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What to do for facial swelling?
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Facial swelling may appear due to poor nutrition, certain diseases, fatigue, etc.
If swelling occurs, it is necessary to consult a specialist and undergo an examination, since if the cause of the swelling is a malfunction of the liver, kidneys, or cardiovascular system, then it is necessary to begin treating the pathology as soon as possible.
There are several ways that can help improve the condition and relieve swelling.
The first thing to do with facial swelling before visiting a doctor is to pay attention to your diet, especially the amount of salt you consume (as is known, salt prevents the removal of fluid from the body). With facial swelling, you should consume no more than 3 g of salt per day, in some cases it is recommended to reduce the dose even more.
It is also worth removing from your diet all foods that retain fluid in the body - smoked foods, pickles, fatty and spicy dishes.
Depending on the season, add diuretic foods to the menu – apples, watermelon, citrus fruits.
Also, facial swelling in the morning can be caused by a late dinner, so you should try to have dinner about 3-4 hours before bed.
If your face swells systematically, you can consult a doctor and start taking diuretics. Some herbal infusions (bear's ears, flax seeds, bearberry, rose hips, horsetail, etc.) have good diuretic properties.
If swelling is associated with a malfunction of the cardiovascular system, you can take an infusion of corn silk (15 g of grass per 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 3 hours, strain, add honey to taste, drink a few spoons every 2 hours).
Various masks will help to remove facial swelling. There are many products on sale that relieve fatigue, swelling, and improve complexion.
You can also use folk remedies. The most common way to remove swelling (especially from the eyes) is ice cubes, which are used to wipe the eyelids and face. Frozen infusions of various herbs - chamomile, sage, marigold - are more effective.
A potato mask is also popular: mash boiled potatoes (with skin) and apply to the face.
What to do if your eyes are swollen?
When the eyes swell, a large amount of fluid accumulates in the eyelids. Swelling can occur at any age, but people over 30 usually suffer from it.
The causes of eye swelling, as in other cases, are different - allergies, injuries, dysfunction of internal organs and systems, lack of sleep, impaired lymphatic drainage. Eye swelling can be inflammatory or non-inflammatory, depending on the cause, a specialist prescribes treatment and gives recommendations on what to do with swelling.
During treatment, it is necessary to follow a daily routine, eat properly, and not drink alcohol.
If necessary, a specialist can prescribe treatment procedures for active lymphatic drainage, such as electrical stimulation.
You can also make cosmetic masks that will help reduce swelling and improve the condition.
A simple but effective way to relieve eyelid swelling is to use herbal infusion compresses. You can use sage, chamomile, parsley, dill, birch leaves (1 tbsp. dry herb per 200 ml boiling water).
You can also use fresh potato juice, which will not only help reduce swelling, but also make dark circles under the eyes less noticeable. To make the mask, grate raw potatoes, squeeze out the juice (using gauze or a bandage), soak a cotton pad in the juice and apply to the eyes for a few minutes (you can also make this mask for the entire face).
An express method for getting rid of puffiness under the eyes is to wipe your eyelids with a piece of ice or apply cotton pads soaked in tea to your eyelids for 10-15 minutes.
A mask made of pumpkin or sour cream with dill will help to cope with swelling. Such masks are prepared quite simply, chop the pumpkin and apply to the eyelids for 15 minutes, then wash off with cool water, for the second mask mix sour cream with chopped dill and apply to the eyelids (you can apply it to the entire face) and leave for 10-15 minutes (such a mask will not only reduce swelling, but will make the skin more elastic).
What to do if there is puffiness under the eyes?
What to do if there is puffiness under the eyes is a question that worries many women.
The easiest way to remove swelling is to apply warm tea leaves (for about 10 minutes).
There are many recipes for reducing puffiness under the eyes, the most effective ones are listed below:
- Cut warm boiled potatoes into two halves and apply to the eyelids for 10 minutes.
- dill helps to cope with swelling, redness and inflammation. To prepare the mask, boil the dill for about two minutes, strain and soak cotton pads in the decoction, apply warm to the eyelids for 2-3 minutes. The procedure should be repeated several times in a row, each time using new pads soaked in the decoction. At the end, apply pads soaked in cold water to the eyes.
- fresh cottage cheese (1 tsp) divided into 2 parts, wrapped in thin napkins and applied to the eyes for 15 minutes.
- prepare an infusion of linden and chamomile (1 tbsp. of herbs, 200 ml. of boiling water). Soak cotton pads in the warm infusion and apply to the eyes for 10-15 minutes.
- cold milk compress for 10-15 minutes
- cucumber - a well-known skin care product for a long time. To relieve swelling, apply cold cucumber slices to your eyes for 10-15 minutes, then wash with cool water.
What to do if your eyelids are swollen?
Swelling of the eyelids is often a symptom of an infectious disease and if treatment is not started in a timely manner, vision may deteriorate.
The first thing to do when eyelids are swollen is to find out the cause of the pathology and treat the underlying disease.
Eyelids swell for various reasons: an unhealthy lifestyle (lack of sleep, smoking, overindulgence in salty, fatty, etc. foods, alcohol), injuries, insect bites, allergic reactions, etc.
Sometimes the cause of swelling is inflammatory processes in the eye, for example, barley, which is provoked by staphylococcus bacteria.
What to do if the upper eyelid is swollen?
Swelling of the upper eyelids usually begins to bother people after the age of thirty. Swelling is usually associated with an unhealthy lifestyle (lack of exercise, drinking alcohol, smoking, overindulgence in unhealthy foods, lack of sleep, etc.).
Therefore, the first thing to do with swelling of the upper eyelid is to change your lifestyle: change your diet, give up bad habits, follow a daily routine, and you should also do sports.
If the swelling of the upper eyelid is permanent (or occurs from time to time), you should consult a specialist and undergo an examination, perhaps the cause of the swelling is an infectious, inflammatory process in the body, a malfunction of organs or systems. In this case, after identifying the underlying disease and a course of treatment, the swelling in the upper eyelid will become less noticeable or disappear altogether.
What to do if your nose is swollen?
The nasal mucosa swells for various reasons (allergies, viral diseases, injuries, etc.) and before starting treatment, it is necessary to know the exact cause of the swelling in order to avoid unpleasant consequences and complications.
When the nose swells, other symptoms may appear: mucous discharge (possibly with blood or pus), loss of smell (taste), and the person begins to snore in their sleep.
Swelling of the nose may also occur after surgery, however, this is a physiological process and usually does not require treatment. In case of nasal injuries, in addition to swelling, bleeding, severe pain at the site of the injury and adjacent tissues, and severe swelling occur. In case of injuries, you should see a doctor, take an X-ray to avoid serious complications that may require further surgery (possibly more than one).
What to do with swelling of the nasal mucosa during viral diseases, when the swelling is accompanied by nasal congestion, mucus discharge, general malaise, is known to almost everyone. The main thing is not to neglect the disease and begin treatment at an early stage, this will facilitate the recovery process and prevent serious complications, such as sinusitis.
Treatment of mucosal edema and runny nose at the initial stages can be carried out with folk remedies, for example, rinse the nasal mucosa with a solution of sea salt (or regular salt with the addition of 1-2 drops of iodine) or herbal decoctions. To prepare a salt solution, take 1 tbsp. salt per 1 liter of water, mix well and irrigate the nasal cavity with a small syringe, to prepare a herbal decoction - 1 tbsp. per 250 ml of water, leave for 20-25 minutes. Inhalations with herbal decoction, essential oils or over steam from boiled potatoes also help cure a runny nose. During the disease, you should drink more tea, compote, herbal infusions (rose hips, raspberries).
It is worth noting that it is better to treat a runny nose and swelling of the nasal mucosa in young children (especially newborns) under the supervision of a specialist.
If the nose swells due to an allergic reaction, first of all, you need to eliminate the allergen, then start relieving the allergy symptoms. For this, special anti-allergic sprays, drops, tablets (reactin, intal, clarisens) are used.
What to do if the nasal mucosa is swollen?
A common cause of swelling of the nasal mucosa is an upper respiratory tract infection. To treat cold swelling, vasoconstrictor drops (otrivin, nazol) are used. These drugs relieve swelling, facilitate breathing, usually after such drugs the nasal cavity is treated with disinfectant solutions (callargol) to stop the spread of infection.
Antibiotics for a runny nose are prescribed only as a last resort; as a rule, it is inappropriate to use such drugs for a viral infection, and sometimes they are dangerous to health.
Inhalations are good for dealing with swelling, for example, you can finely chop garlic or onion, wrap it in a napkin and inhale the vapors for 15-20 minutes, the phytoncides that they contain effectively suppress the growth of bacteria in the nasal mucosa, the procedure can be repeated several times during the day.
Burying plant juice, especially aggressive ones like onions, beets, garlic is not recommended for swelling of the nasal mucosa, as it can provoke a strong allergic reaction or a local burn. In folk medicine, there are recipes using the juice of these products, but before instillation, it is recommended to dilute the juice with boiled water.
What to do if your nose is very swollen?
Severe swelling of the nose is often associated with serious diseases, such as sinusitis, nasal polyps, severe allergies. What to do with swelling of the nose, especially severe, is important for everyone to know. First of all, it is necessary to find out what caused the severe swelling, you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible and undergo an examination.
If swelling is severe, do not warm up your nose, as this can be dangerous.
To ease the condition, you can rinse your nasal cavity with a solution of sea salt (1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water).
What to do if your face is very swollen?
Some experts attribute facial swelling to symptoms of urolithiasis, pyelonephritis, and renal failure. Facial swelling may also appear due to excessive consumption of alcohol, fatty, salty, smoked foods, and poor sleep. In any case, if facial swelling appears regularly, a specialist consultation is necessary.
The first thing to do with facial swelling is to reduce salt intake, which promotes fluid retention in the body. You also need to give up eating unhealthy foods (pickles, smoked foods, fried, fatty foods) and alcoholic beverages, bad habits, and move more.
If swelling on the face appears due to poor quality rest, systematic lack of sleep, incorrect posture during sleep, you need to establish a routine, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time, you should also pay attention to bed linen (it should be made of natural materials), you may need to buy an orthopedic pillow.
If the cause of the swelling is a disease (heart, kidney, neuralgia, eye pathology), a consultation with a therapist is necessary, who will prescribe an examination and, if necessary, refer you to a specialist.
You can reduce facial swelling with diuretics or herbal infusions. Rosehip and lingonberry leaf decoctions will help remove excess fluid from the body. A cold compress or ice, which you can wipe your face with every morning, also helps remove facial swelling (ice is contraindicated for rosacea).
Masks with cucumber and honey (1:1), for example, are effective for reducing swelling and tightening the skin.
What to do if your ear is swollen?
Swelling of the ear is the main symptom of otitis (inflammatory diseases of different parts of the ear). In this case, in addition to swelling, nearby lymph nodes enlarge, shooting pain appears, and hearing deteriorates (the ear feels blocked).
What to do with ear swelling should be told only by a specialist. Untimely or incorrect treatment can threaten complete or partial hearing loss.
In case of ear inflammation, ear drops with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory or analgesic effect (choline amycillate, dextamethasone), compresses, physiotherapy procedures, and a course of antibiotics are prescribed.
It is not recommended to warm up an inflamed ear on your own, as this can provoke the release of pus and the spread of infection throughout the body.
What to do if your eyes are swollen due to allergies?
Allergies can threaten severe and sometimes irreversible consequences. If your eyes swell from allergies, you must immediately begin treatment, otherwise the swelling can affect the mucous membrane of the throat and nose.
The first aid for allergic eye swelling is taking antiallergic drugs, preferably hormonal ones. To speed up the process of removing the allergen from the body, you should drink more fluids, preferably clean water at room temperature. You can also take an adsorbent (activated carbon, enterosgel).
The first thing to do if you have eye swelling, especially if it is severe, is to seek help from a specialist, as this condition can be life-threatening and it is possible that you will need hospital treatment.
Treatment of any allergic reactions is aimed primarily at identifying and eliminating the allergen, then antihistamines are prescribed. To relieve swelling in the eyes, topical agents (compresses, ointments, drops) are prescribed.
Swelling of the eyes usually goes away after a couple of days, first the swelling goes down, then the redness and itching.
If you are prone to allergies, if after contact with an allergen there is tearing, burning, itching in the eye area, swelling can occur at any time, so you should always have an antihistamine with you as emergency aid.
If swelling has already occurred, but the allergen has not been identified, a consultation with an allergist-immunologist is necessary, who will recommend emergency medications and develop an individual preventive program.
What to do if there is swelling after Botox?
Swelling is the most common side effect after Botox injections, most often the eyes swell. What to do with swelling after Botox should be recommended by a cosmetologist, as a rule, complex measures are used to relieve swelling.
Self-treatment in this case can only worsen the condition, so it is better to immediately consult a specialist and act according to his recommendations.
To relieve swelling after Botox injections, manual or machine lymphatic drainage massage and diuretic infusions (lingonberry, rose hips, sage, fennel, chicory) are prescribed. If necessary, the doctor may prescribe hot compresses (with potatoes, parsley).
Swelling after Botox is a rather serious consequence, but such a reaction of the body is observed extremely rarely. As a rule, swelling occurs due to the unprofessionalism of the doctor, ignoring contraindications by the patient, or after an incomplete examination to identify risk factors.
What to do if your upper lip is swollen?
The upper lip can swell due to inflammation, infection, allergic reaction, injury, and also after dental procedures.
In case of allergic reactions, it is necessary to take an antihistamine (tavegil, suprastin). If there is a tendency to allergies, it is necessary to consult a specialist who will help to choose an effective emergency aid.
What to do with swelling of the upper lip due to an inflammatory process depends on the patient's condition. If the inflammatory process is at an early stage, there is swelling of the upper lip, redness, soreness, the wound should be treated with a disinfectant solution and an antiseptic should be applied (brilliant green, alcohol tincture of calendula, ichthyol ointment, miramistin). It is worth noting that alcohol antiseptics are used only in case of minor injuries. If the condition worsens, soreness, redness increases, the wound begins to fester, you should consult a specialist. Inflammation can begin due to infection getting into the wound on the surface of the skin, in particular, after squeezing acne in the upper lip area, a cut or a blow.
In case of an infectious or viral disease, herpes, stomatitis, swelling of the upper lip is relieved with antiseptics and antiviral drugs.