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Giant Cell Arteritis
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Information - Giant Cell Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called astemporal arteritis, is a condition that causes inflammation in the arteries. As a result, blood supply to organs and tissues can be cut off. The most commonly affected arteries are near the temples, although it can occur in arteries anywhere in the body.
Giant Cell Arteritis Symptoms
Unlike arthritis, GCA is a medical emergency, because inflammation of the arteries can cut off the blood supplies to tissues and organs in the body. The cause of GCA isn’t known, although health experts believe it’s an autoimmune disease that attacks the arteries and causes inflammation. Often, the first symptoms of giant cell arteritis go unnoticed, until people start experiencing flu-like symptoms, headaches, sore muscles, jaw claudication, weight loss and pain in the neck, shoulders and hip girdle.
Following initial symptoms, many people experience pain in one or both temples, to the point where it hurts to lay your head on a pillow. If left untreated, GCA can cause vision loss, complete blindness or stroke, so it’s important to seek medical care immediately if you think you might have this condition.
Giant Cell Arteritis Treatment
If your doctor or specialist suspects you have giant cell arteritis and confirms the diagnosis, it will be recommended that you go on high dose prednisone. Prednisone is an extremely effective treatment for this condition. Typically, your specialist will recommend a dose of one milligram per kilogram of prednisone. Occasionally if there is concern about visual loss, your healthcare provider may recommend that you receive steroid or prednisone through an intravenous injection, or a pulse steroid injection. Once you’ve started the high-dose prednisone, you will probably be on the medication for a number of months before the dose is slowly tapered, and you may be on prednisone for several months - or potentially for several years.
When patients go on high-dose prednisone for giant cell arteritis, one of the biggest management problems is handling the side effects from the prednisone. It’s important that you see your specialist to discuss about lifestyle and other medications that can minimize the side effects of long-term, high-dose prednisone.
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Unlike arthritis, GCA is a medical emergency, because inflammation of the arteries can cut off the blood supplies to tissues and organs in the body.
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Often, the first symptoms of giant cell arteritis go unnoticed, until people start experiencing flu-like symptoms, headaches, sore muscles, jaw claudication, weight loss and pain in the neck, shoulders and hip girdle.
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If left untreated, GCA can cause vision loss, complete blindness or stroke, so it’s important to seek medical care immediately if you think you might have this condition.
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If your doctor or specialist suspects you have giant cell arteritis and confirms the diagnosis, it will be recommended that you go on high dose prednisone.
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When patients go on high-dose prednisone for giant cell arteritis, one of the biggest management problems is handling the side effects from the prednisone. It’s important that you see your specialist to discuss about lifestyle and other medications that can minimize the side effects of long-term, high-dose prednisone.