What are the Symptoms of Vasculitis?

Vasculitis can affect nearly any blood vessel in the body including those supplying the ears, eyes, digestive system, lungs, and skin. Overtime, without proper blood flow, organs and tissues can become damaged. 

There are many different types of vasculitis and symptoms vary based on type and the areas of the body affected. 

Vasculitis types include: 

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

Vasculitis can occur for a variety of reasons and these  generally depend on the kind of vasculitis  a person may have and whether it’s affecting small, medium, or large blood vessels. Although it can occur by itself, vasculitis tends to be associated with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. The condition can also be triggered by infections (like hepatitis B or C) or by reactions to certain medications. Because it can affect many different parts of the body, vasculitis symptoms can vary significantly.

Common Vasculitis Symptoms Checklist:

• Recurring fevers
• Chronic muscle and joint pain
• Fatigue
• Headaches 
• Loss of appetite and resulting weight loss
• Shortness of breath
• Red spots on the skin
• Itchy, burning eyes and double vision
• Ringing in the ears or abrupt hearing loss