Morning Swollen Face: Warning Signs of kidney Problems
Physicians have warned that waking up every morning with a swollen face is unusual and could indicate underlying health issues, including kidney disease.
They encouraged individuals who experience this regularly to seek medical consultation promptly, as repeated facial swelling could also signal heart disease or nephrotic syndrome.
While this condition is often linked to kidney problems and nephrotic syndrome, doctors noted it could also result from allergic reactions. However, they emphasised that allergy-related swelling is typically not recurring.
Nephrology specialists explained that this type of swelling occurs due to excessive fluid buildup in the body, which redistributes during sleep and causes the face to swell.
The president of the Nigeria Association of Nephrology, Prof. Olugbenga Awobusuyi, speaking with the Punch reporters, explained the reasons why individuals experience repeated swollen faces every time they wake from sleep.
He stated, “It could be a sign of kidney disease. For instance, a patient with nephrotic syndrome may wake up with a swollen face and patients with chronic kidney disease can also wake up with swollen faces.
Awobusuyi, who is also the president of the Transplant Association of Nigeria, added, “But when you have a recurrent swollen face, it is an indication that there is excess fluid in the body and most likely it is kidney disease-related.”
Awobusuyi, who is also the professor of Medicine (Nephrology) at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, further highlighted the reasons why some swollen faces might be due to allergies or insect bites.
He stated, “Other factors may not necessarily cause recurrent facial swelling. For instance, if a patient has conjunctivitis, they can wake up with a swollen face and reddish eyes, but it won’t be recurrent. A patient with a case of venous thrombosis can wake up with a swollen face, but it won’t be recurrent. This can also happen if an individual is also allergic to a food substance.
Dr. Debo Ademola, a consultant paediatric nephrologist at UCH, Ibadan, gave his own reason for the repeated occurrence of swollen faces in individuals, stating,“Repeated swollen face after waking up in the morning can be a sign of kidney disease. There are a number of kidney diseases that can cause that. Excessive protein in the urine, which is called nephrotic syndrome, can cause it. It can also be caused by some conditions in which there may be blood in the urine and acute kidney injury.
“Occasionally, there can also be other causes of swelling of the face, as an individual may be reacting to something. So the swelling in that case may occur for different reasons. For individuals who are on medication like steroids, it may cause swelling of the cheeks.
“But the swelling of the face that is repeated in nature is related to kidney, heart, and liver diseases.”
The expert also advised people experiencing these swollen face issues to go for medical examinations to avoid health complications.
He said, “It can lead to long-term complications depending on what exactly is causing it and the treatment the person has received. Anyone experiencing this should consult a physician. Whether such a person is young, a child, an adult, or elderly, such an individual should consult a physician.”
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Awobusuyi also suggested that anyone experiencing a repeated swollen face should visit the hospital for a checkup and adopt some healthy living habits.
He said, “For lifestyle changes, what comes first should be the health-seeking behaviour of the individual because some people will notice that something is wrong and they will not visit the hospital or consult a doctor on time until things get out of hand.
“The person experiencing such is likely to be advised to reduce the amount of fluid he or she takes because of the puffiness of the face as a result of fluid accumulating there.
“Secondly, the individual should reduce the amount of salt he/she takes. Anybody who notices such and is sure it’s not an allergic reaction can also sleep with two or three pillows to prevent fluid from moving to the face, which results in puffiness when they wake up”.
Content Credit| Originally posted by https://punchng.com/
Picture Credit | https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/
