Illness name: angioedema
Description:
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:
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.
You could be having a serious allergic reaction (
anaphylaxis
) and may need immediate treatment in hospital.
You can call 111 or
get help from 111 online
.
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:
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.
Page last reviewed: 18 January 2023
Angioedema
Check if you have angioedema
Immediate action required:
Call 999 or go to A&E if:
Urgent advice:
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
Treatments for angioedema
Types of angioedema
Cause
Type
Angioedema caused by an allergic reaction to certain foods, medicines or substances
Acute allergic angioedema
A non-allergic reaction to a medicine, most commonly angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
Non-allergic angioedema
Long-term angioedema where the cause is unknown
Idiopathic angioedema
A rare and potentially life-threatening type of angioedema that's often inherited from your parents
Hereditary angioedema
A very rare type of angioedema that you can get if you have lymphoma (cancer), or a condition that affects the connective tissue, such as
lupus
Acquired angioedema
Next review due: 18 January 2026