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.
Diagnostics
Dentists and maxillofacial surgeons are involved in determining the cause of swollen cheeks. According to indications, the patient is referred to other specialists: otolaryngologists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists. To clarify the diagnosis, the following procedures can be performed:
- Questioning, general examination
. The doctor finds out when and under what circumstances the cheek began to swell, and determines the presence and dynamics of the development of other symptoms. Detects pain on palpation, changes in skin color and temperature. Evaluates the prevalence of edema and tissue density. - Dental examination.
The specialist assesses the condition of the teeth, gums, oral mucosa, and bone structures. Detects signs of inflammation and suppuration, the causative tooth (if present). - Ophthalmological examination.
Indicated for damage to the lacrimal sac and suspected cavernous sinus thrombosis. It is possible to perform ophthalmoscopy, nasolacrimal test, probing of the lacrimal ducts, and other diagnostic procedures. - Otolaryngological examination
. Necessary for sinusitis, paranasal sinus cyst. Can be supplemented with echosinusoscopy and diagnostic puncture. - Radiography.
An x-ray examination of the tooth is prescribed to clarify the condition of the teeth, an x-ray examination of the jaw or zygomatic bone is prescribed to detect fractures due to injuries of the maxillofacial area, an x-ray examination of the accessory sinuses is prescribed to confirm sinusitis, maxillary sinus cysts. - Sonography
. Ultrasound of the salivary glands is recommended for tumors, adenomas, and other pathologies. Allows you to assess the size and structure of organs, identify stones, space-occupying formations, and signs of inflammation. For symptoms of ENT pathology, an ultrasound of the paranasal sinuses is performed to visualize fluid or tumor. - Lab tests
. Most often, a general blood test is used to confirm the inflammatory process, and a microbiological blood test to determine the pathogen. If a tumor process is suspected, a cytological or histological analysis of the biopsy specimen is performed.
Dental examination
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.
Causes
Know! The amount of fat under the skin in the cheekbone area increases over the years, but a number of predisposing factors can accelerate the process of formation of sufas, including:
- sudden weight gain in general;
- genetic predisposition;
- the formation of constant swelling, as a result of which the skin stretches and the subcutaneous space filled with fat increases.
Painting bags can visually increase due to sagging skin , which with age .
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
The vast majority of causes of cheek swelling require medical intervention and cannot be eliminated through self-medication. The exception is minor injuries: bruises, small hematomas of the cheek, to which cold should be applied in the first days, and then dry heat. In case of intense pain, increasing swelling, or signs of general intoxication, you should consult a doctor as an emergency.
Conservative therapy
Treatment tactics are determined by the characteristics of the disease. In case of dental pathologies, complex treatment of periodontitis or pulpitis is performed. Patients may be prescribed the following medications:
- NSAIDs
. Medicines containing nimesulide are effective for toothache, injuries, and inflammatory processes. Reduce pain, swelling, inflammation. They are symptomatic remedies and do not eliminate the cause of the disease. - Analgesics
. Recommended for severe pain. They should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor, since they can, to a certain extent, neutralize the manifestations of the purulent process. - Antihistamines
. Block the production of histamine, eliminating the manifestations of allergic reactions. 2nd generation drugs and their active metabolites have the fewest side effects. - Antiseptics
. They are used as rinses on their own or after surgery. - Antibiotics
. Indicated for purulent and non-purulent inflammatory processes caused by bacterial microflora.
Along with drug therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures are carried out according to indications. Laser therapy, medicinal electrophoresis, UHF, and other techniques are used.
Surgery
Taking into account the characteristics of the pathological process, the following surgical interventions can be performed:
- Dental diseases
: tooth extraction, opening of a submucosal or subperiosteal abscess, removal of a salivary gland tumor, opening, drainage for purulent mumps. - Traumatic injuries
: osteosynthesis of the zygomatic bone, upper or lower jaw, splinting of the jaw, ligature binding of teeth. - Ophthalmological pathologies
: dacryocystorhinostomy, extirpation of the lacrimal sac. - Nervous diseases
: thrombectomy, decompression hemicraniotomy for cavernous sinus thrombosis. - Infectious processes
: opening of a boil. - ENT diseases
: open or endoscopic maxillary sinusotomy, micromaxillary sinusotomy, excision of maxillary sinus cyst.
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 get rid of bags under the cheekbones: debunking myths
The first thing that comes to mind: massages, medicinal cosmetics, vitamins... This is a good option. It will be great if you add fresh air, proper nutrition and exercise! You will look much better and feel incredibly healthier.
There is only one BUT: these wonderful measures will in no way help you remove the swelling on your cheekbones under your eyes.
Let us remind you: we are dealing with zygomatic hernias, with some mini-containers of adipose tissue that fall down under the influence of the universal law of attraction. Judge for yourself, how can you solve this problem with the most wonderful massage and the longest walks? That's it, no way.
Prevention
It is impossible to prevent the development of sufs.
This is because these fat deposits inevitably appear with age.
But you can slow down degenerative processes by following these preventive recommendations :
- the diet should be balanced : it should include more foods containing vitamin B;
- for normal functioning of the hormonal system and to prevent the formation of bags from overwork, it is necessary to get enough sleep , allocating 7-8 hours a day for sleep;
- stable physical activity has a tonic and , which can be achieved by walking in the fresh air for only half an hour a day;
- You need to drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day to maintain water-salt balance.
Remember! For sensitive skin predisposed to the development of such cosmetic defects, nourishing and moisturizing face creams should be used.
When choosing them, it is better to consult a cosmetologist.
Why us
Advantages of visiting our medical center:
- Doctors. We welcome specialists of the highest qualification category, holders of academic degrees, with extensive experience in leading Russian clinics.
- Individual approach. The doctor will develop an individual treatment plan for each patient in accordance with the cause of development and clinical picture of the disease.
- Complexity. Effective treatment of edema and the diseases that cause them is possible thanks to the close cooperation of our clinic’s specialists - therapist, cardiologist, allergist, endocrinologist, urologist, etc.
- Expert equipment. All studies are carried out using modern equipment and are highly accurate.
- Comfort. All consultations, studies and treatment are carried out within our hospital, which allows our patients to save money.
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Types of edema
Depends on origin:
- Lymphatic - those types of edema that are caused by causes and changes associated with the lymphatic system are considered as such. Among them are primary (there are congenital malformations of the lymphatic system, usually affecting the limbs), or secondary (there are acquired damage). The latter may be the result of operations to remove tumors in the lymphatic system, or in cases of burns, strokes or infections that cause vessel destruction.
- Dynamic - the lymphatic system does not show any changes, but excess fluid is felt. These include swelling of the veins caused by blood clots or problems with the blood vessels caused by strokes, inflammation, and medications. In women, the cause is varicose veins and exposure to hormones during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
The main factors are changes in the biochemical composition of tissue fluid and blood plasma. Disturbances also occur against the background of hormonal changes and increased capillary permeability.
