Blood vessels, which are divided into capillaries and veins, including arteries, play an important role in circulating blood containing oxygen between the heart and each organ and tissue in the body. When there is a problem with the blood vessels that are essential for maintaining life, various related diseases such as coronary artery disease, arteriosclerotic disease, and peripheral vascular disease occur. Vasculitis is one of the diseases caused by the occurrence of problems in these blood vessels, and refers to a disease in which ischemia occurs and damage occurs in the tissue that received nutrients from inflammation of the blood vessel wall. Symptoms vary depending on the nature and location of the inflammation involved.
Vasculitis can occur in a primary form of unknown cause, and may appear in a secondary form associated with other related diseases. In particular, vasculitis has the characteristics of an autoimmune disease that occurs when an abnormal immune response occurs in normal cells or body tissues. known to work. It is also known to be caused by bacterial and viral, fungal infections, toxins, and tumors. In addition, it is known to be secondary to various immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Behcet’s disease. Now, let’s learn about the main symptoms that appear when vasculitis occurs, as well as various information about treatment and management.
The main symptoms of vasculitis
When vasculitis occurs, various symptoms appear depending on the location and extent of the infected blood vessel. Usually, symptoms of a cold or body aches accompanied by fever and fatigue appear, and then purple spots that look like blood bruises are formed on the limbs. And bleeding spots appear in various forms under the blood bite.
In addition, it can be accompanied by various systemic symptoms such as decreased appetite, weight loss, abdominal pain, and joint pain. Bleeding from the intestine or kidney may cause abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, and hematuria that shows blood in the urine.
When the blood vessels to the heart become inflamed, the risk of various blood vessel-related diseases such as angina pectoris, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction increases. In addition, the blood vessels to the brain are blocked by inflammation, and when the blood vessels are damaged, various symptoms such as cerebral infarction, spinal cord damage, sensory abnormalities, and numbness in the hands and feet can appear. In addition, various symptoms such as chronic shortness of breath, pulsating headache like a throbbing heart blood vessel in the head, glomerulonephritis, chronic inflammatory sinusitis, and visual disturbance are also diseases that can appear when the symptoms of vasculitis persist. It’s possible.
The main symptoms of such vasculitis appear differently depending on the diseased blood vessel, and it is known that it cannot be prevented in advance due to the nature of autoimmune disease. Therefore, if symptoms suspected of developing vasculitis such as skin rash of unknown cause, hemoptysis, and hematuria persist and occur, it is important to receive various tests and appropriate treatment by a specialist to help speedy recovery and prevent related complications. I can.
Vasculitis treatment and management
1. Early diagnosis and treatment using various drugs
Vasculitis is difficult to diagnose with only one finding because multiple symptoms can occur simultaneously depending on the type of vascular invasion. Diagnosis is possible when several of the following apply. Diagnosis is made through various tests such as general blood and urine tests, liver function tests, kidney function tests, CT scans, and biopsies. In addition, depending on each diagnosed disease, different treatments and treatment periods are applied, taking into consideration drugs such as steroids or immunosuppressants. Treatment using these drugs usually improves symptoms naturally after about 2 weeks, but it is known that the possibility of recurrence is high. In addition, since side effects that may occur from taking drugs such as steroids cannot be excluded, it is very important to continue to practice the right management habits to prevent recurrence even after treatment, along with the careful attention of the medical staff.
2. Healthy eating and regular exercise
Vasculitis is known to be susceptible to infection because of the use of immunosuppressants as a treatment. Therefore, it can be said that it is important to minimize the risk of infection by maintaining a clean state at all times through thorough personal hygiene management, and to implement a healthy diet and regular exercise. In addition, getting timely vaccinations is an important part of managing vasculitis and preventing complications.
In addition, if you consume foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins E and C, and other nutrients, it is important to consume them regularly to suppress the level of inflammation in blood vessels, as well as inhibit the formation of blood clots and prevent the aging of blood vessels. Please note that blue fish, seaweed such as laver, kelp and seaweed, beans, garlic, onion, spinach, tomato, carrot, broccoli, and green pepper are among the foods rich in nutrients mentioned above. .
