What are the possible causes of vasculitis?

Causes

• Infections, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
• Blood cancers.
• Immune system diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and scleroderma.
• Reactions to certain drugs.

Is vasculitis caused by stress?

“They found that stressful life events contributed more to the onset of ANCA-associated vasculitis compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthy controls,” says Dr. Hajj-Ali.

Can vasculitis cause death?

Rheumatoid vasculitis is a condition that causes inflammation of small or medium-sized blood vessels. It happens in some people who have had RA for a long time. It most often affects vessels of the skin, fingers and toes, nerves, eyes, and heart. Untreated, it can cause serious complications, including death.

How does vasculitis affect the nervous system?

How does vasculitis affect the nervous system? Vasculitis can cause problems in the central and peripheral nervous systems, where it affects the blood vessels that nourish the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Nervous system complications from vasculitis include: headaches , especially a headache that doesn’t go away

What does vasculitis feel like?

Vasculitis takes different forms according to which blood vessels are affected, and symptoms vary. Many people with vasculitis feel unwell and have fever, sweats, fatigue and weight loss. These can be the first symptoms experienced, so it’s important to be seen by your GP.

Does vasculitis cause high blood pressure?

Vasculitis in the kidneys may not cause any symptoms, although most people with renal vasculitis have high blood pressure. The physician will find protein in the urine and red blood cells on microscopic examination of urine (these results will be reported to the physician by a laboratory performing urinalysis).

Is vasculitis life threatening?

Some forms of vasculitis can affect vital organs and be life-threatening when the disease is active. Vasculitis can also cause damage to organs that can affect overall life expectancy. In addition, use of medications to treat vasculitis that suppress the body’s immune system can increase the risk of infection.