Vasculitis - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications - Signs, Symptoms, and Complications

Sometimes the signs and symptoms develop slowly, over months. The signs and symptoms may also develop very quickly, over days or weeks. Some people have general signs and symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• General aches and pains
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

Vasculitis may lead to the following problems in particular organs or parts of your body:

• Ear and nose problems, including sinus infections, inner ear infections, ulcers in the nose, a runny nose, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and hearing loss
• Eye problems, including redness, itching, burning, and changes in vision. Blindness in one eye may be the first sign of giant cell arteritis.
• gastrointestinal tract  problems, such as ulcers in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach; diarrhea; vomiting blood; and abdominal pain
• Genital ulcers
• Headache, scalp tenderness, and pain after chewing
• Heart palpitations
• Joint pain
• Lung problems, including shortness of breath and coughing up blood
• Nerve problems, including numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in various parts of body; loss of strength in the hands and feet; and shooting pains in the arms and legs
• Skin rashes, purple or red spots or bumps, clusters of small dots, splotches, bruises, hives, and itching
• Swelling of the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; hardening of the hands and feet, which may be painful; pain in the feet or legs; ulcers; and gangrene
• Swollen, dry lips or tongue, or swelling in the mouth and throat

Inflammation from vasculitis can block normal blood flow, which can damage parts of the body. Complications depend on which parts of the body are damaged, and they can be life-threatening. They include:

• Aneurysm or aortic dissection
• Arrhythmia
• Bleeding within the lung
• Blindness. This complication of giant cell arteritis is usually painless and sudden and usually affects only one eye at a time. The risk of blindness with giant cell arteritis is higher for people who have had a stroke or have peripheral artery disease.
• Deafness
• Deep vein thrombosis, a type of venous thromboembolism
• Gangrene
• Heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Low blood pressure
• Ischemic heart disease
• Kidney disease
• Myocarditis, a type of heart inflammation
• Pregnancy complications. Risks to the mother and baby include preeclampsia, the baby growing too slowly inside the womb, loss of the pregnancy, and death of the mother. Complications are usually worse if the disease is active during pregnancy.
• Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). A TIA, also known as a mini-stroke, occurs if blood flow to a portion of the brain is blocked only for a short time.