Swellings can occur anywhere in and on the body. The most noticeable and immediately visible to everyone is facial edema. Due to a wound, inflammation or other deformities, the face swells and looks puffy. For example, it can be caused by erysipelas, mumps or tumor growth. What could be the reasons for a swollen face and why is a medical check important in some cases?
Facial edema: swollen face
- Accumulation of moisture
- What’s swelling?
- Allergic reaction
- Tooth abscess
- Mumps
- Dandruff
- Thyroid problems
- Tumor formation
- Facial edema: when to go to the doctor?
Accumulation of moisture
There are many cavities in the head, where fluid can accumulate due to inflammation or blockages. If moisture does not drain properly, it can gradually accumulate. This puts excessive pressure on facial tissue. The face appears fatter than normal, and the person also has a tight feeling in the head. Besides a cold, head injury, congestion or hormonal changes, what could be the reasons for the development of facial edema?
What’s swelling?
The head is composed of various tissues, glands and cavities. Problems can occur both internally and externally, causing swelling. A wound is infected, causing, for example, an eyelid to increase in size. Problems can also arise internally. Consider a blockage in the drainage passages, which increases fluid pressure on surrounding tissues. The swelling can affect the entire face, but it can also occur very locally.
Allergic reaction
Acute swelling may be a response to the ingress of unwanted substances. The person has an allergy, which causes the immune system to overreact. Consider the ingestion of peanuts, shrimp or as a result of a wasp sting. Mast cells then produce too much histamine, causing drainage channels to cramp and the tension around veins to disappear. It can lead to spontaneous swelling of the face due to fluid accumulation. It can be associated with severe breathing problems and can cause shock.
Tooth abscess
Having an inflammation at the root of a tooth can sometimes lead to an abscess formation. It can cause local swelling in the cheek or jaw. However, sometimes it can grow into a dangerous inflammation. Multiple maxillary sinuses can become inflamed, causing pus and pus to accumulate in the cavities. Dental abscess can cause Ludwig’s Angina condition. The accumulation of pus creates high pressure in the neck, which compresses the trachea. The swelling can lead to death by suffocation.
Mumps
A now rare condition is mumps. The large parotid gland is infected with a paramyxovirus. The gland swells, making the face appear unusually fat and swollen. Normally we are vaccinated against this as a baby, and the MMR vaccine (mumps, measles and rubella) is repeated at the age of nine. If you do get mumps as a child, it often has few complications. Sometimes it can seriously affect fertility.
Dandruff
Having a small wound can cause the skin to become increasingly inflamed. In other words, a virus or possibly a bacteria has entered. With erysipelas, the skin swells and may feel red or painful. It may be accompanied by fever-like symptoms and nausea. This concerns gram positive anaerobic bacteria (GPAC), such as streptococci, which can thrive without oxygen. It also regularly occurs as a condition of the legs. Skin atrophy, diabetes and heart disease can also trigger erysipelas.
Thyroid problems
The thyroid gland is an extremely important organ for metabolism. It releases some hormones, which influence the functioning of metabolites. If the thyroid gland is overactive, one becomes tense, quickly cold and shaky. If the organ works too slowly, people will often have depressive complaints. People retain fluid more quickly and gain weight. In Hashimoto’s disease, thyroid cells are attacked by the immune system, causing these problems. In other words, it is an autoimmune disease. It results in a swollen head and neck.
Tumor formation
In most cases, facial swelling will be a relatively harmless condition that often requires treatment. Sometimes facial swelling can be caused by tumors or cancer. A small lump in front of the ear can potentially turn into malignant cancer. This caused a tumor to develop in the parotid gland. Skin abnormalities and deformities can also develop elsewhere on the face. Especially if it is accompanied by skin spots, color changes and a raised position of the skin, it could potentially be cancerous. Acute excessive swelling of the face should always be taken seriously.
Facial edema: when to go to the doctor?
If you have a swollen face or a deformity somewhere for no reason, have it checked out medically. Infections or inflammations should be treated with medication such as amoxicillin. Because acute swelling sometimes involves a tumor or cancer, timely diagnosis is necessary. So always go to your GP quickly for an assessment and/or referral.
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