Vasculitis is a condition wherein your blood vessels become inflamed, making it difficult, sometimes impossible, for life sustaining blood to make it through. This inflammation is caused by your immune system erroneously attacking its own arteries, veins and capillaries.
Undoubtedly, this type of attack can lead to some very serious health complications.
There are two classifications of symptoms you may experience with vasculitis, those affecting you generally (systemic) and those affecting a specific organ or body system. Common systemic signs indicative of body wide blood vessel inflammation include:
- fever
- weight loss
- appetite loss
- generalized aches, pains
- fatigue, weakness, paralysis
- painful chewing, swallowing
- confusion, forgetfulness ~ dementia
Symptoms for organ or system attacks on vessels causing their inflammation:
- sinus infections
- nose, mouth ulcers
- muscle ~ aches, pains
- joints aches ~ arthritis
- eyes ~ blurring, double vision, lost vision
- ears ~ chronic middle ear infections, hearing loss
- gastrointestinal tract ~ abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea
- brain ~ headaches, confusion, changes in behavior, strokes
- lungs ~ shortness of breath, chest x ray similar to pneumonia
- skin ~ spots, petechiae, splotches, bruises, hives, can be itchy or painless
- nerves ~ numbness, tingling, weakness, loss of feeling, strength, shooting pains in hands, arms, legs, feet
Although the cause for systemic or organ vasculitis is ofttimes unknown, it sometimes is:
- side effect of infections
- allergic response to a medication
- higher incidence for those with hepatitis B & C viruses
- associated with blood cancers ~ leukemia, lymphoma,myeloma
- linked to autoimmune system diseases ~ lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma
Most cases of vasculitis are treated with prescription medications in an effort to put the brakes on your immune systems inflammatory responses. The two typical drugs used as treatment for inflamed blood vessels are:
- cytotoxic medication
- corticosteroid medication
There are many disorders classified as types of vasculitis, differing in terms of population and which organs affected, like:
- Rheumatoid Vasculitis ~ occurs with rheumatoid arthritis
- Microscopic Polyangiitis ~ often affects the kidneys, skin, nerves
- Churg-Strauss Syndrome ~ lungs, skin, kidneys, heart; asthma history
- Central Nervous System Vasculitis ~ affects brain, sometimes spinal cord
- Buerger’s Disease ~ affects blood flow to hands and feet; more likely in smokers
- Behcet’s Disease ~ often younger of Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Far Eastern descent
- Cryoglobulinemia ~ lower limb rash, arthritis, nerve damage; those with lymphoma, hepatitis C
- Polyarteritis Nodosa ~ commonly affects the kidneys, skin, nerves; 30-50 age group, men more likely; associated with chronic hepatitis B, hairy cell leukemia
- Polymyalgia Rheumatica ~ large joints (shoulders and hips); along with giant cell arteritis
- Takayasu’s Arteritis ~ affects the aorta & its branches; Asian women under 40
- Wegener’s Granulomatosis ~ upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, and throat), lungs, kidneys; middle aged plus
- Giant Cell Arteritis ~ headache, fever, blurred vision, pain in the jaw, shoulders, hips; affecting adults over 50; Scandinavian higher risk
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura ~ commonly affects the skin, kidneys, joints, stomach; often found in children following upper respiratory infection
The future for those suffering from vasculitis varies greatly. Treatment is often effective if diagnosed early and your “out of control immune response” tackled with medication quickly.
Vasculitis may disappear, go into periods of remission or be chronic. In some severe cases, it can lead to disability or death.
As for now, there is no evidence supporting a specific diet to combat an immune system gone wild. However, as with most health issues, following a healthy diet plan and regular exercise is encouraged.