In our article we will talk about such a disease as vasculitis on the legs. We will find out what symptoms it has, what are its main causes, and also find out how diagnosis and treatment are carried out.
A whole group of vascular diseases that are characterized by inflammation and destruction of the walls of arteries, veins and capillaries is called vasculitis. According to ICD 10 (International Classification of Diseases of the 10th revision), this pathology has received several markings:
- D69.0, D89.1 - systemic hemorrhagic vascular disease (these include allergic purpura, rheumatic purpura, Schonlein-Genoch disease);
- L95.0 - atrophy white (marble skin);
- L95.1 - persistent elevated erythema;
- L95.8, L95.9 - a group of diseases with limited skin cover.
By its nature, vasculitis usually resembles atherosclerosis. It is based on the thickening of the walls of blood vessels, due to which the lumen of the channel decreases, and blood circulation is disturbed. Because of this, it stopsnormal blood supply to a certain part of the body or organ.
Basic information about the disease
Blood, in addition to nutrients, also delivers oxygen. Of course, due to the appearance of circulatory disorders, the starving organs stop working properly. It must be said that the causes of this disease are still not fully understood. There are only assumptions. For example, the reasons are considered to be a combination of genetic characteristics, infections and other adverse factors.
Classification of vasculitis on the legs involves a large number of different types, but depending on the causes, the pathology is divided into primary and secondary forms. The primary is an independent disease, and the secondary occurs against the background of other pathologies. By localization, vasculitis is distinguished:
- appearing on the skin, while other organs are not damaged against their background;
- domestic.
It should be noted that the consequences of internal vasculitis can be serious heart disease, and death is not ruled out. Among other things, there are urticarial, cutaneous, allergic and systemic types.
What are the symptoms of vasculitis?
Symptomatics
Common signs and symptoms of the disease tend to be:
- Presence of increased fatigue, general weakness and malaise.
- Presence of elevated body temperature.
- The appearance of pallor of the skin.
- Complete lack of appetite along withnausea and sometimes vomiting.
- Weight loss along with exacerbation of heart and vascular diseases.
- The appearance of headaches, dizziness and fainting.
- Presence of visual impairment.
- Development of sinusitis, sometimes accompanied by the formation of polyps in the nose.
- Development of renal lesions. In addition, the lungs or upper respiratory tract may be affected.
- General numbness.
- Development of arthralgia and myalgia.
- Appearance of skin rashes.
Symptoms of vasculitis directly depend on the type and form of the disease. But I must say that the main symptom is always a violation of the normal process of blood circulation.
Hemorrhagic vasculitis in children
Hemorrhagic vasculitis, also called capillary toxicosis or Schonlein-Genoch disease, is a pathology characterized by damage to small blood vessels (capillaries, arterioles, venules) located in the skin, joints, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Occurs at any age in a child, but rarely occurs before age 3.
The exact cause of hemorrhagic vasculitis in children has not yet been established. Presumably, this is due to a malfunction in the immune system, which produces antibodies against its own vascular cells: an autoimmune process is triggered. The vascular wall becomes looser, its permeability increases, and punctate hemorrhages occur.
Complications
As a rule, the following complications are observed against the background of this disease:
- Losingvision.
- Renal necrosis develops.
- Ischemic heart disease appears.
- Develops myocardial infarction or stroke.
It is important to note that a lethal outcome cannot be ruled out as a result of this pathology.
What causes vasculitis symptoms?
Main causes of illness
As mentioned earlier, the etiology of the disease has not yet been fully understood, but there are confirmed information regarding some causes. So, the causes of vasculitis can be as follows:
- Having a genetic predisposition.
- Presence of infection of the body as a result of weakened immunity.
- Presence of immune hyperactivity to infection.
- The appearance of an allergic reaction to certain drugs.
- The occurrence of inflammatory processes in the thyroid gland.
- Development of autoimmune processes in the body.
- The appearance of complications of pathologies such as reactive arthritis, Schwartz syndrome, glomerulonephritis and systemic lupus.
All this can lead to external manifestations of vasculitis. What is this disease?
Views by formation criterion
Vasculitis may differ in primary development, which will be due to the process of inflammation of the walls of blood vessels. There is also a secondary form of this disease, which is caused by the reaction of blood vessels in the presence of other diseases. Consider the classification of vasculitis below. For example, the following are secondarytypes:
- Vasculitis associated with hepatitis B.
- Appearance of cryoglobulinemic vasculitis associated with hepatitis C.
- Forms of vasculitis associated with syphilis.
- The emergence of drug-associated immune complex vasculitis.
- Types of vasculitis associated with oncological pathologies.
Systemic vasculitis
The following systemic vasculitis are distinguished:
- Hemorrhagic. This type is accompanied by aseptic inflammation of small vessels, multiple microthrombosis, which develops mainly in the kidneys, intestines and other organs. Often accompanied by arthritis and arthralgia.
- Lupus.
- Vasculitis due to Behçet's disease.
- Rheumatoid.
- Development of pathology on the background of sarcoidosis.
What is the diagnosis of vasculitis?
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of the disease, first of all, involves the following examination methods:
- Patient taking a complete blood count.
- Performing biochemical analysis.
- Performing a kidney ultrasound.
- Echocardiography.
- Performing electrocardiography.
- Changing a lung x-ray.
- Performing angiography.
- Taking a biopsy of the affected tissue and its further study.
Vasculitis is characterized by a significant increase in ESR. Also, against the background of this disease, people have moderate thrombocytosis along withnormochromic anemia, and in addition, they have glomerulonephritis.
Treatment of lower limb vasculitis
The effectiveness of vasculitis therapy directly depends on timely and accurate diagnosis, on the treatment of diseased organs and concomitant pathologies. In some situations, this disease can go away on its own. So, conducting complex therapy involves the following steps:
- Performing drug treatment.
- Performing physiotherapy activities.
- A patient follows a specific diet.
- Using preventive measures.
It is important to note that in case of symptoms of vasculitis, it is imperative to consult your doctor immediately before using medicines.
Performing medication
Drug therapy for systemic vasculitis is primarily aimed at the following goals:
- Achieve the suppression of pathological reactions that are the basis of the disease.
- The process of maintaining a stable and prolonged remission.
- Treatment of recurrent pathology.
- Prevention of secondary pathologies and complications.
Prescribed drugs for the treatment of vasculitis
Glucocorticoids are a group of hormonal drugs that have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, immunoregulatory, anti-stress and anti-shock effects. In this disease, these hormones perform the most importantrole, contributing to the achievement of stable and prolonged remission. Among glucocorticoids, drugs such as Prednisolone should be mentioned along with Hydrocortisone.
Cytostatic drugs are antitumor drugs that disrupt and slow down the mechanisms of division, growth and development of pathogenic cells, which is especially important in the case of malignant tumors. Also, these funds are considered effective for nephritis. Good efficacy in treatment is achieved against the background of simultaneous administration of cytostatics with glucocorticoids. In particular, this combination helps in the treatment of urticarial, hemorrhagic, cryoglobulinemic and giant cell vasculitis. The total duration of taking cytostatics, as a rule, is from three to twelve months. Among these drugs, it is appropriate to name such drugs as Cyclophosphamide, along with Methotrexate, Doxorubicin and Fluorouracil.
In the human body there are monoclonal antibodies that are produced by immune cells, they have an immunosuppressive and antitumor effect. These antibodies are very effective against skin and breast cancer. Medicines from the category of monoclonal antibodies are no less effective than cytostatics and are widely used to treat vasculitis. The appointment of these drugs is advisable in case of undesirable use of cytostatic drugs. A contraindication to the use of this category of drugs is the presence of hepatitis B in a patient. Among monoclonaldrugs against vasculitis, Rituximab should be highlighted.
Immunosuppressants are a group of drugs that suppress the immune system. With vasculitis, immunosuppressants are prescribed in combination with glucocorticoids. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed in the presence of thrombophlebitis and nodular vasculitis. Among the non-steroidal formulations, it is worth highlighting acetylsalicylic acid along with Ibuprofen, Indomethacin and Phenylbutazone.
Anticoagulants are drugs that prevent blood clots from forming in blood vessels. Among them, one should name such drugs as "Warfarin" along with "Heparin". Antihistamine therapy is used if the patient has an allergy to medicines or food. Among the antihistamines in the complex treatment of vasculitis, Diazolin should be singled out along with Claritin, Tavegil, Terfen and Fenkarol. Therapy for vasculitis in children involves transfusion treatment.
Clinical guidelines for vasculitis must be strictly followed.
Using physiotherapy treatments
As for the physiotherapeutic methods of treating this disease, it should be noted that plasmapheresis is currently widely used, which contributes to a significant improvement in the performance of the kidneys. This technique reduces the risk of terminal kidney failure.
Which diet to choose for vasculitis?
Diet against the backdrop of illness
Diet against the background of the treatment of vasculitis contains a hypoallergenic character, which is extremelyimportant, given the allergic nature of the disease. Thus, foods that belong to the highly allergenic category are usually excluded from the diet. So, with vasculitis, it is not recommended to use:
- Whole milk, eggs and seafood, caviar.
- Strawberries, strawberries, bananas and melons.
- Citrus products are banned along with mango and persimmon.
- Tomatoes, carrots and bell peppers should be limited.
- Recommended to give up nuts, coffee, chocolate and cocoa.
- It is necessary to completely exclude industrial canned food from the diet, as well as foods to which there is an individual intolerance.
With the concomitant presence of severe nephritis, patients are prescribed diet No. 7. Further, a gradual transition to a hypochlorite diet is required. In case of abdominal syndrome, diet No. 1 is indicated.
An alternative treatment for vasculitis is also effective.
Treatment of the disease using folk methods
It is important to emphasize that immediately before using folk methods in the fight against vasculitis, it is imperative to consult with your doctor. Very well in the treatment of this disease have proven various fees. Here are some recipes.
- Mix four tablespoons of crushed elderberry flowers with Japanese sophora, nettle leaves, yarrow herb and knotweed. One spoon of the resulting collection is poured with a glass of boiling water and the medicine is infused for an hour. Thereafterthe prepared product can be filtered. The resulting infusion is required to be taken within a day up to three times.
- As part of the second recipe, you need to mix three tablespoons of marigold flowers with elderberry, mint leaves, yarrow, horsetail, string and poplar buds. A spoonful of the resulting collection is required to pour a glass of boiling water. Then the container is covered and the product is allowed to brew. The medicine should be infused for at least one hour, then it can be filtered. The resulting infusion is taken 100 milliliters during the day. This medicine should be taken every three hours.
Very often people use thick-leaved bergenia to treat vasculitis. This remedy is great for cleansing the blood. So, directly for the preparation of the medicine, it is necessary to pour two tablespoons of bergenia leaves into a thermos. Then they are poured with a glass of boiling water. The composition is required to infuse overnight. As soon as it is infused, you can strain. Then you need to add a spoonful of honey. The resulting medicine is drunk in the morning on an empty stomach.
Often people use bitter herbs for the treatment of vasculitis. In particular, they are in demand in order to cleanse the intestines, which is a prerequisite for the treatment of vasculitis. To prepare the medicinal composition, you will need two tablespoons of one of the herbs (for example, wormwood, elecampane, tansy or immortelle will do). So, the selected bitter herb is poured into a thermos, then it is poured with a liter of boiling water, after which it is infused for two hours. Once the remedy is infused, it can be filtered. Drinkthe resulting infusion should only be cooled. It can be diluted with warm water in a one to one ratio. Take this medicine twice a day for half an hour before meals.
No less popular in the treatment of vasculitis is green tea, which perfectly strengthens blood vessels and also helps to reduce the permeability of the vascular walls. Green tea effectively reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood, improving the overall tone of the heart muscle. To achieve a therapeutic effect, people need to drink strong green tea up to three times a day. In this case, it will be enough to drink just a glass. The greatest effectiveness can be achieved if you take green tea in combination with other folk methods.
Prognosis for vasculitis is most often favorable.
Even if the pathology is quite neglected, it is still being treated. The functions of internal organs can be restored. But don't underestimate vasculitis. They belong to severe pathologies. The result of ineffective treatment or its complete absence may be the death of the patient.
Prophylaxis
Prevention of vasculitis is required by people not only to prevent the occurrence of this disease, but also for medicinal purposes, which helps to speed up the recovery process, minimizing the development of certain complications. So, preventive measures, as a rule, include the following recommendations:
- It is extremely important to avoid all sorts of stressful situations. Any stress along with emotional overstrainnegatively affect the state of the nervous system and the whole organism as a whole, provoking various serious diseases, including vasculitis.
- In no case should you use certain medications without first consulting a doctor.
- You can't let all sorts of pathologies take their course. This is necessary so that they cannot go into the chronic stage, especially of an infectious nature.
- It is very important that a person completely abandons any bad habits, whether it be smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages. Scientists have repeatedly proven the harmful effects of smoking on blood vessels. Thus, such bad habits are highly likely to provoke a disease such as vasculitis.
- It is equally important to try to maintain a normal body weight. In this regard, it should be noted that obesity, along with underweight, leads to various pathologies, including vasculitis.
- People should lead a he althy, and at the same time active lifestyle, moving more, doing sports, gymnastics, swimming and so on. Physical activity, which is carried out without unnecessary stress, contributes to the normalization of blood circulation and is an excellent prevention of all kinds of diseases.
- It is very important to pay attention to nutrition. You should try not to eat foods that are of little use and harmful. From the nutritious diet of a person, his he alth is formed, therefore, the less harmful food will be fed into the diet, the lowerthere will be risks of developing pathologies like vasculitis. In addition, in the presence of this disease, you should follow a special diet and abandon some of the list of products listed above.
- Continuing the recommendations regarding proper nutrition, it is worth mentioning that you should eat only those foods that are enriched with vitamins and trace elements.
Conclusion
Thus, vasculitis is a disease that is an inflammatory lesion of the walls of blood vessels. This pathology occurs in people as a result of a particular infection. In addition, it can be provoked by autoimmune diseases. Often due to the presence of vascular hypersensitivity. As a rule, various vessels are involved in inflammatory processes, for example, it can be capillaries along with medium and large muscular arteries. In order not to get sick with vasculitis, first of all, you should eat right, move enough and treat all kinds of infectious pathologies in a timely manner.
We examined the external manifestations of vasculitis. What kind of disease is now clear.
