Angioedema is sudden swelling that is often caused by an allergic reaction. It can be very serious if your throat becomes swollen and your breathing is affected. Treatment can help keep the swelling under control.

Angioedema is where a part of the body suddenly becomes swollen.

You'll usually have a raised, itchy rash (hives) if an allergic reaction has caused the swelling.

Areas of the body commonly affected include:

• the face – particularly the lips, tongue and eyelids
• the hands or feet
• the genitals

Sometimes the bowel may also become swollen, which can cause stomach pain.

Less commonly, the throat can swell up, leading to breathing difficulties. This is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is needed.

Call 999 if:

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

You may not need treatment for angioedema if the swelling is mild or it only affects a small area of your body.

If the swelling is severe or widespread, or if it affects your lips, tongue, or throat, you'll usually need emergency treatment in hospital.

Treatments for angioedema include:

• identifying and avoiding the underlying cause – if a medicine is thought to be the cause, you may be given a different one to take instead
• antihistamine medicine, such as cetirizine, fexofenadine or loratadine
• steroid tablets, such as prednisolone

If you have a type of angioedema that keeps coming back (hereditary angioedema), you may also need medicine to stop this happening.

You may have regular reviews to check if your treatment is working.

If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, you may need to go back to hospital for further tests and treatment.