Vasculitis facts for kids

Vasculitis is a group of health problems where your blood vessels get inflamed. Think of inflammation as your body's way of fighting something, like when a cut gets red and swollen. But with vasculitis, this swelling happens inside your blood vessels.

Blood vessels are like tiny tubes that carry blood all over your body. They include arteries, which take blood away from your heart, and veins, which bring blood back to your heart. When these vessels become inflamed, it can make it hard for blood to flow properly. This can cause different problems depending on which vessels are affected and where they are in your body.

Vasculitis often happens because your body's immune system (which usually fights off germs) mistakenly attacks its own blood vessels. This attack involves white blood cells, which are part of your immune system.

What Are Blood Vessels?

Your body has an amazing network of blood vessels. These vessels are super important because they deliver oxygen and nutrients to every part of your body. They also help carry away waste products.

There are three main types:

• Arteries: These are strong, flexible tubes that carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to your organs and tissues.
• Veins: These bring blood that has less oxygen and more waste products back to your heart.
• Capillaries: These are the tiniest vessels. They connect arteries and veins and are where oxygen and nutrients actually get delivered to your cells.

When any of these vessels get inflamed, they can narrow, block, or even weaken. This can stop blood from reaching certain areas, which can cause damage.

What Causes Vasculitis?

Doctors don't always know exactly why someone gets vasculitis. Sometimes, it happens on its own, which is called primary vasculitis. Other times, it's caused by another health problem, like an infection or another immune system disease. This is called secondary vasculitis.

Here are some things that can sometimes lead to vasculitis:

• Autoimmune diseases: These are conditions where your immune system attacks your own body. Examples include lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.
• Infections: Some infections, like hepatitis B or hepatitis C, can sometimes trigger vasculitis.
• Certain medicines: In rare cases, some medications can cause a temporary form of vasculitis.
• Allergic reactions: Sometimes, a strong allergic reaction can cause blood vessels to become inflamed.

It's important to remember that vasculitis is not contagious. You can't catch it from someone else.

How Do Doctors Find Vasculitis?

Finding out if someone has vasculitis can be tricky because its symptoms can be similar to many other conditions. Doctors usually look at a few things:

• Symptoms: They will ask about how you feel, like if you have fever, tiredness, weight loss, or pain.
• Physical exam: The doctor will check your body for signs like rashes, swelling, or changes in your pulse.
• Blood tests: These tests can look for signs of inflammation in your body. They can also check for specific antibodies that might suggest an autoimmune problem.
• Urine tests: These can check if your kidneys are affected.
• Imaging tests: Scans like X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs can help doctors see if blood vessels or organs are damaged.
• Biopsy: This is often the best way to diagnose vasculitis. A doctor takes a tiny sample of the affected blood vessel or organ. Then, a specialist looks at it under a microscope to see if there are signs of inflammation.

How Is Vasculitis Treated?

The goal of treating vasculitis is to reduce the inflammation and stop the immune system from attacking the blood vessels. The treatment depends on the type of vasculitis, how severe it is, and which parts of the body are affected.

Common treatments include:

• Corticosteroids: These are powerful medicines that help reduce inflammation. They are often the first treatment doctors use.
• Immunosuppressants: These medicines calm down the immune system to stop it from attacking the blood vessels. They are often used for more severe cases or when corticosteroids aren't enough.
• Biologic therapies: These are newer medicines that target specific parts of the immune system.
• Treating the cause: If the vasculitis is caused by another condition, like an infection, treating that underlying problem is also important.

Treatment might be needed for a long time, and doctors will carefully watch how a person is doing. The aim is to get the vasculitis under control and prevent further damage to blood vessels and organs.

Different Kinds of Vasculitis

There are many different types of vasculitis. They are often grouped by the size of the blood vessels they affect (large, medium, or small) or by the specific parts of the body they target.

Some examples include:

• Kawasaki disease: This type mainly affects young children and can cause inflammation in the arteries, especially those around the heart.
• Henoch-Schönlein purpura: This often affects children and causes a rash, joint pain, and sometimes kidney problems.
• Giant cell arteritis: This usually affects older adults and can cause headaches and vision problems.
• Granulomatosis with polyangiitis: This can affect the nose, sinuses, lungs, and kidneys.

Each type has its own specific symptoms and treatments, which is why a careful diagnosis is so important.