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.
Preventive measures to eliminate swelling
It is enough to follow the basic rules, and you will forget what swelling is:
- sleep and rest;
- eat right;
- drink enough liquid;
- Don’t drink too much before going to bed;
- do not smoke;
- Drink alcoholic beverages as rarely as possible and in minimal quantities;
- humidify the air in the room where you are often located.
By adhering to these recommendations, as well as promptly diagnosing and treating diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary systems, you will not have to think about what measures to take to eliminate swelling.
The importance of understanding the causes and treatment of this phenomenon should not be ignored. After all, swelling can be not just a cosmetic defect, but a signal of serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. Only a one-time occurrence should not cause concern, the cause of which is obvious to you and its elimination is not associated with any problems.
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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.
The nose is red - it's the liver
It is generally accepted that a red nose appears in people who hardly eat while drinking alcohol. It's more of a joke. Although, indeed, when drinking alcohol, the nose becomes red.
But how to evaluate it when the nose is red and the person does not drink? Typically, a red nose indicates liver damage. This suspicion is confirmed by erythema on the inner sides of the palm. Spider veins appearing on the forehead also indicate problems with the liver.
And if a network of thin vessels previously appeared on the chest, arms or shoulders, then these symptoms indicate significant liver damage. A visit to the doctor in such a situation should under no circumstances be postponed.
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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).
Treatment
Pre-hospital assistance
To eliminate the physiological causes of facial swelling, it is necessary to adjust the diet, normalize the daily routine, avoid stress, and select suitable cosmetic preparations. Mild allergic edema in the absence of signs of breathing difficulties and the presence of a previously established diagnosis can be eliminated with the help of antiallergic drugs.
In other cases, self-medication is not recommended. It should be borne in mind that self-administration of diuretics can lead to the development of serious side effects and disorders of the body.
Specialized treatment
Many patients require adjustments to their diet and eating regimen. The tactics of conservative treatment are determined by the etiology of the disease or condition that provoked facial swelling:
- Hormonal fluctuations in women
. Hormonal medications and sedatives are used. - Hypothyroidism
. Replacement therapy with levothyroxine is carried out. If there is a lack of iodine, iodine-containing medications are prescribed. - Allergic reactions
. Antihistamines and glucocorticosteroids are effective. In severe cases, resuscitation measures are necessary. - Kidney diseases
. For glomerulonephritis, antibacterial agents and drugs to correct immunity are indicated. For systemic diseases, treatment of the underlying pathology is required. In all cases, medications with symptomatic effects are used. - Diseases of the heart and blood vessels
. Cardiac glycosides, nitrates, vasodilators, B-blockers, anticoagulants, and drugs to improve cardiac muscle metabolism may be recommended. - Intoxication
. If edema is associated with smoking and drinking alcohol, the patient is advised to give up the bad habit and is given medicinal and non-medicinal treatment to eliminate the addiction. - Poisoning
. In some cases, gastric lavage is possible. Carry out detoxification measures.
For hypovitaminosis, vitamin preparations are prescribed, for acute infections, symptomatic therapy is carried out, for ENT diseases, antibiotics and symptomatic drugs are used, and sinus punctures are performed. Surgical treatment is rarely required. In case of heart defects, surgical correction is performed. Tonsillitis and sinusitis can be considered as indications for tonsillectomy, maxillary sinusotomy, and frontotomy.
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.
Relieve swelling with exercise and massage
A good helper in eliminating swelling and removing excess fluid is massage:
- Lightly pinching and stroking the skin, move along the lines running from the nose to the outer parts of the face.
- Then from the middle of the neck to its sides.
- Along the forehead from the top to the bridge of the nose and eyebrows, down from the eyes, from the nose to the temples.
This massage will help increase blood supply to the skin, which will speed up the removal of fluid and reduce swelling.
A set of specially selected physical exercises, which are recommended to include:
- stretching exercises;
- exercises for extension and flexion of arms and legs;
- rotational movements of the body, arms, legs, head;
- extension;
- sudden movements of arms and legs;
- tilts and turns.
There is also a system of exercises aimed at eliminating bags under the eyes.
Facebuilding
is a fairly new, increasingly popular procedure that helps eliminate various cosmetic facial defects. By doing the exercises regularly, in a couple of months you will forget about droopy eyelids and bags under your eyes.
- Rotate your eyes alternately left and right, keeping your head straight.
- Squeeze your eyes shut, then open your eyes sharply. Repeat 10 times.
- Close and open your eyes.
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