Stings , spider bites , and the bites of other insects produce relatively small swellings, while poisonous snakebites can produce large swellings quite rapidly. For some diseases swelling represents the most obvious symptom. Mumps , for instance, is almost always first noticed by the prominent swelling of glands it produces on the sides of the neck. Cirrhosis of the liver , due almost always to alcoholism , eventually swells the liver so conspicuously that its distension can easily be detected by touch. Abscesses of the teeth sometimes grow so large that they appear as painful swellings of the jaw.
Infections can produce unmistakably swollen boils on the skin .
Allergies can produce the bumpy swellings on the skin of the allergic reaction popularly called hives or swellings that accompany severe outbreaks of allergic skin rashes . Edema represents a special type of swelling. It results from an accumulation of fluid in the tissues where the swelling occurs, often in the legs or around the ankles. It has a variety of causes, including heart or kidney disease, the complication of pregnancy called preeclampsia , injury, or infection. Fluid-filled sacs that swell anywhere on the body, especially if they are large, are called cysts .