Sudden swelling of the face or swollen face is often experienced by a person when he wakes up. Are you one of those who often experience it? This condition of course makes you feel insecure. Moreover, if you have to attend an important activity in the morning.
So, what causes the face to suddenly be swollen? Is there a way to solve it? Check out the full answer in the following article.
There are many factors that can cause a swollen face when you wake up. Generally, this condition is often associated with an improper sleeping position to fluid retention, which is a condition when excess fluid accumulates in the body.
However, this condition certainly should not be underestimated. The reason is, a swollen face that occurs continuously accompanied by certain symptoms may indicate a serious disease that needs to be watched out for.
The following is a full description of the causes of a swollen face when you wake up that you may experience.
Table of Contents
1. Sleeping position
If your face swells suddenly after waking up without any obvious trigger, this condition may be due to your body being overweight.
This condition can become more pronounced if you sleep too much, or even sleepless at night. As a result, fluid in the body will accumulate in the eye and cheek area, causing a swollen face in the morning.
In addition, sleeping on the stomach so that the face is pressed against the pillow during sleep, also causes the face to be swollen after waking up.
However, you don’t need to worry because the cause of this swollen face can disappear by itself over time.
2. Sleeping with make up
Surprised to see swelling in the face for no reason when you wake up in the morning? Try looking in the mirror and see if you fall asleep at night while still wearing makeup?
Sleeping with make-up on and not cleaning properly can trigger a skin reaction known as contact dermatitis. This condition is characterized by skin redness, itching, and irritation until the eye and face area looks puffy.
This can happen because most make-up products contain chemicals, including fragrances and preservatives, which trigger an inflammatory reaction caused by irritants or allergens.
You do not need to worry because this condition can be overcome with proper treatment. Just make sure you remove make-up properly at night before going to bed as a way to prevent this.
However, for those of you who experience more severe symptoms, such as swollen eyes or difficulty opening your eyes, you should immediately consult a doctor.
3. Eating too much salty food
Eating salty and savory food is indeed delicious on the tongue. Unfortunately, consuming too much of this type of food actually causes a swollen face the next day after waking up. This also applies if you eat foods containing sodium, including processed foods.
This is due to the sodium content which can make the body retain more water. According to a study published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, high sodium levels in the body usually cause thirst, so you will drink more.
However, the body cannot excrete excess water in the form of urine, so the fluid will be retained and collected in a number of areas of the body, including the face.
In order not to experience a swollen face when you wake up, you should avoid eating foods, such as:
- Processed food
- Sushi, especially using soy sauce
- Salty chips
4. Drink alcohol
The cause of a swollen face when you wake up the next morning is consuming too much alcohol.
In addition, drinking too much alcohol can cause dehydration, making the facial area look puffy the next day.
Sometimes the cause of the sudden swelling of the face in the morning which happens is just the opposite, drinking too much alcohol actually increases sodium levels so that the body will retain more fluids.
Excess sodium and fluid build-up cause swelling in your hands, feet, and even your face.
Drink plenty of water immediately after waking up to overcome the swollen face in the morning. To prevent this condition from happening, always limit alcohol consumption at night.
5. Allergic conjunctivitis
The cause of sudden swelling of the face can also be caused by certain conditions, such as allergic conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis is a type of allergy that causes inflammation of the eye.
Generally, allergens that can trigger this allergic response include dust, animal dander, pollen (pollen), and mold on the surface of pillowcases or sheets so that they stick to your face while sleeping.
In addition to swelling in the eye area after waking up, this condition is also accompanied by red, itchy, watery eyes, to a burning feeling. In addition, sneezing and runny nose can also be other symptoms experienced.
How to get rid of swelling on the face due to allergies can be with a cold compress on the swollen eye area, taking an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory drugs, or dripping steroid eye drops.
So that this condition does not reoccur in the future, you are advised to avoid exposure to allergens, for example by changing pillowcases and bed linen.
6. Tooth abscess or gum infection
A tooth abscess or gum infection can cause swelling around the jaw, making it look like a swollen face. This condition can also cause pain and tenderness in the infected area.
To reduce discomfort and pain, you can gargle with salt water or take pain medication. However, you need to consult a doctor to get the right treatment.
Doctors will usually prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection or perform root canal treatment.
7. Sinus infection
Waking up with a swollen face could be due to a sinus infection. In addition to facial swelling, this condition can be characterized by fever, nasal congestion, toothache, headache, and pain in the facial area.
8. Angioedema
If your face continues to swell after waking up, then this condition could be due to angioedema. Angioedema is swelling under the skin caused by an allergic reaction to food, medication, or exposure to allergens.
Not only facial swelling, angioedema is also accompanied by other symptoms, such as swollen lips, itchy skin, rash, and shortness of breath.
For mild types of angioedema, no special treatment is needed. You just need to avoid allergens that cause allergies.
However, people with moderate to severe symptoms of angioedema may need medications, such as antihistamines and epinephrine.
9. Hypothyroid
You may often wonder, what are the symptoms of a swollen face? Apparently, hypothyroidism is a disease characterized by a swollen face.
Hypothyroidism is a condition when the thyroid gland is underactive or cannot produce enough hormones as it should. In fact, thyroid hormone functions to regulate energy use in the body.
In addition, there are several other symptoms that appear, such as:
- dry skin
- Feeling weak
- High cholesterol
- Weak muscles
- Slow heart rate
- Weight gain
- Constipation
If you experience these symptoms and suspect it is hypothyroidism, consult a doctor for proper treatment.
The reason, according to the American Thyroid Association as many as 60 percent of people who experience hypothyroidism are not aware of this disease. Generally, lifestyle changes and taking the medication regularly can help relieve symptoms.
How to deal with a swollen face?
There are various ways to deal with swollen faces that you can do, namely:
- Wash your face with cold water, or use a cold compress on your entire face to improve blood circulation which makes the face puffy.
- Place cucumber slices, tea bags, or coffee grounds on a puffy face. This step can shrink blood vessels so that blood flow in the facial area can be increased.
- Facial massage. This step is believed to improve blood circulation. You can also use a jade roller which is believed to stimulate blood circulation and drain lymphatic fluid thereby reducing swelling in the face.
- Keep meeting the needs of body fluids throughout the day. Drinking water can help the body get rid of excess water weight.
- Warm compresses to expedite the flow of fluid that has accumulated on the face. However, avoid compressing the area around the eyes.
- Use make-up to disguise a swollen face.
- Regular exercise can help improve blood circulation in the body, including the face area. Thus, the swelling on the face can be reduced.
- Take over-the-counter antihistamines as a way to get rid of swelling on the face due to allergies.
- Take pain medication, if necessary.
Tips to prevent the swollen face from appearing again
Even if it has been resolved, it would be nice for you to take the right precautions. There are various tips to prevent facial swelling that can be done, including:
- Limit or avoid consuming alcohol.
- Limit consumption of salty and sodium-containing foods at night.
- Don’t sleep too much.
- Try sleeping on your back. Use more than one pillow so that the head is higher than the body so that fluid does not accumulate in the face area.
- Meet the needs of body fluids for a full day, including at night.