Temporal Arteritis

Temporal Arteritis, also known as Giant Cell Arteritis, is an autoimmune disease in the Vasculitis family, which is characterized by inflamed blood vessels. In Temporal Arteritis, the inflammation of the blood vessels occurs in the head and brain. The immune system of the body attacks the blood vessels making them narrow with inflammation; this causes all the body and its organs to be vulnerable to damaged because of the shortage of blood flow. Temporal Arteritis more women than it does men, with a three to one ratio. Typically, it develops after the age of fifty. The causes of Temporal Arteritis are unclear.

Symptoms of Temporal Arteritis

The symptoms of Temporal Arteritis are similar to those of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and the two sometimes coexist in the same patient with as many as ¼ of those with Temporal Arteritis also suffering from Polymyalgia Rheumatica. The two are considered by some to be different manifestations of the same disease. The symptoms of Temporal Arteritis include fever, sever and sudden headaches, sensitivity on the scalp and/or temples. Some people experience pain in the tongue particularly when chewing or speaking. There are some who experience problems with their eyesight including blurred vision, blind spots, or blindness may occur suddenly in one or both of the eyes if the optic nerve becomes blocked by the inflamed vessels.

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