Vasculitis

What is Vasculitis?

Vasculitis is a type of autoimmune disease in which there’s inflammation of the blood vessels. The inflamed blood vessels can cause their walls to thicken, reducing the width of the pathway through the vessel. If by any chance the blood flow is restricted, it may lead to tissue or organ damage.

All the different types of vasculitis are rare immune diseases and might affect one or more organs. It can be a short-term or long-term condition.

Types of Vasculitis

  • Behcet’s disease
  • Churg-Strauss Syndrome
  • Buerger’s disease
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Cryoglobulinemia
  • Henoch-Schonlein purpura
  • Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  • Takayasu’s arteritis
  • Kawasaki disease

Causes of Vasculitis

The accurate cause of vasculitis is still undetermined. Some types of autoimmune disease are related to the genetic makeup of the patient. Some others are a result of your immune system attacking the blood vessels.

Possible triggers for this reaction are:

  • Blood cancers
  • Reaction to specific drugs
  • Infections, such as hepatitis C and hepatitis B
  • Other autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma

Symptoms of Vasculitis

Common signs and symptoms of vasculitis include:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Weight loss
  • General aches and pains

There are some more symptoms of the autoimmune disease that are associated with the affected body part, such as:

Ears: Dizziness and ringing in the ears and sudden loss of hearing.

Digestive system: If vasculitis affects your intestines or stomach, you may experience pain post-lunch. Possible symptoms are ulcers, perforations, and blood in the stool.

Eyes: When it affects the eyes, they turn red, itchy, and burn. Due to giant cell arteritis can lead to double vision and temporary or permanent blindness of one or both the eyes.

Skin: Internal bleeding of the skin shows up as red spots with the effect of vasculitis. It can also lead to open sores or lumps on your skin.

Lungs: Common signs when it affects your lungs are blood coughing and shortness of breath.

Hands or feet: Numbness or weakness in the foot or hand. You may also notice your palms swelling or hardening.

When to see a doctor

In case you see any signs and symptoms that relate to vasculitis, you should book an appointment with an experienced and skilled doctor. Some cases may worsen faster than others, so getting a diagnosis at the right time is extremely crucial.

Get a consultation booked with Dr M. V. Rao for proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

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Rajbhavan Road, Somajiguda, Matha Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana.
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500057

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M: drmvraomallela@gmail.com

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