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This NHS content is written for people in England. Services, entitlements and contact routes may differ in other countries.

Symptoms of angioedema

Angioedema is where a part of the body suddenly becomes swollen.

You'll usually have a raised, itchy rash (hives) if an allergic reaction has caused the swelling.

Areas of the body commonly affected include:

Sometimes the bowel may also become swollen, which can cause stomach pain.

Less commonly, the throat can swell up, leading to breathing difficulties. This is a medical emergency and immediate treatment is needed.

your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
someone faints and cannot be woken up
a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised or itchy.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

part of your body suddenly becomes swollen (such as your hands, feet or genitals)

Treatments for angioedema

You may not need treatment for angioedema if the swelling is mild or it only affects a small area of your body.

If the swelling is severe or widespread, or if it affects your lips, tongue, or throat, you'll usually need emergency treatment in hospital.

Treatments for angioedema include:

identifying and avoiding the underlying cause – if a medicine is thought to be the cause, you may be given a different one to take instead
antihistamine medicine, such as cetirizine, fexofenadine or loratadine
steroid tablets, such as prednisolone

If you have a type of angioedema that keeps coming back (hereditary angioedema), you may also need medicine to stop this happening.

You may have regular reviews to check if your treatment is working.

If your symptoms do not improve or get worse, you may need to go back to hospital for further tests and treatment.

Symptoms

Medical treatments

Types

A raised, itchy rash (hives) is a common symptom of angioedema. It often affects the lips, tongue and eyelids, hands, feet and genitals.

Treatments for angioedema include trying to identify the underlying cause and avoiding it, and medicines like antihistamines and steroid tablets.

Content supplied by the NHS website, refreshed 19 August 2026. View the original NHS article ↗

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