Facial swelling is not only a cosmetic defect; if it appears frequently or is accompanied by redness and pain, it is a sign of quite serious health problems that need to be identified and treated.
ALENA PARETSKAYA
Pathophysiologist, immunologist, member of the St. Petersburg Society of Pathophysiologists ANDREY GRACHEV Leading cardiologist of the SM-Clinic holding, MD, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
Facial edema is not a separate disease, but only a reflection of an imbalance between retention and excretion of fluid in the body. But what problems in the body can cause the face to swell and how serious is it?
Why does the face swell in adults?
Swelling on the face can occur at different times of the day - mainly in the morning or late afternoon, or they persist throughout the day, decreasing or increasing.
There are two types of reasons:
- physiological (or natural, not associated with diseases), they are usually not pronounced, not very strong, and disappear quickly;
- pathological, can be very strong, with changes in facial features, signs of inflammation, and are often quite persistent.
Each type of edema has the most typical causes; they occur mainly in the morning or evening hours, or do not depend in any way on the time of day. These characteristics are important for the doctor so that he can identify the leading causes and determine the tactics of examination and treatment.
Can spots go away on their own?
How to quickly remove acne marks, and can they disappear without any help? This question is asked by many patients who are encountering this problem for the first time. It is important to remember that scarring and pigment formations on the skin cannot be ignored; it is imperative to undergo treatment. They do not go away on their own, and without the necessary therapy the situation can only get worse. Therefore, we recommend that you come for a consultation with a dermatologist and, if necessary, undergo an examination.
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Is there swelling on the face due to heart disease?
Yes, these questions usually worry women, says cardiologist Andrei Grachev.
They run to see a cardiologist when they can’t put a ring on their finger in the morning because it’s swollen or put on makeup because their face is swollen. The patient wants to look great, regardless of age and health status. And this is commendable. Men, as a rule, do not contact a cardiologist with such questions. The peculiarity of this issue is due to the fact that in patients with cardiovascular diseases, as a rule, swelling on the face appears at the final stage of a complication such as heart failure. First, they appear on the legs (the lowest point in relation to the heart), then fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity, the liver and spleen enlarge (as a blood depot). And only after the fluid reaches the pleural cavities and the heart sac, swelling may occur on the face or hands.
What it is
This term suggests a symptom complex of secondary rashes. They appear after various forms of skin inflammation, pimples, and acne. Considering that its debut usually occurs in adolescence, the remaining traces pose a serious problem for youth and affect the psychological state of young people. If acne develops at an older age, the patient may also experience post-acne; treatment in this case is complicated by the general condition of the skin.
The consequences come in the following forms:
- hyperpigmentation;
- pathological scars;
- atheromas;
- milia (whiteheads).
Treatment and subsequent recovery of patients requires an integrated approach.
When do they occur most often?
Due to a number of circumstances, adds cardiologist Andrei Grachev, such as the flow of fluid to the upper half of the body in a lying position, changes in the biorhythms of hormone production (more often their active synthesis occurs at night or in the early morning hours), edema syndrome most often manifests itself in the early morning hours .
Morning
If we talk about physiological reasons, morning swelling is usually associated with constant lack of sleep, fasting or strict diets (limiting protein and fats). Sometimes swelling in the morning is caused by the wrong selection of skincare products (face cream, toner or cleanser). Also, morning swelling of the face can be caused by crying or stress in the evening or at night.
Possible swelling of the face in the morning due to an incorrectly selected pillow (it is too high, it provokes a narrowing of the blood vessels in the neck). Another physiological factor is an excess of fried, salty foods or liquids taken in the evening, before bed. In women, facial swelling in the morning can be caused by hormonal fluctuations, PMS or pregnancy. Some women report morning swelling during menopause.
Pathological causes of morning edema are mainly kidney damage. Such swelling is usually soft, mobile, appears on the face after sleep, and the skin acquires a waxy or yellowish tint. The most common causes of facial swelling are:
- glomerulonephritis - the acute form of the disease leads to edema, which lasts up to 2-3 weeks, if the process enters the chronic phase, edema is typical for periods of exacerbation of inflammation;
- Kidney amyloidosis - edema is typical of the second stage (proteinuria), when protein loss occurs and kidney function gradually deteriorates;
- membranous nephropathies - occur after taking certain medications, tumor therapy, acute infectious pathologies. Edema occurs in waves, with sharp or barely noticeable symptoms;
- chronic kidney disease (previously called renal failure) - swelling occurs gradually as renal damage progresses;
- kidney damage in severe systemic pathologies - edema is typical for nephropathy due to diabetes or systemic lupus erythematosus.
Evening
Sometimes facial swelling becomes noticeable in the evening, especially after an active day. Often this is one of the manifestations of pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Often, swelling of the face is accompanied by severe swelling in the area of the extremities - hands and feet, legs. These swellings are denser, the skin has a lower temperature than on other parts of the body, and such swelling goes away slowly. Often occur against the background of the following pathologies:
- amyloidosis of the heart and blood vessels;
- cardiomyopathy;
- sclerotic heart disease (cardiosclerosis);
- certain types of arrhythmia;
- constrictive pericarditis;
- some heart defects;
- arterial hypertension;
- cardiac lesions due to rheumatism.
Day
Sometimes facial swelling is most pronounced during the day or its appearance is not clearly related to the time of day. Among the main pathologies that lead to such edema are endocrine disorders - especially a lack of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). Facial swelling is especially pronounced with congenital hypothyroidism, in pregnant women or with autoimmune thyroiditis, cytokine-induced thyroiditis.
Rapidly increasing swelling of the face during the day can be a sign of allergies - to food, insect bites, cosmetics, medications and even cold. Sometimes facial swelling occurs during an attack of bronchial asthma due to difficulty breathing and fluid retention in the veins.
Facial swelling is possible in people who smoke and drink alcohol. This is due to the increased work of the lymphatic system to remove toxins from tissues.
Severe swelling of the face during the day is possible with respiratory infections and their complications - sinusitis, tonsillitis, frontal sinusitis. Swelling of the face is possible with a deficiency or excess of vitamins (especially fat-soluble ones).
Hyperemia is
The definition of Hyperemia comes from the merger of two Greek words, where “hyper” means too much, and “haima” means blood. When blood accumulates in some part of the body or near some organ, we speak of hyperemia. Externally, it manifests itself as redness of the problem area, and sometimes the body temperature may rise locally. Sometimes a rush of blood causes tissue swelling.
There are several reasons that cause hyperemia. First of all, possible pathologies of the blood supply are identified: the inflow and outflow of blood in a specific area. If there are no problems in the circulatory system, then other possible causes are determined, including:
- temperature changes;
- stress;
- hormonal disorders;
- allergic reactions;
- infectious lesion;
- burn.
It is necessary to eliminate hyperemia from the diagnosis, since it is not a disease in itself, but is considered by medicine exclusively as a symptom.
How to quickly relieve facial swelling in adults
If this is physiological swelling of the face, not associated with serious pathologies that require medical supervision and the use of selected medications, excess fluid can be eliminated through certain simple measures and actions.
Taking a contrast shower or washing with cold/hot water. This method refreshes, increases tissue tone, enhances the outflow of fluid from the skin and reduces swelling.
Using ice – a couple of pieces of ice will help deal with swelling on the face quickly and effectively. In addition, you can prepare herbal decoctions with a tonic effect in advance and freeze them, using them for washing.
Facial massage is an effective remedy that helps improve microcirculation and swelling. Manual massage, the use of rollers, ice cubes, and cold spoons help. Sometimes you can first wipe your face with green tea and apply compresses with it to your face and eye area.
How to cure with the drug Curasen
When looking for an option on how to effectively remove post-acne on the face, placental therapy comes first. In particular, dermatologists recommend using the drug CURACEN. Due to the fact that it is made on the basis of human placenta hydrolyzate, it has the following effects:
- deep hydration and nutrition of the skin from the inside, prevention of inflammatory processes;
- increasing elasticity and firmness;
- compaction and alignment, creation of an internal cellular framework;
- smoothing out fine, moderate and deep wrinkles;
- elimination of hyperpigmentation, as well as reducing the severity of dark circles in the lower eyelid area;
- tightening in conditions of gravitational ptosis of soft tissues;
- stimulation of the body’s own synthesis of new cells, as well as acceleration of metabolism;
- assistance in restoring the dermis after aggressive cosmetic procedures or plastic surgery.
Causes
The main reasons for the appearance of red spots on the skin of the face:
- Direct skin contact with an allergen (cream, face mask, decorative cosmetics, soap, jewelry, etc.);
- Food allergies;
- Allergy to medications;
- Allergy to sun or cold;
- Eczema1.
To prevent the appearance of a rash in the future, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the allergy and eliminate contact with this substance.
Non-infectious manifestations
In accordance with the causes that caused them, erythema of non-infectious etiology is divided into:
- infrared - provoked by infrared radiation, the power of which was not enough for a full burn, and manifested in the form of a reddish vascular network;
- X-ray – caused by exposure to X-rays or high-frequency electromagnetic waves;
- symptomatic - appearing after contact with an allergenic agent in the form of hyperemic convex spots of irregular shape;
- idiopathic - formed under the influence of heredity as an increase in the diameter of capillaries at the junction with the vascular network, with redness of the palmar surfaces;
- cold - formed when the skin is exposed to low temperatures, manifesting itself in the form of a bluish-reddish rash with local swelling and itching;
- ultraviolet - appearing as a result of exposure to ultraviolet radiation on the skin.
In most cases, when the action of the provoking factor ceases, the redness disappears after some time. In some cases, symptomatic help is required.
Types of pathology
Erythema is classified according to the type of vessels affected:
- active - occurring with a sharp expansion of the lumen of arterial vessels, accompanied by an acute inflammatory process, with bright redness of the skin, increased temperature, swelling and soreness of the skin;
- passive - formed when blood stagnates in the venous vessels during their expansion, accompanied by the appearance of bluish-red or burgundy spots, mainly accompanying inflammation with a chronic course.
Each variety is caused by different causative factors and requires a separate therapeutic approach.
Based on etiology, the following types of erythema are distinguished:
- non-infectious - which are the physiological reaction of the body to external or internal irritants (solar ultraviolet radiation, critically high or low temperature, allergens, etc.);
- infectious - caused by the penetration of infection into the skin capillaries through the surface of the epidermis, from the systemic bloodstream or through the mucous membrane.
Non-infectious manifestations usually do not require special treatment, as they go away on their own after the action of the provoking factor ceases. Infectious reactions are expressed in an inflammatory process that occurs in an acute or chronic form and is accompanied by certain symptoms.
Rosacea treatment
Treatment of rosacea using intense pulsed light (IPL) technology.
Photo: BioMed research international / Open-i (CC BY 3.0) Therapy for this disease depends on the totality of manifestations and characteristics of a particular person. There is a classic treatment regimen for rosacea, accepted in dermatology. These are antibiotics, metronidazole, retinoids, antihistamines, local therapy.
Creams, gels, ointments containing azelaic acid, metronidazole, retinoids, pimecrolimus, and antibiotics are used topically. Treatment lasts several months. As prescribed by a doctor, various combinations of medications and their alternation can be used. Historically, ointments and pastes with ichthyol, tar, sulfur, and salicylic acid were widely used. Often they are still used today due to their low price, but all these products irritate the skin.
The main treatment should be aimed at eliminating provoking factors and restoring the normal state of blood vessels. Triggers vary from person to person, but the clear leader is excessive emotional reactions.
Preventive measures
In order not to look with disappointment at your reflection in the mirror and not to wonder how to get rid of allergies on your face once again, you should listen to the simple but effective advice of specialists.
- Adjust the daily menu by removing from the diet foods that provoke the appearance of characteristic symptoms of an immune disorder.
- Do not use cosmetics based on alcohol and other aggressive substances, giving preference to soft and neutral ones.
- Do not stay in the sun for a long time, and in winter, protect your skin from the cold as much as possible.
- During seasonal exacerbations of hay fever, use inhaled isotonic saline solutions to reduce the concentration of pollen in the nasopharynx.
- Always keep in your medicine cabinet an antihistamine recommended by an allergist-immunologist.
It is worth remembering that angioedema alone cannot be prevented. Other types of allergies are completely preventable, and this is much more effective than constantly treating exacerbations. Immunity support should take the leading place in the list of mandatory activities.
How to prevent acne
To remove acne and red post-acne, remove traces, treatments in cosmetology and therapy turn out to be very effective. However, in many cases it is easier to prevent the formation of acne and subsequent complications:
- balance your diet, exclude fatty foods, limit your consumption of sugar, tonic drinks, and canned foods;
- use cosmetics suitable for your skin type;
- do not overuse makeup;
- do not squeeze pimples;
- consult a dermatologist.
