facial swelling

Facial swelling refers to enlargement of any area of the face. The face includes the eyes, nose, mouth, forehead, cheeks and chin.

 

Swelling in the face can occur for many reasons. It can be mild or severe, and involve any area of the face. Most causes of facial swelling are not life threatening, but a few are serious.

 

When a person complains of swelling in his or her face, the healthcare professional will ask questions about the swelling, such as:

 

There are many possible causes of facial swelling. Common causes include: trauma or injury to the face, such as being hitswelling inside the mouth following the removal of wisdom teethirritation of the skin of the face, such as from an insect bite or sunburn cellulitis, a skin and soft tissue infectionmumps, which is a viral infection that can cause swelling of the cheeksinfectious mononucleosis infections inside the mouthconditions caused by clogged ducts near the eyes causing inflammation of the eyelid, such as chalazion allergic-type conditions, such as seasonal allergies, which can cause mild swelling of the skin. Allergic reactions to medications, herbs, or other substances can cause swelling in the face, tongue, and lips. Food allergies can also cause facial swelling. This swelling can be severe and even life threatening in some cases.certain conditions associated with high blood pressure, such as preeclampsia during pregnancy autoimmune disorders, which occur when a person's immune system attacks his or her own body for unknown reasons. Sjögren syndrome, for instance, can cause swelling of the cheeks.inherited conditions, such as hereditary angioedema. This condition can cause occasional bouts of severe facial swelling.a tumor or cancer in or under the skin of the face, such as skin cancer. A salivary gland tumor may also cause facial swelling

Most cases cannot be prevented. A vaccine for mumps is given routinely to all children and can help prevent cases of swelling from mumps. Skin cancer prevention techniques such as avoid prolonged sun exposure or using sunscreen can help prevent cases due to sunburn or skin cancer. Proper dental care can prevent swellings from gum or tooth infections.

Many times the diagnosis is obvious from the history and physical exam. If not, further tests may be ordered. A blood test called an antibody titer may be ordered if an autoimmune condition is suspected. This test measures the level of certain proteins made by the immune system, called antibodies, in the blood. If a salivary gland tumor is suspected, an imaging test such as a CT scan or MRI may be ordered to look at the gland.