There is this condition where you can get sudden attacks of swelling on the body. Often misdiagnosed as allergy, these patients do not get the proper treatment. This condition can be screened with a relatively cheap blood test by measuring C4. However optimal diagnosis will require the measurement of C1-inh levels and function. There are much more that we need to learn about this condition.
The pictures above show a person being normal on the far left, the other photos show the angioedema reactions during an attack.
Hereditary angioedema can be treated with medications that are effective. Hopefully, these medications can be made more available to patients that need them. The newer medications are more effective with less side effects.
One of the challenges is the stigma associated with the word hereditary. Perhaps we can drop of this term and call it C1-inh malfunction angioedema. Costs, medical coverage by insurances are factors that will need to be considered.
