What should you know about GI angioedema?

Angioedema affects tissue beneath the skin or lining of an organ. When it involves the stomach or bowel, the skin may look normal even while swelling causes abdominal discomfort. Some people also develop hives, while others have swelling without a visible rash. Possible triggers include an allergic reaction, a medicine, or an inherited tendency; the pattern and medication history help a clinician work out the cause.

Symptoms can resemble food poisoning, an infection, or another abdominal problem. A medical assessment may include an examination, review of medicines and allergies, and tests chosen according to the symptoms.

If symptoms are mild but new, record when the pain or swelling started, what you ate or took beforehand, and whether hives appeared. Do not restart a suspected medicine unless the prescribing clinician advises it. Treatment depends on the cause and may include an antihistamine treatment when histamine is involved or an oral corticosteroid treatment in selected situations.

Drink only if you can keep fluids down. Repeated vomiting, worsening pain, or inability to swallow fluids deserves prompt medical review because abdominal swelling can become difficult to distinguish from other urgent conditions.

Call emergency services immediately for trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, confusion, or rapidly worsening symptoms. Seek urgent assessment for severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, a swollen abdomen, blood in vomit or stool, or signs of dehydration. Do not wait for a skin rash to appear before seeking help.

Ask what may have triggered the episode, whether any current medicine should be paused, how to recognise a future attack, and which treatment to keep available. Ask whether you need an allergy, immunology, or gastroenterology review.