I am concerned about the possiblity and liklihood that this type of allergic reaction becoming  an anaphlaxtic reaction. Some of the foods I am allergic to are: almonds, peaches, tuna,lamb,rye,squash. Also allergic to pine, sycamore,beech and MOLDS!  Any help or advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. Should I carry an epi pen?

[enzymelover]

How long have you been having allergy symptoms? Have you had any unusually stressful situations lately? Adrenal fatigue can lead to sudden allergy symptoms, as can intestinal problems, such as developing "leaky gut syndrome".
If you can get a cortisol test to see if you have an adrenal problem, you may be able to end the allergies, by treating the adrenal fatigue.
A trial of Transfer Factor could help a great deal, with immune support.
An experienced nutritionist can help with this.

[lowillia]

my allergy symptoms have been primarily seasonal, and nothing was usually taken for the congestion or itchy eyes.... tried to go the natural route... and it was manageable...until Sept. 1st of this year!!! I had never really noticed any food allergies... although peaches were something I stayed away from as they made my lips feel numb, slightly tingly and slightly swollen. As far as stress.. yes. it was somewhat a stressful time when this started...... I  dropped a daughter off at college and was started up my preschool for the school year which is no easy task.... though I hadn't felt excessively stressed... until the wheals and intense itching started along with the swelling and tingling. I did wheeze some and felt short of breath. Do/ Can  Oral Allergy Symptoms ever become as severe as an anaphylactic reaction? Thanks for your advice re: adrenal fatigue... I wouldn't be surprised at all if this were the case....  I am also wondering in the interim about the OAS symptoms... and whether they can become life threatening since i am going on vacation and will be eating out! The almond allergy is also very concerning!

[enzymelover]

Sorry, I will have to defer to an expert as far as the severity of the reactions. I know that taking digestive enzymes with your food will help enormously to end food sensitivities, but true allergies involve a different antibody reaction, I believe.
Have you ever had a test for low cortisol? I would recommend this.

[lowillia]

Thanks for your help... all my blood work should be in this week and will find out then.. they did testing for autoimmune and cortisol...along with other testing.... I am just feeling impatient though! Thanks again and I will try some digestive enzymes in the interim!

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Unexplained swelling of the lip 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 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.You should also carry epipen with you.

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 yourself 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.