What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Vasculitis?
Vasculitis can have many different signs and
symptoms depending on the type of vasculitis and which organs are involved as
well as how severely they are affected. With vasculitis, any number of organs
may be involved, so a patient can experience very few signs and symptoms or may
be very sick.
There are two types of signs and symptoms that are
common among people with vasculitis: those that affect the body in a general
way (systemic) and those that affect specific organs or body systems.
Systemic
Systemic signs and symptoms are not specific to a
particular part of the body, but affect a person overall, causing general
aches, pains, and sickness. Common systemic symptoms include:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fatigue (feeling tired) and weakness
- General aches and pains
Organ- or Body System-Specific
These signs and symptoms are specific to a
particular organ or body system. The organs and body systems that can be
affected include:
- Skin. People may experience a variety of skin
changes, including purple or red spots. The changes may look like clusters of
small dots, splotches, bruises, or hives. They may be itchy or painless.
- Joints. People can experience aches and arthritis
if the joints are affected.
- Lungs. People may experience shortness of breath
or even cough up blood. On a chest x ray, lung symptoms may look like
pneumonia, even though they are not.
- Gastrointestinal tract. Ulcers in the mouth may
be present in some types of vasculitis. Also, abdominal pain or bloody diarrhea
can occur in people with vasculitis. In some severe cases, the intestines can
rupture.
- Sinuses, nose, and ears. People may experience
sinus infections, chronic middle ear infections, ulcers in the nose, or in
certain cases there may be hearing loss.
- Eyes. People whose eyes are affected by
vasculitis may experience a blurring or loss of vision.
- Brain. People may experience headaches,
confusion, changes in behavior, or strokes.
- Nerves. People may experience numbness, tingling,
and weakness in various parts of the body. They also may experience symptoms in
their limbs, such as loss of feeling or strength in the hands and feet or
shooting pains in the arms and legs.
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