Understanding Idiopathic Angioedema

Idiopathic Angioedema is a medical condition that causes severe swelling of the skin tissue under the surface layer or the 'Derma'. Angioedema often manifests very suddenly which can cause some distress. The cause of the condition is unknown as far as modern medicine goes, but many believe the condition to be linked to underlying autoimmune disease.

Generally the term idiopathic is used to describe a condition which is triggered by no obvious reason. Treatments for the condition are basically aimed at symptom relief which is good enough for acute attacks however it's of little help to chronic sufferer's

Angioedema or the deep swelling happens because of an allergic reaction which the body responds to by producing excess histamine, which in turn manifests as large areas of swelling.

The problem is that the allergen that triggered it is often hard to discover. Also, in many cases the standard antihistamine treatment cannot provide effective relief especially for the prevention of the condition becoming chronic.

Testing For Allergies

The standard skin tests can sometimes pinpoint the allergen, but this method is seldom successful as the reason for the condition are often deep rooted.

An elimination diet may prove to be more successful in discovering hidden allergens This generally involves the exclusion of one type of food or a specific product from the menu of the tested person, this is however a time consuming process.

Allergens, antagonists or triggers can be a certain type of food such as dairy, wheat or simply an additive or colouring used in any number of commercially produced products. There are many different kinds of food intolerances and they can vary substantially from a person to person. Thus, an elimination diet is a very useful tool for the determination of the cause of Idiopathic Angioedema (If you have the time).

Unfortunately the reasons for Angioedema like chronic urticaria are notoriously hard to pinpoint, allergens are all around us, in the air even the water we drink. Climate could also be a factor in as much as the number of cases drop significantly in warmer climates, this is most likely the result of the body absorbing higher levels of natural vitamin D3.