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Best Vasculitis Treatment in Hyderabad

Vasculitis is a collection of uncommon diseases characterized by inflammation in the blood vessels. These vessels—arteries, veins, and capillaries—are essential for delivering blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the body’s tissues. Inflamed blood vessels can be temporarily narrowed or occluded, which can lead to a lower blood flow to organs and tissues that may be damaged. Depending on the specific type of vasculitis, one or more organs may be involved, such as the lungs, kidneys, skin, eyes, or nerves, leading to serious complications if not treated.

What Causes Vasculitis?

Vasculitis is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the blood vessels, resulting in swelling. While the exact reason for this malfunction of the immune system is still not entirely understood, a number of factors may play a part in it, such as:

  • Genetics: Certain types of vasculitis (Behçet’s disease or granulomatosis with polyangiitis) have familial clustering.
  • Infections: Some viral and bacterial infections, including hepatitis B or C, may cause vasculitis in some people.
  • Diseases that affect the immune system: Other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and scleroderma predispose to vasculitis.
  • Cancer: Various cancers-including lymphomas or leukemia may make you more likely to get vasculitis.
  • Medications: Some drugs, like hydralazine, minocycline, and antibiotics, can provoke an immune response that leads to vasculitis.
  • Smoking and Drug Use: Smoking, particularly in men under 45, has been linked to certain types of vasculitis, including Buerger’s disease.
  • Age: Many forms of vasculitis are more common in older adults (e.g., giant cell arteritis), although some types, like Kawasaki disease, primarily affect young children.

Untreated vasculitis can cause organ damage (depending on the affected organs) in the most severe cases.

Types of Vasculitis

These conditions are categorized based on the size of the blood vessels involved and the particular areas of the body they impact. Among the most widely used types are:

  • ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: This category covers diseases such as:
  • Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA)
  • Microscopic polyangiitis MPA
  • Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)
  • Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN): Involves medium-sized blood vessels and commonly involves the kidney, heart, and gastrointestinal tract.
  • IgA Vasculitis (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura): This type is often seen in children and usually affects small blood vessels and presents with a skin rash, joint pain, and abdominal pain.
  • Giant Cell Arteritis: Inflammation of the larger arteries, especially in the head and neck. If left untreated it can have serious complications including loss of vision.
  • Takayasu Arteritis: An inflammation of the large arteries, like the aorta, and usually diagnosed in young women.
  • Behçet’s disease: It is a systemic disorder that can cause recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers, and eye inflammation, and can affect large and small blood vessels (known as ‘Behçet’s disease’).
  • Kawasaki disease: disease in young children, characterized by the inflammation of blood vessels in the body, including coronary arteries.

And those are only a few examples but it goes to show how different vasculitis can be from involving little capillaries to massive arteries.

What Are the Symptoms of Vasculitis?

The signs and symptoms of vasculitis differ tremendously, depending on the sort of vasculitis and the organs or tissues affected. Common Signs & Symptoms of Vasculitis:

  • Fever: Often caused by the inflammation in blood vessels.
  • Fatigue: A general feeling of tiredness or weakness.
  • Unexplained weight loss: Typically seen in chronic or active forms of vasculitis.
  • Muscle and joint pain: This can be a common symptom, especially in the early stages.
  • Headaches: Severe headaches, especially in giant cell arteritis or vasculitis affecting the brain.

Organ-specific symptoms:

  • Skin: Petechiae; red or purple spots under the skin, rashes, lumps or open sores. Additionally, some individuals might develop patches of skin pigment change.
  • The lungs: A cough, trouble breathing, or, at worse, coughing up blood
  • Eyes: Pain, redness, blurred vision or double vision. If not treated in a timely manner, giant cell arteritis can lead to sudden and irreversible loss of vision.
  • Heart: Chest pain, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats — if vasculitis involves the blood vessels in your heart
  • Kidneys: chronic hypertension, hematuria, or chronic abnormal kidney function tests
  • Nervous System: Numbness, weakness, tingling sensations, or even stroke-like symptoms in the worst cases

Any combination of these symptoms means you should be evaluated by a medical professional quickly. Some forms of vasculitis progress quickly and treatment can limit damage over the long term.

How is Vasculitis Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of vasculitis is not easy due to the diversity of symptoms and the lack of symptoms early in the disease in some patients. TX Hospitals — Best Rheumatology hospital in Hyderabad do a physical exam, discuss medical history, and do tests like:

  • Blood tests: They’ll test for some abnormal levels of particular blood cells or autoantibodies (antibodies that target the body itself).
  • Biopsy: A sample of affected tissue is removed and examined for inflammation or other features of vasculitis.
  • Imaging: Blood vessels and organs affected by the disease may be examined with CT scans, MRIs, angiograms, or ultrasounds.

Depending on the type of vasculitis and the organs affected, you may need other tests, including an echocardiogram or lung function tests.

Treatment for Vasculitis

Treatment aims to alleviate inflammation, maintain organ function, and guard against flare-ups. Vasculitis is a disorder that can occur in different forms, affect various organs, and exist in diverse severities, leading to differences in treatment approaches. At TX Hospitals, Top Rheumatology Doctors in Hyderabad collaborate to devise an individualized treatment plan for each patient.

Medications

  • Corticosteroids: These are anti-inflammatories that are commonly used. Long-term use of corticosteroids may cause side effects like weight gain, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. To reduce these risks, they are often combined with other medications.
  • Immunosuppressive Drugs: To control inflammation and prevent damage to organs, medications such as methotrexate, azathioprine, or cyclophosphamide may be prescribed. These drugs act to inhibit the immune system from attacking healthy tissues.
  • Biologics: These are drugs such as rituximab and tocilizumab that are administered for cases of vasculitis that are more severe, or do not respond to the more common treatments. Such biologic drugs are targeted at very specific parts of the immune system, allowing a very precise reduction of inflammation.
  • Plasmapheresis: In some cases, especially in life-threatening vasculitis, a procedure called plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) may be used to remove harmful antibodies from the blood.

Surgical Interventions

If vasculitis causes severe organ damage or blood vessel blockages, surgery might be necessary to repair or bypass the affected vessels. Surgical options can include:

  • Vascular bypass surgery to reroute blood flow around blocked or damaged blood vessels.
  • Aneurysm repair: If an aneurysm (bulging blood vessel) forms due to weakened vessel walls, it may need to be surgically repaired to prevent rupture.

Living with Vasculitis

Treatment is continued indefinitely as vasculitis can irreversibly affect organs, such as the lungs, kidneys, and the nervous system. However, even after treatment, patients may be left with chronic symptoms such as fatigue, arthritis, or sinusitis.

  • Frequent/follow-up side effects of glucocorticoids: Glucocorticoids need to be monitored and managed properly, as prolonged use of glucocorticoids leads to side effects such as weight gain, hyperglycemia, or brittle bones.
  • Avoiding infections: Immunosuppressants can make patients more susceptible to infections, so they need to take measures to avoid them, including routine vaccinations and following good hygiene practices.
  • Follow up: follow up with a rheumatologist will follow up the disease course, and will adjust the treatment according to the situation.
  • Live a Healthy Life: A healthy diet, exercise, and non-smoking reduce flare-ups and increase well-being.
  • Stress Management: Chronic stress can precipitate or aggravate autoimmune diseases, which means it will play an important role in living with vasculitis.

Build a support system with family and friends to help during the emotional and physical challenges the disease presents.

Why TX Hospitals for Vasculitis Treatment Care

At TX Hospitals, we offer comprehensive care for patients with vasculitis. We have a Center of Excellence in Rheumatology and are committed to personalized care for every patient including:

  • State-of-the-Art Diagnostic Tools: We utilize advanced imaging technology and laboratory tests to diagnose and track the progression of vasculitis clearly.
  • Team-Based Approach: Rheumatologists and immunologists and vascular surgeons and other providers all work together to share best treatment options for each patient.
  • Advanced Treatment: A range of therapies, including biologics and immunosuppressants, that are suited to your condition

Searching for the best rheumatology hospital in Hyderabad? TX Hospitals specializes care for each individual & patient. We will work to create a personalized treatment strategy to treat your illness, and improve your quality of life.

FAQs About Vasculitis Treatment at TX Hospitals

TX Hospitals offers expert rheumatology care with advanced diagnostics, multidisciplinary teams, and personalized treatment plans.

Our team includes rheumatologists, immunologists, vascular surgeons, and other specialists working together for comprehensive care.

We provide cutting-edge therapies, including biologics, immunosuppressants, and plasma exchange for severe cases.

We use advanced diagnostic tools like imaging, blood tests, and biopsies to accurately identify and monitor vasculitis.

We monitor side effects closely and provide solutions like bone health management, lifestyle guidance, and stress management.

Yes, we offer vascular surgeries, aneurysm repairs, and other interventions for severe complications.

Yes, we offer guidance on nutrition, stress management, and preventive measures like vaccinations to improve well-being.

You can schedule a consultation through our website or by contacting our appointment desk directly.