Which alternative therapies can help a vasculitis sufferer?

---

Yes, thanks Denise, that's the type I have, a rash all over my legs and feet which is where the blood vessels have inflamed then leaked blood, leaving a pigmentation....great tip! yum, I like cherries too!
eat a handfull of cherries every evening - they contain a natural anti inflammatory called boron - assuming that your version of vasculitis (remember there are 8 different types) is caused by inflammation of the blood vessels or arteries .  (+ info)

what is vasculitis and why does it cause red itchy hands and feet?

---

Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. Inflammation is a condition in which tissue is damaged by blood cells entering the tissues. In inflammatory diseases, these cells are mostly white blood cells. White blood cells circulate and serve as our major defense against infection. Ordinarily, white blood cells destroy bacteria and viruses. However, they can also damage normal tissue if they invade it.

Vasculitis can affect

* very small blood vessels (capillaries),
* medium-size blood vessels (arterioles or venules), or
* large blood vessels (arteries or veins).


How Does Vasculitis Damage The Body?
Several things can happen to an inflamed blood vessel.

1. If it is a small vessel, it may break and produce tiny areas of bleeding in the tissue. These areas will appear as small red or purple dots on the skin.
2. If a larger vessel is inflamed, it may swell and produce a nodule which may be felt if the blood vessel is close to the skin surface.
3. The inside of the vessel tube may become narrowed so that blood flow is reduced.
4. The inside of the vessel tube may become totally closed, usually by a blood clot which forms at the site of inflammation.
5. If blood flow is reduced or stopped, the tissues which receive blood from that vessel begin to die.
* For example, a person with vasculitis of a medium-sized artery in the hand may develop a cold finger which hurts whenever it is used.
* Occasionally this can progress to gangrene.



What Causes Vasculitis?
Vasculitis can be caused by

1. infection of the blood vessel walls
* This is rare. When it occurs, bacteria, viruses or fungi infect the blood vessel.
* White blood cells move in to destroy the infectious agents and damage the blood vessel in the process.
* This is a serious condition and requires prompt antibiotic treatment.
2. an immune or "allergic" reaction in the vessel walls.
* This cause of vasculitis is more common.
* Substances which cause allergic reactions are called antigens.
* Antigens cause the body to make proteins called antibodies which bind to the antigen for the purpose of getting rid of it.

Antigen and antibody bound together are called immune complexes. Two primary ways in which immune complexes destroy antigens are:

1. by attracting white blood cells to digest the antigen
2. by activating other body substances to help destroy the antigens.

* Unfortunately, some immune complexes do not serve their purpose of destroying antigens. Instead, they remain too long in the body and circulate in the blood and deposit in tissues. They commonly accumulate in blood vessel walls, where they cause inflammation.
* It is likely that some white blood cells (cytotoxic cells) which kill infectious agents can also accidentally damage blood vessels and cause vasculitis.  (+ info)

need rash description for vasculitis or is there different types of rashes?

---

  (+ info)

Vasculitis? How long is the chemo regimen for this autoimmune disease?

---

  (+ info)

Does anyone have vasculitis or has anyone ever heard of it?

---

I know what it is I was just wondering if anyone else out there has it
Vasculitis is a general term for a group of uncommon diseases that feature inflammation of the blood vessels. The blood vessels of the body are referred to as the vascular system. The blood vessels are composed of arteries that pass oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of the body and veins which return oxygen-depleted blood from the tissues to the lungs for oxygen. Vasculitis is characterized by inflammation in and damage to the walls of various blood vessels.

Each of the vasculitis diseases (also, as a group, referred to as vasculitides) is defined by certain patterns of distribution of blood vessel involvement, particular organ involvement, and laboratory test abnormalities.

The word vasculitis is derived from the Latin "vasculum", vessel + "- itis", inflammation. Another term for vasculitis is angiitis. When arteries are the inflamed blood vessels, the condition is also referred to as arteritis. When the veins are inflamed, it is referredd to as venulitis.

What causes vasculitis and what are examples of diseases with vasculitis?

The actual cause of these vasculitis diseases is usually not known. However, immune system abnormality and inflammation of blood vessels are common features. Each form of vasculitis has its own characteristic pattern of symptoms. Examples of vasculitis include Kawasaki disease, Behcet's disease, polyarteritis nodosa, Wegener's Granulomatosis, Takayasu's Arteritis, Churg-Strauss Syndrome, giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis), and Henoch Schonlein Purpura.

Vasculitis can also accompany infections (such as hepatitis B), exposure to chemicals (such as amphetamines and cocaine), cancers (such as lymphomas and multiple myeloma), and rheumatic diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus  (+ info)

Has anyone ever suffered with vasculitis? i have it in my legs but can not seem to find any info about causes!

---

i am suffering with it for the last three months and am taking lyrica but can not find much relief in that. I am just wondering if anybody knows what causes it and if there are any alternative medicines i could use for nerve pain.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/vasculitis/vasculitis.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vasculitis.html
http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/


Vasculitis

Also called: Angiitis, Arteritis
Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. It happens when the body's immune system attacks the blood vessel by mistake. The cause is often unknown. Vasculitis can affect arteries, veins and capillaries. Arteries are vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body's organs. Veins are the vessels that carry blood back to the heart. Capillaries are tiny blood vessels that connect the small arteries and veins.

When a blood vessel becomes inflamed, it can

Narrow, making it more difficult for blood to get through
Close off completely so that blood can't get through
Stretch and weaken so much that it bulges and may burst and cause dangerous bleeding inside the body
Symptoms of vasculitis can vary, but usually include fever, swelling and a general sense of feeling ill. The main goal of treatment is to stop the inflammation. Steroids and other medicines to stop inflammation are often helpful.


Vasculitis represents a family of rare diseases and can affect people of all ages. The outlook for people who have vasculitis varies depending on both the type and severity of the vasculitis. Treatment is often very effective if vasculitis is diagnosed and treated early. In some cases, it may be a chronic problem, requiring ongoing treatment, or it may come back (“flare”) after a period of remission. In more severe cases, treatment may not help, and vasculitis can lead to disability or even death.

There are over 15 vasculitides (plural of vasculitis) affecting the small, medium and large vessels. They include: Behcet’s disease, Buerger’s disease, Central Nervous System, Churg Strauss Syndrome, Cryoglobulinemia, Giant Cell Arteritis, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, Hypersensitivity vasculitis, Kawasaki disease, Microscopic polyangiitis, Polyarteritis nodosa, Polymyalgia rheumatica, Rheumatoid vasculitis, Takayasu’s and Wegener’s granulomatosis.

Although the diseases share many of the same symptoms and treatment courses, each disease is different and patients must learn as much as possible about their individual disease. Additional research is needed to learn more about the various types of vasculitis and their causes, treatments and remission patterns.  (+ info)

What is retinal vasculitis?

---

Can you become blind from it?
inflammation of the blood vessels which feed the retina, left untreated, it can indeed cause blindness.  (+ info)

Can Marijuana cause Vasculitis?

---

Brain cells are killed by certain drugs; would smoking marijuana help cause a rare disease called vasculitis? Vasculitis has to do with brain cells, so this is why I ask.
marijuana kills brain cells, it has been proved. now about vasculitis, whose diagnosis is established after a biopsy of involved tissue, it is a pattern of blood vessel inflammation. Examples of tissues used for biopsy include skin, sinuses, lung, nerve, and kidney. Depending upon the situation, an alternative to biopsy can be an x-ray test of the blood vessels called an angiogram, which can demonstrate characteristic patterns of inflammation. No doubt that marijuana can contribute to the inflammation.  (+ info)

Vasculitis and sexual intercourse?

---

I'm a 42-year-old man diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis, which is affecting my temporal arteries, my right eye and the brain. As if things weren't challenging enough between my young age and the rarity of a vasculitis, my girlfriend is afraid of having sexual intercourse with me out of fear that I could burst a blood vessel in the brain. I researched this on the internet and can find no information one way or another, but I don't believe that there are any risks to me having sex with vasculitis. My biopsy on the right side of my head has nearly completely healed and my question is this: Is my girlfriend's concern warranted or not. I would like serious anwers to this question only. Thanks.
From my point of view, I don't see any dangers in you having sex. As you said, your disease seems to be in remission for the moment. The common complications known for GCA are aortic aneurysms, stroke, or chest pain. I'm assuming the doctors did an ultrasound of your heart to exclude aneurysms or inflammation of the coronary arteries (if you don't have any symptoms that suggest involvement of coronary arteries, it's safe to say that you won't be having an aneurysm or chest pain).
Now, about popping a vein in your head: it is indeed true that your blood vessels are weakened by the inflammation, but the way you described your case, it sounds as if you are currently in remission. There is always the possibility of a vessel burst, but since you are still young and your arteries fairly healthy (I'm assuming), the chances of that happening to you aren't that great. In my opinion (med student a few weeks short of graduation), I don't think there's any danger in having sex, unless it's strenuous and exhausting. Just make sure you don't overdo it.

If you want to be extra-sure, call your doctor.  (+ info)

I have a vasculitis over 5 years now i dont take steriod anymore will it disappear?

---

I'll pray for you that it will.  (+ info)

---

---

• Home
• Our method
• Usage examples
• Index

• Statistics
• Contact

---