Actor Zach Gilford shares shocking photos of swollen face

Zach Gilford is unrecognizable in a photo he shared of his swollen face as he recovers from an unspecified health event.

The 42-year-old "Criminal Minds: Evolution" star posted a shocking image of himself wearing a medical mask over his swollen face Dec. 17 in his Instagram story.

"Good thing we wrapped @criminalminds last week," he joked in writing over the pic.

The photo shows Gilford's puffy eyes nearly swollen shut. His cheeks also appear to filled with edema.

Gilford added a second photo to show that his facial swelling had begun to reside. "Thanks to all the nurses, doctors, and staff at @hungtingtonhospital for coaxing my face back to normalcy," he wrote on that image, adding, "...still a little ways to go."

TODAY.com reached out to a rep for Gilford for comment.

While Gilford has not publicly revealed his diagnosis, the Cleveland Clinic explains that facial swelling happens when fluid builds up in the tissues of one's face.

A swollen or bloated face can have many causes, and it can also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, such as lupus or Cushing's disease.

The most common causes of facial swelling include, according to the Cleveland Clinic:

• Allergic reactions
• Drug reactions
• Facial trauma, including injuries like a broken nose
• Infections that may involve your face, such as cellulitis, pink eye and sinusitis

The Cleveland Clinic notes also that certain conditions, like lipomas and cysts, can cause swelling of one side of one's face. Medical conditions involving the salivary glands, lymph nodes and teeth can also cause a face to swell, as can autoimmune diseases like lupus or hyperthyroidism.

A swollen face can also be a symptom of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Facial swelling is commonly treated with antibiotics, antihistamines or corticosteroids depending on the cause.

In the case of anaphylaxis, patients are treated with Epinephrine auto-injector, or EPIPEN, to get the allergic reaction and its symptoms under control.

Gilford, in addition to "Criminal Minds," is known for his work on "Friday Night Lights," "Midnight Mass" and the "Midnight Club."

This article first appeared on TODAY.com. Read more from TODAY here:

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