Temporal Arteritis
Temporal Arteritis |
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Temporal arteritis is a disease in which arteries in your head (often near your temples) become inflamed, narrowed, and sometimes completely blocked. Temporal arteritis can cause severe headaches, scalp tenderness, jaw pain, hearing problems, and vision problems, including blindness. Abnormal enlargement (aneurysm) of the aorta, the body's main artery, can also occur. Also called giant cell arteritis, temporal arteritis most often occurs in people who are between 60 and 80 years old. Women are affected more often than men, and the disease is more common among people of northern European descent (whose ancestors came from Germany, Scandinavia, or Great Britain, for example).
The cause of temporal arteritis is unknown. It is believed to be a combination of heredity and exposure to some unknown factor (perhaps infection) in the environment.
Typically, symptoms are vague. You may feel generally ill and lose your appetite. Other symptoms may include: swelling of the arteries on the side of your forehead severe headache tenderness of the scalp, usually over the temples pain in the jaw when chewing, swallowing, or talking difficulty hearing fever cough muscle aches and stiffness, especially in the morning fatigue weight loss vision problems, including blurred vision, double vision, and temporary or permanent blindness.
About half of the people who have temporal arteritis also have a condition called polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). PMR is a disorder that causes severe stiffness and pain in the muscles of your neck, shoulders, lower back, and hips. About 10% to 15% of those with PMR also have temporal arteritis.
A definite diagnosis can be made by examining a small sample of the affected artery. The artery will be inflamed and will have unusually large cells along its walls. A blood test called ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) is particularly helpful in diagnosing this disorder. The rate at which red blood cells sink to the bottom of a test tube indicates whether there is inflammation.
Treatment with steroids, such as prednisone, can relieve symptoms of temporal arteritis quickly and often completely. Many of the symptoms improve within 24 hours of taking the first dose. Generally, however, you must continue taking this medication for about 2 years before the condition goes away. Some people must take medication for many years.
Steroids do not cure the disease. They relieve the symptoms and usually prevent blindness, allowing people to lead normal, active lives while the illness runs its course.
Blood tests are used to monitor treatment and to check for recurrence
With treatment, the condition typically lasts about 2 years and blindness may be avoided in most cases. Symptoms sometimes come back months or years later, however, requiring repeated treatment with medication.
Follow your doctor's treatment plan. If symptoms recur or worsen, especially if your vision changes, contact your doctor immediately. Discuss possible side effects of your medication with your doctor, and keep him or her informed about any side effects you have.