For no apparent reason your lip swells up, then a couple of weeks later your eyelids puff out. These problems occur a few times Should you take them seriously? Well, it's possible they could be signs of an allergy that might someday cause your throat to close.
After a routine dentist appointment last September WTAJ's Central Pennsylvania Live Co-anchor Sarah Swistak ended up with a swollen lip. Then, a month later, her eyelids puffed up after a makeover.
She said, "It was kinda scary because it came out of nowhere . I didn't know what was causing it and when it was coming to a stop and what was going on."
So, Sarah underwent a battery of needle-prick tests to see if she's sensitive to pollen, grasses, trees, animals dusts, molds, latex or other environmental allergens. Her skin reacted to a few things including grass, trees, and weeds, but there was nothing to indicate what was causing her swelling.
The nurse who administered the tests said, "everything's looking pretty much negative."
According to Dr. Robert Mentyka, an allergist with the Geisinger Health System, "reactions can sometimes even be fatal, if not treated immediately. Luckily, those are very rare. And most extreme, much more common are things like allergic rhinitis or nasal itching." In other words, hay fever.
Sarah says despite having the testing and keeping a journal of her activities and meals, she hasn't found out what's causing the periodic swelling.
"Being 28 now, and carrying around an Epipen for the first time and never having allergies, it's a whole new world and a whole new beast and it's scary that they don't really know."
Fortunately, Sarah hasn't had any severe reactions and she does take antihistamines and also has medicine to deal with potential swelling episodes.
After a routine dentist appointment last September WTAJ's Central Pennsylvania Live Co-anchor Sarah Swistak ended up with a swollen lip. Then, a month later, her eyelids puffed up after a makeover.
She said, "It was kinda scary because it came out of nowhere . I didn't know what was causing it and when it was coming to a stop and what was going on."
So, Sarah underwent a battery of needle-prick tests to see if she's sensitive to pollen, grasses, trees, animals dusts, molds, latex or other environmental allergens. Her skin reacted to a few things including grass, trees, and weeds, but there was nothing to indicate what was causing her swelling.
The nurse who administered the tests said, "everything's looking pretty much negative."
According to Dr. Robert Mentyka, an allergist with the Geisinger Health System, "reactions can sometimes even be fatal, if not treated immediately. Luckily, those are very rare. And most extreme, much more common are things like allergic rhinitis or nasal itching." In other words, hay fever.
Sarah says despite having the testing and keeping a journal of her activities and meals, she hasn't found out what's causing the periodic swelling.
"Being 28 now, and carrying around an Epipen for the first time and never having allergies, it's a whole new world and a whole new beast and it's scary that they don't really know."
Fortunately, Sarah hasn't had any severe reactions and she does take antihistamines and also has medicine to deal with potential swelling episodes.
