Wegener’s Granulomatosis – What it is, Causes and Treatments
Wegener’s Granulomatosis – What it is, Causes and Suitable Treatments for this condition. Also, Wegener ‘s Granulomatosis is an uncommon disease that causes inflammation of the blood vessels in the nose, sinuses, throat, lungs, and kidneys.
Wegener’s Granulomatosis , currently called Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis , is part of a group of blood vessel disorders, that is, it is a rare form of vasculitis . This slows down the flow of blood to some of your organs.
Affected tissues can develop areas of inflammation called granulomas, which sometimes affect how these organs work. Early diagnosis and treatment of Wegener ‘s Granulomatosis can lead to a full recovery. Without treatment, Wegener’s granulomatosis can be fatal.
Other areas may also be affected in some cases. It can also produce a type of inflammatory tissue known as a granuloma that is found around blood vessels. Granulomas can destroy normal tissue.
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Wegener ‘s granulomatosis is most common in middle-aged adults, with a mean age of onset between 40 and 65 years. It is rare in children, but has been seen in children as young as 3 months of age. Whites are more likely than blacks to develop Wegener’s Granulomatosis .
Causes of Wegener’s Granulomatosis: No one knows exactly what causes Wegener’s Granulomatosis . It seems to develop after an infection or other inflammation-causing event triggers an abnormal reaction from your immune system .
This reaction can lead to inflamed, narrowed blood vessels and masses of harmful inflammatory tissue (granulomas). Granulomas can destroy normal tissue, and narrowed blood vessels reduce the amount of blood and oxygen reaching your body’s tissues and organs.
Symptoms of Wegener’s Granulomatosis: Signs and symptoms of Wegener ‘s Granulomatosis can occur suddenly or over several months. The first warning signs usually involve areas of the respiratory tract, such as your sinuses, throat, or lungs.
The condition of people with this disease often worsens rapidly, affecting blood vessels and the organs they supply, such as the kidneys. Signs and symptoms of Wegener ‘s granulomatosis can include:
- Runny nose, congestion, sinus infections and nosebleeds
- Cough , sometimes with bloody phlegm;
- Shortness of breath or wheezing;
- fever ;
- Fatigue and general pain;
- Numbness in your limbs, fingers or toes;
- Weight loss;
- Blood in the urine (hematuria)
- Skin wounds or bruises;
- Redness, burning or pain;
- Ear infections.
For some people, the disease only affects the lungs. When the kidneys are affected, you may not notice early warning signs. But blood and urine tests can detect the problem. Without treatment, kidney failure and anemia often occur.
Treatments For Wegener’s Granulomatosis: Prompt treatment is essential for Wegener’s Granulomatosis because the disease can be deadly. With treatment, however, the outlook for most patients is good. Treatment includes corticosteroids to quickly reduce inflammation, as well as other drugs to slow the immune response.
With early diagnosis and proper treatment, you can recover from Wegener ‘s Granulomatosis within a few months. You may need to continue taking prescription medications long-term to prevent relapse.
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Even if you are able to stop treatment, you will need to see your doctor on a regular basis so that he or she can continue to monitor your condition closely.