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Hereditary angioedema, also known as HAE, is a rare genetic disorder that causes recurring episodes of severe swelling. These attacks most commonly affect the hands, feet, face, genitals, the gastrointestinal tract, and the throat.
There is no cure for HAE, but there are treatments available that can help people with HAE manage the condition.
The following slides look at a few questions related to HAE attacks that you may want to discuss with your healthcare provider, including preventive therapies, how attacks are treated, what can trigger an attack, and when to seek emergency treatment.
Sources: Peter J. Delves. "Hereditary and Acquire... + 15
- Peter J. Delves. "Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema." Merck Manual. October, 2020.
- U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association. "What is Hereditary Angioedema (HAE)?."
- U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association. "Triggers: What Causes Hereditary Angioedema Attacks?"
- Zsuzsanna Zotter, Dorottya Csuka, et al. "The influence of trigger factors on hereditary angioedema due to C1-inhibitor deficiency." Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 2014. Vol. 9.
- William R. Lumry. "Current and Emerging Therapies to Prevent Hereditary Angioedema Attacks." AJMC. August 21, 2018.
- U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association. "Approved HAE Treatments."
- J.G. Gibbs and T.J. Craig. "Prodromal Symptoms Before Exacerbations of Hereditary Angioedema." The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2007. Vol. 119, No. 1.
- Michael J. Prematta, Againdra K. Bewtra, et al. "Per-Attack Reporting of Prodromal Symptoms Concurrent with C1-Inhibitor Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema Attacks." Advances in Therapy, 2012. Vol. 29.
- Callie Dagen and Timothy J Craig. "Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema: items that need to be addressed in practice parameter." Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, 2010. Vol. 6.
- Hilary Longhurst. "Optimum Use of Acute Treatments for Hereditary Angioedema: Evidence-Based Expert Consensus." Frontiers in Medicine, 2018.
- Roxana Siles. "Hereditary Angioedema." Cleveland Clinic. April 2017.
- Angioedema News. "Hereditary Angioedema and Gastrointestinal Complications."
- MedlinePlus. "Hereditary angioedema."
- Napoleon Patel, Lisbet D. Suarez, Sakshi Kapur, and Leonard Bielory. "Hereditary Angioedema and Gastrointestinal Complications: An Extensive Review of the Literature." Case Reports in Immunology, 2015. Vol. 2015.
- Discover HAE. "Be prepared for a hereditary angioedema (HAE) medical emergency."
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. "Understanding Hereditary Angioedema."
