Patients diagnosed with Hereditary Angioedema, or HAE, need to have at-home treatment readily available for when attacks occur. But, the high costs of Hereditary Angioedema treatment may deter individuals from obtaining all the treatment they need to prevent painful, debilitating, and even dangerous attacks. Fortunately, prescription assistance programs, like the program offered through Advocate My Meds, can help individuals who would otherwise be unable to pay for their Hereditary Angioedema treatment!

What is Hereditary Angioedema?

HAE is a condition which, as its name implies, is hereditary. This means that it is passed down through families as a genetic condition. Those affected by this condition are known to be missing or lacking working C1 proteins in the blood. These proteins are responsible for helping the blood create antibodies which form to fight against foreign invaders to the body such as harmful bacteria and virus. So, those who are lacking enough C1 protein or don’t have C1 proteins that work effectively, the body responds by not being able to fight off sickness or disease.

How to Know if You Have HAE

Explaining what HAE is one thing, but diagnosing it is another. Because HAE is a condition which affects the functionality of the immune system, symptoms can vary. And, they can mirror other conditions like allergies and digestive diseases. As a result, it may take a few different tests from your doctor to determine if you are being affected by HAE. While it’s believed that only about 1 in 10-50 thousand individuals in the world is affected by HAE, only your doctor can determine if it’s what is affecting you.

Types of HAE Attacks

When an individual diagnosed with HAE experiences symptoms of the condition, they are known as “attacks”. There are a few different ways HAE can manifest through symptoms. Types of HAE attacks may include:

Abdominal: These attacks exhibit pain in the stomach area and can also lead to swelling, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Peripheral: This type of HAE attack is characterized by swelling of the hands and/or feet. Swelling of this type may be so severe that an individual won’t be able to move fingers or toes, especially without experiencing pain.

Throat: The most dangerous type of HAE attack, when the throat is targeted, individuals may be at risk for suffocation and, as a result, death. This type of attack highlights the importance for individuals who have been diagnosed with HAE to have on-hand treatment at all times.

Managing HAE Attacks by Changing Lifestyle

Of course, it’s important for individuals diagnosed with this condition to have treatment available. But, it’s also important for individuals living with HAE to understand what triggers an attack. This way, more attacks can be prevented and less debilitating attacks are experienced. Some triggers for HAE attacks may include:

• Stress
• Sickness
• Hormone irregularity
• Traumatic situations
• Medical procedures
• Specific medications

Now that you know what may trigger an HAE attack, what triggers yours? To find out, keep records of your HAE attacks and record what may have triggered them upon each experience. Eventually, you’ll identify triggers of your own HAE attacks so that they may be more preventable in the future.

Hereditary Angioedema Treatment through Advocate My Meds

Along with education about this condition and recognizing attack triggers, patients diagnosed with HAE need treatment. There are two types of treatment available to HAE patients which include both preventative treatment and acute therapy. Preventative treatments are prescription pills which may help the body’s C1 proteins function more effectively. Acute treatments, like Berinert, are meant to help individuals who are already experiencing an HAE attack. These self-administrative injections can halt symptoms of an HAE attack in as little as half an hour.

Unfortunately, many individuals find it challenging to afford the cost of Hereditary Angioedema treatment. But, there is help available through prescription assistance programs. To find out if you qualify to receive discounts or even full coverage of your Hereditary Angioedema treatment, visit our website or give us a call today at 877-596-1604.