Hereditary angioedema is a rare condition, affecting 1 in 10,000–50,000 people. The common symptoms associated with this disease are swelling in the upper arm and in the stomach. Moreover, life-threatening form of this disease is associated with severe swelling of the lips, face, larynx, and tongue which leads to the risk of obstructed airways and death by suffocation. This acute swelling occurs due to the lack of C1 inhibitor protein in the patient’s blood which causes the blood vessels to leak fluid.
Due to the rarity of this disease, physicians often confuse it with allergy. However, antihistamines have no effect on this disease condition. Hereditary angioedema is diagnosed by measuring the concentration of C1 inhibitor in the blood, however, the awareness about this disease is required among the doctors for better treatment.
