Associated symptoms

The typical symptoms of hereditary angioedema are recurrent swelling of the skin (especially on the face) and/or the mucous membrane in the gastrointestinal tract or in the respiratory tract. Possible signs of an approaching attack (prodromia) may include symptoms such as fatigue, exhaustion, increased thirst, aggression and depressive mood. This is followed by swelling of the skin, which is characterized by the fact that it is not reddened but skin-colored and usually bulging.

They occur particularly in the facial area, but also on the hands, feet and genital area. The swellings are very rarely accompanied by itching, but often an accompanying feeling of tension occurs. The swellings can be painful.

They may recede after a few hours, but may remain for up to seven days. On average, the swelling lasts one to three days. Do you have a swelling in the genital area?

In some patients there may be a swelling in the area of the respiratory tract. This swelling is potentially life-threatening, as the airways can swell to the point of suffocation without immediate intensive care with airway protection. The larynx is most frequently affected by such swelling in the region of the airways.

This is known as laryngeal edema. In addition to the episodic swellings typical of the disease, many patients experience symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms are abdominal cramps and nausea.

Vomiting and severe diarrhea can also occur. The gastrointestinal complaints, like the swellings, can last for several days. In some patients, the gastrointestinal complaints occur in isolation, i.e. without the skin swelling.

This can make the diagnosis considerably more difficult. In some patients, the gastrointestinal symptoms precede the skin symptoms by years. It is not uncommon for the severe, colicky gastrointestinal symptoms to occur without accompanying skin symptoms.It can happen that affected patients are operated on due to severe abdominal pain (acute abdomen) because of suspected surgical conditions such as acute appendicitis.