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Hereditary Angioedema Essay

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Hereditary Angioedema: Current and New Treatments to Relieve Sudden Attacks.
Hereditary Angioedema is an inherited disease caused by the disfunction of the protein C1 inhibitor which is mechanically responsible for inhibiting the activation of the complement system, a humoral aspect of the innate immune system. Intravenous treatment has been used for many years to prevent and relieve the effects of sudden edema attacks caused by spontaneous activation of the complement system within the victim’s cardiovascular system. However apart from being highly invasive, current intravenous treatment is not convenient in cases of sudden, spontaneous edema attacks.
Recently studies have been undertaken to develop an effective subcutaneous treatment option for …show more content…

Triggering mechanisms include: physical trauma, surgery, dental procedures, and emotional stress. It has been noted that almost any level of trauma can trigger an edema attack, from typing on a keyboard to mowing the lawn. Emotional stress is another often encountered cause of edema attacks. The buildup of stress has been well documented in it’s effects on the immune system, often in a negative capacity. This appears to be enough to trigger attacks spontaneously in those with a copy of the mutated C1 inhibitor gene. Trigger of an edema attack by surgery or dental procedures are also usually the result of trauma and can heavily affect the methods and outcome of any such procedures undertaken.3
Because Hereditary angioedema attacks can be triggered by common occurrences throughout any given day in the average person’s life, those affected by hereditary angioedema must take special care with their actions and more closely monitor their environment as well as their stress levels. Though

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