Vasculitis is a disease that causes swelling of your blood vessels, which limits blood flow to tissues and organs throughout your body. It’s thought to be an autoimmune disease, in which the immune system attacks blood vessels by mistake.
Vasculitis can affect any of your vessels, including:
- Arteries: carry blood from your heart to your organs
Veins: transport blood from your organs and limbs to your heart
Capillaries: connect small arteries and veins
There are many different types of vasculitis, which affect people of all ages. Signs of the disease can come on quickly, over days or weeks, or develop gradually over a few months. Symptoms depend on the type of vasculitis, the organs affected, and the severity of the disease.
Typical general symptoms can include fever, general achiness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Other symptoms depend on the area of your body that’s affected, such as:
- Brain: headaches, difficulty concentrating, changes in mental function, muscle weakness, or paralysis
- Eyes: irritated eyes, light sensitivity, or blurred vision
- Gastrointestinal tract: stomach pain or mouth sores
- Joints: pain and stiffness
- Lungs: shortness of breath or coughing up blood
- Nerves: numbness, tingling, or weakness in different areas of your body; or shooting pain in your arms and legs
- Sinuses: ongoing ear infections, sores in your nose, or hearing loss
- Skin: red or purple spots, or lumps, hives, or bruises
Rheumatologists at University of Miami Health System have advanced experience diagnosing and treating scleroderma, which can often be difficult to identify when symptoms are mild or absent. We design a customized treatment to relieve your symptoms and give you comprehensive care. With locations throughout South Florida, you can get personalized treatment that’s close to home.
Why Choose UHealth?
The latest treatments for vasculitis. Our rheumatologists are also researchers, so you get care from specialists on the leading edge of autoimmune and rheumatic disease care. You get the latest approaches from an experienced team.
Comprehensive care from a team of specialists. Vasculitis can affect different areas of your body, so our rheumatologists work with doctors in a full range of medical specialties. You get comprehensive, coordinated care from dermatologists, gastroenterologists, cardiovascular specialists, pulmonologists (lung diseases), nephrologists (kidney diseases), ophthalmologists (eye diseases), neurologists, and others as needed.
Specialized care to improve your quality of life. We consider your lifestyle and changing needs to develop a treatment plan that’s right for you. You work with team that’s dedicated to minimizing your symptoms and improving your well-being.