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Suggest Remedy For Swelling In Cheek In A Person With Non Allergic Rhinitis
Posted on
Thu, 3 Dec 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 3 Dec 2015
Answered on
Sun, 3 Jan 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : I am a 32 year old male. I have had 24/7 swelling in my cheeks since I was 18. It began out of the blue around my mouth. Since then it's around my mouth/cheeks and sides of nose. I have dark eyes from it and get asked if I have a black eye. the swelling is not affected by changes in my body weight. So its not just fat. It feels like it weighs my face down and sometimes it's too tiresome to smile because it has to lift up so much weight I suppose. I get pressure between my ears and the side of my temples. I randomly feel the fluid move or touch a nerve. Sometimes it gives me facial tics. I get heavily fatigued easily. I can feel this intense swelling at all hours of the day. Its very distracting and feels very foreign.
I have seen many doctors and no one has found anything to help. My sinus scan was perfect. My thyroid tests are fine. Allergy tests showed small/insignificant reactions to a few things which I did allergy shots for years for and nothing changed. I've been diagnosed with non allergic rhinitis but never get any of the normal rhinitis symptoms... I.e. Stuffy nose/runny nose/sneezing. I get post nasal drip sometimes but it's minor.
Ive taken every antihistamine and nose spray to no avail. As well as singulair. I've moved across the country into a completely new environment and nothing has changed. Have lived with/without a pet -no change. Changed my apt for dust mites -no change. I've tried gluten free/dairy free/ low histamine diets with no change. Some days are really bad and feel/look very full. Red marks are left after i hold a smile for a while. I've tried to identify patterns with what I eat/do but it's inconsistent and can't link it to anything.
Medical history- I had one full allergic reaction to a wasp sting that I went to the hospital for. I caught staph infection in high school and since then I have had 3-4 major boils over the last 13 years. I read that staph can lead to increased chronic rhinitis responses. I don't know anything about that. I get random sensations sometimes in the sides of my face and scalp. Similar to what I experience if I run for a long time- I believe it is lymph movement but I don't know. I take antidepressants now... Mainly because of this condition and the frustration/agony I deal with every day. This has made me very depressed/anxious and helpless feeling. I am going insane from it. I feel hopeless writing this because I'm so used to no one knowing anything that can help. I've about given up and helplessly depressed. Please help me if you know anything or have an idea...
I have seen many doctors and no one has found anything to help. My sinus scan was perfect. My thyroid tests are fine. Allergy tests showed small/insignificant reactions to a few things which I did allergy shots for years for and nothing changed. I've been diagnosed with non allergic rhinitis but never get any of the normal rhinitis symptoms... I.e. Stuffy nose/runny nose/sneezing. I get post nasal drip sometimes but it's minor.
Ive taken every antihistamine and nose spray to no avail. As well as singulair. I've moved across the country into a completely new environment and nothing has changed. Have lived with/without a pet -no change. Changed my apt for dust mites -no change. I've tried gluten free/dairy free/ low histamine diets with no change. Some days are really bad and feel/look very full. Red marks are left after i hold a smile for a while. I've tried to identify patterns with what I eat/do but it's inconsistent and can't link it to anything.
Medical history- I had one full allergic reaction to a wasp sting that I went to the hospital for. I caught staph infection in high school and since then I have had 3-4 major boils over the last 13 years. I read that staph can lead to increased chronic rhinitis responses. I don't know anything about that. I get random sensations sometimes in the sides of my face and scalp. Similar to what I experience if I run for a long time- I believe it is lymph movement but I don't know. I take antidepressants now... Mainly because of this condition and the frustration/agony I deal with every day. This has made me very depressed/anxious and helpless feeling. I am going insane from it. I feel hopeless writing this because I'm so used to no one knowing anything that can help. I've about given up and helplessly depressed. Please help me if you know anything or have an idea...
Brief Answer:
I am sorry for what you have been going through, please do write back to me with answers to the questions I have asked below. It is quite difficult to understand what is going on in your case, please do read my response carefully.
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXXXXX thanks for your query.
I have read your query in detail.
Indeed your problem is quite intriguing and strange because it has been going on for a very long time. I can understand the mental agony this must have caused you over the years.
The long standing swelling, (I presume it to be due to edema), could have resulted in permanent changes to the skin and underlying connective tissue.
If there is a long standing irritation/inflammation, then the skin becomes hard, and chronic inflammation leads to fibrosis and thickening of the connective tissue underneath the skin, this seems to be what has happened in your case.
The initial culprit could have been a dental condition, or sudden blockage of salivary duct (parotid duct), that runs in the cheek and opens inside the mouth, this could be painless too, and if the initial problem was not correctly identified and treated adequately, it could lead to chronic inflammation and finally the situation you are in at present, with difficulty in opening mouth wide, difficulty smiling, fatigue, worry, anxiety and depression.
It would really help if you could upload some pictures of the swelling, and to compare it to your earlier self, it would be tremendously helpful if you can also upload an old photograph of yours from a time when you had not yet developed this swelling.
I would also request you to upload any and all investigation reports specifically done for this issue, (I am looking for tests like biopsy, histopathological exam, doctors' physical examination findings, etc of the affected area). This will enable me to understand your problem better.
I would also request you to describe the swelling a bit more, is the skin over the swelling scaly, hard, rough, is the swelling round, and what size? Is it on only one side, or both sides, can you move the swelling with your fingers under the skin? What is the consistency of the swelling?
And do you have any other issue, like diabetes, hypertension, have you noticed such swellings in any other place on your body?
Please do write back to me with as many details as possible so that I can guide your further and try and help you to whatever extent possible.
Dr Yogesh. D
I am sorry for what you have been going through, please do write back to me with answers to the questions I have asked below. It is quite difficult to understand what is going on in your case, please do read my response carefully.
Detailed Answer:
Hello Mr. XXXXXXX thanks for your query.
I have read your query in detail.
Indeed your problem is quite intriguing and strange because it has been going on for a very long time. I can understand the mental agony this must have caused you over the years.
The long standing swelling, (I presume it to be due to edema), could have resulted in permanent changes to the skin and underlying connective tissue.
If there is a long standing irritation/inflammation, then the skin becomes hard, and chronic inflammation leads to fibrosis and thickening of the connective tissue underneath the skin, this seems to be what has happened in your case.
The initial culprit could have been a dental condition, or sudden blockage of salivary duct (parotid duct), that runs in the cheek and opens inside the mouth, this could be painless too, and if the initial problem was not correctly identified and treated adequately, it could lead to chronic inflammation and finally the situation you are in at present, with difficulty in opening mouth wide, difficulty smiling, fatigue, worry, anxiety and depression.
It would really help if you could upload some pictures of the swelling, and to compare it to your earlier self, it would be tremendously helpful if you can also upload an old photograph of yours from a time when you had not yet developed this swelling.
I would also request you to upload any and all investigation reports specifically done for this issue, (I am looking for tests like biopsy, histopathological exam, doctors' physical examination findings, etc of the affected area). This will enable me to understand your problem better.
I would also request you to describe the swelling a bit more, is the skin over the swelling scaly, hard, rough, is the swelling round, and what size? Is it on only one side, or both sides, can you move the swelling with your fingers under the skin? What is the consistency of the swelling?
And do you have any other issue, like diabetes, hypertension, have you noticed such swellings in any other place on your body?
Please do write back to me with as many details as possible so that I can guide your further and try and help you to whatever extent possible.
Dr Yogesh. D
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Answered by
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