Allergic vasculitis is a symmetrical rash on the skin due to allergic inflammation of the walls of veins and blood vessels.
Allergic vasculitis is the body’s reaction to an allergen, which is manifested by inflammation of blood vessels
General characteristics of the disease
The main difference between allergic vasculitis and other types of skin diseases is that signs of the disease usually appear on the skin. Symptoms are often confused with an allergic rash, so prompt medical attention is not sought.
The main location of allergic vasculitis is the legs (front and side of the legs, thighs, buttocks).
With a complicated course of the disease, and also if it is a hemorrhagic type, the rash spreads to other areas - on the torso, on the face, on the mucous membrane, on the palms.
This is explained by the fact that the vessels of the legs are most loaded and weakened compared to the vessels of the upper body.
Causes
The exact reasons why the disease occurs have not been identified. Modern medicine believes that the occurrence of allergic vasculitis can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Flu, hepatitis and other viruses.
Possible causes of allergic vasculitis include influenza virus
- Streptococcus, tuberculosis and other bacteria.
- Candidiasis and other fungi.
- Dairy products, citrus fruits, gluten and other food products.
- Household chemicals, petroleum products and other toxic chemical products.
- Wrong medications chosen:
- Vitamins and minerals.
An allergic reaction can be triggered by the use of medications
- Antimicrobial drugs.
- Hormonal agents.
- Diseases of the heart, kidneys, liver, long-term autoimmune diseases.
- Metabolic disease.
- Insulin dependence.
Reasons also include frequent exposure to radiation, intoxication of the body, hypothermia, prolonged exposure to the sun, and an unbalanced diet in which the body lacks nutrients. Infectious-allergenic causes have the greatest likelihood of triggering the disease mechanism.
The probable cause of allergic vasculitis is prolonged exposure to the sun.
Forms of the disease
The following types of disease are distinguished:
- Infectious-allergic. Appears after any infectious disease. People with tuberculosis, hepatitis, etc. are prone to this type.
- Hemorrhagic allergic vasculitis. Characterized by damage to blood vessels, kidneys, intestines and stomach, and skin. Hemorrhagic vasculitis often occurs in children.
- Toxic-allergic vasculitis. The mucous membranes, respiratory tract, intestines, and skin are affected. The allergen quickly spreads through the blood vessels.
Dividing allergic vasculitis according to the source of origin, they distinguish:
- Primary systemic vasculitis. It occurs as a separate disease due to exposure to an irritating allergen (toxic-allergic vasculitis). A diet, limiting contact with chemicals, and avoiding medications are recommended.
The hemorrhagic form of allergic vasculitis affects blood vessels
- Secondary vasculitis. Occurs as a result of existing diseases, for example, hepatitis. Treatment is aimed at eliminating the disease as its cause.
According to the degree of vascular damage there are:
- Vasculitis of superficial vessels (dermal). Small vessels and capillaries are affected. This form includes the hemorrhagic type, the allergic type with the deposition of iron-containing pigment, and the giant cell type.
- Vasculitis of deep vessels (hypodermal). Large arteries and venules, deep veins of the skin tissue are affected. This form includes the nodular necrotic type, erythema nodosum. Manifests itself in acute or chronic form.
Allergic vasculitis can affect the deep layers of the skin
Symptoms of allergic vasculitis
The main symptoms of allergic vasculitis are skin damage. Various spots appear that can develop up to trophic ulcers or scars:
- Vascular stains. When you press on the affected area, the stain will disappear, but after a couple of seconds it will appear again.
- Erythema spots in the form of a frequent rash with a clear border. They disappear on their own if the patient does not have contact with the allergen.
- Purple spots. They change color from red to bluish or yellowish. The boundaries of the spots are unclear and blurred. The spots can be confused with bruises.
- Urticarial spots. Dense formations on the skin, similar to blisters.
- The spots are papules. Dense formations on the skin of pink color, similar to skin nodules.
Allergic vasculitis manifests itself with characteristic skin rashes
- The spots are vesicles. Papules with internal bloody content.
- The spots are bullae. Bubbles containing liquid inside. Their size is quite large - about 0.8 cm. They open up on their own, forming erosive crusts.
Local symptoms of the disease depend on its form. Signs can appear in both the acute and chronic phases of allergic vasculitis.
The hemorrhagic type is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- small vascular spots on the skin;
- temperature rise to 37-37.5°C;
With hemorrhagic vasculitis, body temperature rises
- red or blue spots;
- close location of blood vessels to the skin;
- aching vascular pain.
Nodular necrotizing vasculitis can be recognized by the following signs:
- spots in the form of papules on the skin;
- the appearance of ulcers;
- low physical activity;
Necrotizing allergic vasculitis is characterized by the appearance of papules on the skin
- long-term treatment without success.
Symptoms of erythema nodosum are as follows:
- the appearance of brown skin nodes (urticarial spots);
- development of the inflammatory process;
- increasing pain in the lower joints;
- concentration of nodes on the lower legs on the front side.
Erythematous spots have a brown tint
The manifestation of giant cell vasculitis is determined by the following signs:
- pain when touching the skin;
- proliferation of red papules, vesicles by their fusion;
- rapid deterioration of vision;
- thickening of vascular arteries.
- General symptoms of the disease include fatigue, restless sleep, rapid loss of body weight, loss of appetite, tight muscle tissue, fever, and dry skin.
- Patients with allergic vasculitis suffer from insomnia
Diagnosis of the disease
To diagnose the disease, you need to consult a rheumatologist. Since there are many forms of manifestation of allergic vasculitis, it is difficult to make a diagnosis. The form of the disease is often incorrectly determined, for example, the hemorrhagic and infectious-allergic types of vasculitis are confused.
First of all, the patient undergoes a urine and blood test for biochemistry, a blood test to determine sugar levels; A skin biopsy is performed. Then a test is performed to determine allergens.
If the examination is not enough, then the patient is referred to an appointment with a phlebologist, cardiologist, phthisiologist, or gynecologist (for women). Tests are taken and it is determined whether there are any infectious or inflammatory diseases.
- A urine test is performed to detect the disease.
- Only after establishing an accurate diagnosis and identifying the true cause of the disease, the attending physician prescribes treatment.
Treatment of the disease
Treatment of allergic vasculitis depends on the form of the disease. In milder forms, treatment can take place at home under the supervision of a physician. First of all, you need to stop contacting the allergen. Treatment is prescribed in a complex and includes the following approximate scheme:
- diet No. 5, No. 1 or No. 7 for two months;
- antihistamines (second and third generation) for two weeks;
Treatment of allergic vasculitis includes taking antihistamines
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the first 5-7 days;
- drugs that stabilize the walls of affected vessels.
If treatment is not successful within two weeks, then the diet must be strengthened. If chronic hemorrhagic or nodular necrotizing vasculitis worsens, then treatment must be done in a hospital setting.
The following groups of drugs are added to the prescribed therapy regimen:
- droppers with calcium chloride;
In case of exacerbation of allergic vasculitis, intravenous administration of drugs is required
- drugs that stabilize blood clotting (to prevent the formation of blood clots);
- antibacterial drugs to eliminate the possibility of developing infections;
- medications that reduce the activity of the effect on the liver;
- glucocorticoids that suppress the immune system, which are prescribed in double doses for severe vasculitis.
Treatment of affected skin involves the use of anti-inflammatory ointments and creams and alternating them with wound healing agents. Treatment must be carried out directly under the supervision of a doctor, otherwise there is a risk of complications. The diet must be followed for six months after treatment.
Treatment of skin manifestations of allergic vasculitis is carried out using ointments
Diet for vasculitis occupies an important place in treatment therapy. The diet consists of limiting salt, citrus fruits, red fruits and vegetables, chocolate, and plant foods. Steam cooking is recommended. Because The diet involves limiting many fruits, but you can replenish vitamins by eating dried fruits.
Allergic vasculitis during pregnancy
Allergic vasculitis poses a great danger to both the expectant mother and the child. Mostly, pregnant women experience hemorrhagic vasculitis.
The disease provokes the emergence of a large number of antibodies to phospholipids. Hemorrhagic vasculitis threatens by increasing the risk of placental abruption, premature birth or miscarriage.
The development of the fetus in the womb will begin to be delayed.
In 5% of cases, children are born with mental disorders or autoimmune diseases.
As preventive measures, pregnant women are prescribed Heparin and Acetylsalicylic acid. The diet during pregnancy must be followed, but the diet should be discussed with the doctor.
To prevent the occurrence of allergic vasculitis during pregnancy, Heparin is prescribed
Disease prevention
As preventive measures it is necessary:
- Limit contact with potential allergens.
- Treat infections and inflammations in a timely manner.
- Lead an active lifestyle and play sports.
- Avoid taking medications on your own without consulting a doctor.
- Limit consumption of fatty and spicy foods. The diet must be followed constantly.
- Twice a year take vitamins and microelements that boost immunity.
- Do not overcool or overheat the body.
Regular consumption of vitamins improves immunity and reduces the risk of developing allergic vasculitis
Complications of the disease
If treatment is started on time, complications are extremely rare. Advanced forms of allergic vasculitis lead to:
- to internal hemorrhage (usually in the lung);
- to kidney damage (chronic renal failure);
- to anemia caused by iron deficiency.
Source: http://healthyorgans.ru/serdechno-sosudistaya-sistema/lechenie-serdtsa/16710-lechenie-allergicheskogo-vaskulita-s-pomoshchyu-preparatov-i-diety
How to treat vasculitis
Vasculitis is an autoimmune reaction to human tissue due to inflammatory processes in the walls of blood vessels.
The disease affects various vessels - large veins and arteries, small venules and arterioles.
Depending on which vessel is affected, arteries, phlebitis, arteriolitis and capillaritis are distinguished, but in practical medicine such a division is rarely made, combining the pathology into vasculitis.
The name of the disease includes pathological processes of different types, but all of them are characterized by such features as disruption of normal vascular circulation and tissue necrosis.
Vasculitis can be primary or secondary, arising against the background of some pathology, for example, diabetes mellitus.
Establishing the correct diagnosis and connection with other pathologies is extremely important in order to know how to treat vasculitis and how to counteract the worsening of the symptoms of the disease.
Vasculitis affects both large vessels and small ones. When deep veins and arteries are affected, signs of vasculitis may not appear for a long time, but vasculitis on the body and limbs gives characteristic red spots that do not go away. However, damage to any vessels leads to serious consequences, so vasculitis must be treated as soon as possible.
When signs of vasculitis appear, many patients do not know where to treat the disease or which specialist to contact. If vasculitis is suspected, a consultation with a phlebologist – a vascular specialist – is indicated. The attending physician will examine the patient, and if the diagnosis is confirmed, it is he who will guide the patient further. Consultations with a therapist, dermatologist, rheumatologist, and infectious disease specialist are possible.
Mild vasculitis is usually treated on an outpatient basis, but in severe forms, patients must be hospitalized. Doctors also insist on hospitalization of children, pregnant women, patients with hemorrhagic vasculitis and vasculitis in the initial stage in order to observe the dynamics of the pathology.
The duration of therapy depends on the degree of the disease. If the disease is stopped at an early stage, then treatment can take about two months, moderate severity is treated for about six months, and severe vasculitis must be treated for about a year or more.
Drug treatment of hemorrhagic and allergic vasculitis
Doctors give encouraging forecasts in the treatment of the disease only in the initial stage of its development, when therapy brings tangible results. Unfortunately, advanced vasculitis is difficult to treat. With the help of patients with this pathology, several fundamental issues are resolved:
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- achieving stable remission of the disease;
- shortening the relapse period;
- prevention of necrotic changes in tissues;
- prevention of complications;
- increasing the quality of life and its duration.
Conservative therapy for vasculitis involves systemic long-term treatment of the disease. Eliminating the symptoms of pathology alone is too little to consider the patient healthy. Is it possible to cure vasculitis? This is a question asked by patients who are faced with a similar diagnosis for the first time.
Unfortunately, even with modern technologies, it is not possible to completely slow down autoimmune processes, since this entails other, more serious complications.
However, vasculitis is not a death sentence, although it is practically incurable. If detected at an early stage, vasculitis can be controlled if you follow all the recommendations of doctors.
The most important thing for patients suffering from vasculitis is to achieve long-term remission so that the symptoms of the pathology worsen as rarely as possible.
In the treatment of pathology, immunosuppressive drugs are mostly used.
These are drugs that suppress the immune system, preventing it from destroying its own body cells. Since when the immune system is suppressed, the body is defenseless against various infectious pathologies, glucocorticosteroids and cytostatics are prescribed in parallel with immunosuppressants.
Prednisolone and Dexamethasone remain one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for vasculitis. Thanks to the action of these medications, swelling of tissues and blood vessels is eliminated, and the risk of ischemic syndrome is significantly reduced.
In the acute phase, a loading dose of these drugs is given, and the dosage is calculated individually.
But if maintenance therapy is necessary, small doses of the drug can prolong the period of remission and prevent destructive processes in the vascular walls.
In the group of cytostatic drugs, Cyclophosphamide has a good effect in the treatment of vasculitis. The same drug is a component of chemotherapy for cancer, since the mechanisms of development of pathological changes are largely similar.
If the disease is severe, therapy with Cyclophosphamide is supplemented with Prednisolone. In parallel, patients should take drugs to dilate the lumen of blood vessels - these are Complamin, Dicynon, Venoruton, Prodectin or nicotinic acid.
To avoid blood clots, Curantil, Heparin, Fraxiparin, and Trental will be useful.
Thrombosis with vasculitis in vessels of any caliber is an extremely serious complication of the pathology
If vasculitis has an allergic etiology, then desensitizing agents are added to the above remedies, for example, injections of calcium chloride every other day, antihistamines.
Among the antihistamines, Zyrtec, Erius, Claritin, Clarotadine have become widely known. The drugs are selected strictly individually, since standard dosages do not help all patients.
The previously used Diazolin and Suprastin are practically not recommended today, since their effect is extremely weak.
Simultaneously with drug treatment of vasculitis of an allergic nature, patients must follow a diet and remove those foods that are allergens for them.
It is worth considering that allergens can be not only food, but also medications. For example, vasculitis can be caused by Lincomycin, Ceporin, Erythromycin.
In this case, doctors decide to discontinue these drugs and prescribe analogues.
When treating with immunosuppressants, it is very important to carry out maintenance therapy. Therefore, doctors prescribe vitamins - rutin, ascorbic acid, biotin.
Treatment regimens for various degrees of pathology severity
It is necessary to treat angiitis of varying severity according to different schemes. The first degree of severity of the disease is characterized by vascular damage and the appearance of superficial symptomatic pigment spots.
The skin is affected to a limited extent by small rashes, in which the temperature does not rise, and there is no muscle or joint pain.
A blood test in the first degree of damage gives normal values, with the exception of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which is increased.
For patients suffering from this type of disease, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are indicated, among which are Nimesulide, Indomethacin, Meloxicam. Antibacterial drugs for the treatment of the disease are Doxycycline, Ciprofloxacin, Azithromycin.
To destroy microbes, quinolines are indicated - Chloroquine, Hydroxychloroquine, and Desloratadine, Levocetirizine, Fexofenadine are indicated as antihistamines.
In the second degree of severity of the pathology, the patient’s condition is characterized by a significant deterioration. The skin is no longer affected locally, but everywhere.
The body temperature exceeds low-grade fever, and the blood test shows that most indicators exceed the acceptable limits. Patients suffer from weakness, muscle and joint pain, and neuropathy.
At this degree of the disease, the treatment regimen is more complex; a larger number of drugs from different groups are prescribed.
Patients are prescribed systemic glucocorticoids - Betamethasone, Prednisolone, and to reduce the harmful effects of these drugs on the body, proton pump inhibitors are used, among which Omeprazole is important. As with mild cases, patients should take Nimesulide, Doxycycline or Meloxicam. Antibacterial drugs for patients with severe vasculitis are Azithromycin, Ofloxacin and Amoxicillin.
Antibiotics are essential drugs in the treatment of vasculitis
The drugs Pentoxifylline, Anavenol, Diosmin, Hesperidin are indicated as angioprotectors. Among antihistamines, doctors recommend Cetirizine, Ebastine, Levocetirizine. To remove toxins, the drug Dextran is used.
Local treatment of vasculitis
External treatment of the skin surface for vasculitis is based on the use of ointments and creams to improve the condition of blood vessels. These include Troxevasin, Troxerutin, Iruksol, Solcoseryl. Dimexide applications are useful.
For the first degree of skin damage, it is enough to use ointments Betamethasone, Mometasone furoate, Methylprednisolone aceponate.
The second degree of skin damage should be treated with such agents as Levomekol, Solcoseryl, Dexamethasone, Actovegin.
If wounds occur, it is recommended to treat vasculitis on the legs, arms and body with two percent silver sulfathiazole. Trypsin and Chymotrypsin lotions will be useful.
Additional methods of treating vasculitis
In addition to conservative medication, doctors try to help patients with vasculitis in various other ways. Recently, in the treatment of pathology, not only drugs have been used, but also additional treatment methods, such as plasmapheresis, UV irradiation of blood and hemoxygenation - saturation of the blood with oxygen.
Extracorporeal hemocorrection gives positive results in the treatment of vasculitis. Thanks to this technique, it is possible to cleanse the patients’ blood of various toxic substances and allergens that cause vasculitis. During hemosorption, the blood is purified using sorbents.
To do this, blood is taken from a vein and passed through filters in a special apparatus that contain sorbents. Thus, the blood is cleansed and returned to the patient’s bloodstream.
After the procedure, the health of patients significantly improves, blood circulation and nutrition of even the most remote areas of tissue are stimulated.
With the help of hemosorption, patients can achieve long-term remission
Immunosorption is a type of such therapy. The principle of the procedure is the same, but the blood is cleansed with an immunosorbent, which removes from the blood its own antibodies and complexes that provoke self-destruction of the walls of blood vessels.
With plasmapheresis, patients undergo blood purification by separating plasma and blood. Blood cells are returned to the bloodstream with part of the donor plasma, and then their own purified plasma is introduced, undergoing purification through the membrane.
Diet for vasculitis
It is important for patients suffering from vasculitis to limit their diet, in particular, to eliminate from the diet all foods that can cause inflammation or worsen the patient’s condition.
Doctors pay special attention to correcting nutrition - you need to eat six times a day in small portions so that the body has time to process the incoming foods and remove their breakdown products.
To do this, the amount of fluid intake per day must be at least two liters (if the kidneys are not affected). In order to improve urine flow, salt intake is limited.
With vasculitis, patients are largely deprived of calcium reserves. To replenish it, fermented milk products with low and medium fat content will be useful. And in order not to provoke potassium deficiency, you need to eat dried fruits - raisins, prunes and dried apricots. These products may only be prohibited if the patient is diagnosed with kidney failure.
Steamed dishes are recommended for consumption, especially vegetables, milk porridges, boiled lean fish and meat, eggs, berries and fruits in any form. Alcohol, coffee, strong tea, canned food, fried, sour and spicy foods are prohibited.
Traditional medicine
Of course, vasculitis cannot be cured with folk remedies alone.
This complex autoimmune disease requires treatment with a number of pharmaceutical drugs, but this does not mean that folk remedies cannot be used along with them.
Before being treated with traditional methods, you need to coordinate this with your doctor; perhaps the doctor will adjust the treatment, or prescribe the necessary decoctions and infusions.
To improve blood clotting, taking herbs that contain sufficient amounts of vitamin K will help. Thanks to it, clotting occurs better, and there will be no subcutaneous hemorrhages.
Suitable treatments include decoctions of stinging nettle, knotweed, arnica flowers, shepherd's purse, yarrow, and St. John's wort.
You should not be overly zealous in taking these medications and exceeding the dose, because this can lead to blood clots, blockage of blood vessels and aggravation of inflammatory processes, which is much worse for a patient with vasculitis.
When treating vasculitis, vitamin K should not be taken into the body too much - patients should pay attention to the foods they eat
In order to relieve the inflammatory process, you need to brew and make tinctures from knotweed, lingonberries, black currants, elecampane, calendula, and licorice root. To strengthen the walls of blood vessels, decoctions of fragrant rue, cranberries, and currants are suitable.
Green tea and rosehip tea are beneficial, as well as chokeberry compote. White cabbage can be added to salads for this purpose.
If vasculitis is of an allergic nature, or is accompanied by an allergy, then in order to eliminate it, patients are recommended to use decoctions of oregano, lemon balm, St. John's wort, black elderberry, stinging nettle, motherwort, and evasive peony.
Skin manifestations of vasculitis can be eliminated using applications of herbal infusions. Yarrow, mint, elderberry, and horsetail will be useful. Dip a cotton cloth into the plant decoction and apply it to the affected areas for at least half an hour.
At night you can apply birch buds, ground into flour, with nutria fat. Half a kilo of fat is melted to a liquid state, a glass of dry ground buds is placed there and the mixture is mixed until smooth. Then the mixture is simmered in the oven over low heat for three hours for seven days.
The resulting product can be used the next day, lubricating the surface of the skin at night under a bandage.
Treatment of vasculitis is an extremely complex and lengthy process. Not all patients manage to achieve stable remission, but this can already be considered a huge success in the treatment of the disease. This means that the body has compensated as much as possible for its strength to ensure normal life processes and has inhibited destructive processes in the walls of blood vessels.
Source: https://med-post.ru/zdorove/kak-lechit-vaskulit
Allergic vasculitis
Allergic vasculitis - what kind of disease is it?
Symptoms, causes and treatment Allergic skin vasculitis is a heterogeneous group of diseases that is characterized by damage to small vessels of the skin. There are such types of disorders as allergic skin vasculitis, leukoclastic vasculitis, as well as vasculitis with predominant skin lesions.
Until now, scientists have not come to a common conclusion about the mechanism of development, since such an antigen is almost never found. On the other hand, other forms of vasculitis are most likely also associated with allergic manifestations, but to antigens that have not yet been established.
What it is?
Allergic vasculitis is a disease that affects the walls of blood vessels due to an allergic reaction. Allergic vasculitis (hereinafter referred to as AL) combines several independent diseases, which, in fact, are its forms.
The disease can affect people of any age and gender, however, the signs of allergic vasculitis in children and adults may differ.
- Thus, in childhood, the spots are hemorrhagic in nature and have blurry boundaries and a bright red tint. In some places the spots may merge.
- In adults, the spots, on the contrary, are clear.
Statistics show that different forms of the disease are more pronounced in certain groups. Thus, hemorrhagic vasculitis often affects children under 14 years of age. [adsense1]
What are the risk factors for the disease?
The cause of allergic vasculitis can easily be dangerous infections that are caused by one of the following pathogens or factors:
- streptococcus;
- α1-antitrypsin deficiency;
- leprosy;
- HIV infection;
- hepatitis A, B and C;
- staphylococcus;
- influenza virus;
- primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver;
- diabetes mellitus type 2;
- Koch bacillus (tuberculosis);
- gout;
- exposure to radiation;
- regular colds, sinusitis and ARVI;
- fibrosis of the retroperitoneal space;
- herpes virus;
- relapsing polychondritis;
- excess weight.
At risk are people with food allergies, patients taking antibiotics, contraceptives (from the oral category) and large doses of vitamins. The disease is also dangerous for those who work with chemical industry products - detergents, antiseptics, gasoline and other petroleum products.
Development mechanism
As with any allergy, the starting point for the development of the disease is the body’s encounter with some substance that is recognized by the cells of the immune system as an allergen and provokes the formation of specific antibodies - immunoglobulins. The process then develops as follows:
- Antibodies produced by immune cells remain in the blood plasma in a free state until the body encounters the same allergen again. When the allergen re-enters the bloodstream, antibodies already present in the plasma bind to it - immune complexes are formed.
- Immune complexes bind to the membranes of cells lining the inner surface of blood vessels (endothelial cells).
- Immune complexes activate allergic inflammation, which leads to damage to the vascular wall and its gradual destruction. The depth of damage to the blood vessel wall depends on the prevalence and severity of inflammation.
- The damaged vessel wall becomes permeable not only to the liquid part of the blood, but also to cellular elements - leukocytes, erythrocytes. That is, in essence, perivascular hemorrhages of different sizes are formed.
- Hemorrhages around the vessels cause further inflammation and the appearance of various symptoms, which depend on the vessels in which area are affected.
Allergic damage can develop in the walls of both arterial and venous vessels. The smaller the diameter of the blood vessel, the thinner its wall and the faster its destruction occurs.
Therefore, most hemorrhagic vasculitis manifests itself with symptoms of damage to capillaries and small veins and arteries. The blood vessels of the skin are most susceptible to allergic damage.
Often skin lesions are combined with damage to various internal organs - kidneys, intestines, stomach, heart, joints, etc.
Classification
Today there is no unified classification of skin vasculitis. These include several dozen dermatoses that have clinical similarities. The simplest division is related to the source of the disease.
- Primary vasculitis is an independent disease caused by the direct action of an allergen: medicine, intoxication, food, hypothermia or, conversely, prolonged exposure to the sun. For example, toxic-allergic vasculitis, which manifests itself as a reaction to the action of a substance. Treatment in such cases comes down to stopping contact with the allergen.
- Secondary - occurs as a result of some diseases, for example, rheumatic.
The following type of classification is based on the degree and depth of vascular damage in tissues and organs:
Dermal form, or vasculitis of the skin | Affects mainly small vessels located in the upper layers of the dermis. The mildest form, which causes virtually no complications with timely treatment. |
Dermo-hypodermal form | Damage to the vessels of the dermis, reaching the deep layers. Sometimes small vessels of soft tissues are affected. |
Hypodermal form | It is characterized by damage to large vessels - veins and arteries. One of the most dangerous variants of the disease, requiring hospital treatment. |
[adsen] When it comes to skin lesions, the following types are distinguished:
- rheumatic (systemic) – directly related to lupus and arthritis;
- hemorrhagic (synonyms used in the medical field - anaphylactic purpura, Henoch-Schönlein disease, sometimes called capillary toxicosis);
- polymorphic vasculitis (doctors call it Ruiter's allergic arteriolitis);
- leukocytoclastic - breakdown of leukocyte nuclei, detected by histological examination;
- urticarial vasculitis (in medical circles known as necrotizing urticarial vasculitis);
- papulo-necrotic vasculitis (a disease similar to Werther-Dümling syndrome);
- giant cell – leads to severe damage to large arteries;
- granulomatous - granules form inside the vessels, slowing down or stopping the flow of blood;
- vasculitis nodosum (erythema nodosum, rarely caused by medications);
- nodular-ulcerative vasculitis (three times the name is chronic erythema nodosum).
Diagnosis of vasculitis is based not so much on recording symptoms, but on assessing the rate of change. A histological examination of the affected area and consultation with the necessary specialists are mandatory.
Symptoms of allergic vasculitis
The manifestation of the reaction in the infected area depends on the degree and depth of its damage, changes in tissues and the cyclical nature of the process.
In most cases, the following signs can be observed (see photo):
- detection of blisters on the skin;
- the appearance of a rash;
- spots on the body turn dark purple;
- severe, persistent itching and burning;
- ulcers surrounded by dead tissue;
- increased body temperature and general weakness.
Areas of redness look like nodules, and purulent blisters may also appear. Most often, the reaction is observed on the legs and arms, and cases of damage to the skin of the body are not uncommon.
Symptoms of damage to internal organs:
- CNS damage associated with internal hemorrhage.
- dysfunction of the heart muscle, leading to arrhythmia, angina pectoris and even heart attack.
- pain in the abdomen and digestive organs, leading to nausea and vomiting reactions.
- the appearance of blood elements in the stool, this symptom is especially common among children under 16 years of age.
- painful sensations in the area of swelling, the appearance of hematomas.
- loss of appetite, chills and general weakness.
[adsense2]
What does allergic vasculitis look like: photo
The photo below shows how the disease manifests itself in humans.
Diagnostics
Since the disease can occur individually in each patient, the variety of clinical symptoms requires the collection of a detailed history, laboratory tests, and sometimes histological analyzes of the elements of the rash and skin are necessary. It is important to notice in time an increase in immunoglobulin E (IgE) due to the formation of immune complexes on the vascular wall.
After scratching the allergic rash and bursting the blisters, accompanying pathogenic bacteria may join. To determine their type, the method of inoculation on a Petri dish is used, and the level of sensitivity to various antibiotics is also established.
Treatment of allergic vasculitis
When allergic vasculitis occurs, treatment is carried out with desensitizing and antihistamines and calcium supplements.
Vascular drugs are widely used to improve vascular tone, reduce vessel permeability and thrombus formation in its lumen.
These include: hydroxyethyl rutoside, etamsylate, ascorbic acid + rutoside, pyricarbate, aminocaproic acid, horse chestnut extract, etc.
In severe cases of allergic vasculitis, the use of glucocorticosteroids and cytostatics, extracorporeal hemocorrection (hemosorption, membrane plasmapheresis, etc.) is indicated. In the presence of infectious foci, their sanitation and systemic antibacterial therapy are necessary.
In the treatment of allergic vasculitis, external agents can also be used, mainly creams and ointments containing troxerutin, clostridiopeptidase, chloramphenicol, cattle blood extract, etc. If allergic vasculitis is accompanied by articular syndrome, anti-inflammatory ointments, bandages with dimethyl sulfoxide, ultraphonophoresis and magnetotherapy.
Source: https://p-87.ru/m/allergicheskij-vaskulit/
Vasculitis
This is a group of diseases during which there is an inflammatory process in the walls of blood vessels.
Types of vasculitis
- Depending on which blood vessel is inflamed, vasculitis is classified into this group.
- If a person has inflamed arterial walls, he or she has arteritis .
- When an inflammatory process occurs in the walls of small arteries, doctors diagnose arteriolitis .
- Capillaritis affects people whose inflammatory process occurs in the walls of capillaries (the smallest vessels).
- phlebitis occurs .
- If several types of blood vessel walls become inflamed, systemic vasculitis .
Causes of vasculitis
The causes of vasculitis can be divided into 2 groups, depending on which there are 2 main types of the disease. Primary and secondary vasculitis are distinguished.
Primary vasculitis is an independent disease that occurs on its own; the reasons for its occurrence remain a mystery to modern medicine to this day.
As for secondary vasculitis , it occurs against the background of other diseases. It can be triggered by:
- acute or chronic infections (both bacterial and viral origin);
- treatment of oncological diseases, which is carried out with biological poisons;
- vaccines (vasculitis occurs due to the body's reaction to a serum or chemical);
- prolonged exposure to high or low temperatures, as a result of which the body overheats or becomes hypothermic;
- skin burns (both solar and thermal);
- injuries (various types, sizes, etiologies and locations);
- genetic predisposition of a particular person;
- allergic reactions;
- erroneous identification of the body's blood tissues as foreign, which is why the body's defenses attack them and inflammation occurs.
Symptoms of vasculitis
From the very beginning, vasculitis is difficult to determine from its symptoms, because its manifestation is similar to either a cold or an allergy. The patient experiences a sharp increase in body temperature, chills, fever, loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, the appearance of a rash, pain and aches in the joints. These are common manifestations of the disease.
In the future, vasculitis can make itself felt in different ways. It all depends on the affected vessel and its location.
If the blood vessels of the skin are damaged, an itchy rash appears on it, if the blood vessels in the brain are damaged, there is a high risk of stroke, and if the heart vessels are damaged, there is a high risk of a heart attack. If the vessels in the kidneys are damaged, nephritis may develop or a kidney infarction may occur.
In the rheumatoid form of vasculitis, the joints become inflamed (the skin over the joint turns red, swelling occurs, and the patient feels severe acute pain during movement or when pressing). In most cases, the joints of the ankle, wrist and knees are affected.
In the abdominal form of hemorrhagic vasculitis, effusions of blood appear in the walls of the mesentery and intestines.
The patient is worried about attacks of pain in the abdomen, there is diarrhea, nausea, and vomit is accompanied by blood.
At the time of the attack, the face becomes pale, the heart rate accelerates, the tongue becomes dry with a white coating. When palpating the animal, it is noticeable that the abdominal muscles are very tense.
If small hemorrhages appear on the skin, this indicates hemorrhagic vasculitis.
In addition, vasculitis can masquerade as other diseases. For example, temple arteritis (a type of vasculitis) is manifested by pain in the occipital, temporal and parietal regions, accompanied by vision problems. Occurs in people over 50 years of age.
Also, sinusitis or otitis may occur with Wegener's granulomatosis. Eosinophilic agiitis makes itself felt in the form of attacks of suffocation, which can easily be identified as suffocation in bronchial asthma.
Whatever type of vasculitis the patient has, he needs to adhere to a special diet and diet. You need to eat 6 times a day, chewing your food thoroughly. The diet should contain vitamins B, C, K and A. Table salt consumption should be limited - the daily intake should be no more than 8 grams.
With vasculitis, calcium is washed out in significant amounts, so to compensate for its deficiency it is necessary to eat fermented milk products with a low percentage of fat content (cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, sour cream).
During treatment, the patient may experience a lack of potassium in the body. To feed the body with potassium, you need to eat any dried fruits (especially dried apricots, prunes, raisins).
If the patient has kidney failure, then products with potassium are contraindicated for him.
For vasculitis it is recommended to take:
- steamed or boiled vegetables (can be in the form of mashed potatoes or steam puddings);
- soups (only pureed or milk soups, no need to puree soup cooked with cabbage);
- milk porridge or just porridge with vegetable/butter;
- boiled meat and low-fat fish (poultry must be consumed without skin);
- vegetable oils;
- soft-boiled eggs or steamed omelettes;
- sweet fruits and berries (apples, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, currants);
- white crackers or stale white bread;
- all kinds of juices from fruits and vegetables, compotes, jelly, smoothies, jam, jam, green tea, rosehip decoction (everything must be homemade).
Gradually, as you recover, you can stop grinding food. But still, it should only be boiled.
Important!
The diet should be prescribed to each patient separately. The above diet can be adjusted (it all depends on the location of the disease and symptoms).
Traditional medicine for vasculitis
Vasculitis can be treated not only with medications, but also with traditional medicine. The folk method can be included in treatment only with the permission of the doctor. He must prescribe measures and write out the required prescriptions depending on the type of vasculitis and its manifestations.
Also, traditional medicine methods for treating vasculitis are divided into several areas. Let's look at each of them.
To improve blood clotting, you need to take herbal decoctions that contain vitamin K.
Stinging nettle, water pepper, knotweed, yarrow, St. John's wort, viburnum bark, horse sorrel, shepherd's purse, arnica (flowers) are excellent for this purpose. This list should be used with caution.
This restriction must be adhered to due to possible consequences - there is a risk of blood clots. And their appearance will significantly complicate treatment and worsen the patient’s well-being.
- To relieve the inflammatory process, it is necessary to use tinctures of knotweed, plantain, elecampane, immortelle, St. John's wort, black currant leaves and berries, lingonberries, wild strawberries, elder flowers, horsetail, creeping wheatgrass, burdock, medicinal calendula, licorice roots, and thick-leaved bergenia.
- To strengthen the walls of blood vessels , fragrant rue, chokeberry fruits, rose hips, cranberries, currants, green tea and white cabbage are used.
- To relieve allergic reactions in vasculitis, the following will help: pinnate Kalanchoe, medicinal oregano, peppermint, stinging nettle, common oregano, black elderberry, evading peony, wormwood, motherwort, medicinal valerian, lemon balm, St. John's wort.
- These herbs can be used individually or combined. Here are the most effective traditional medicine recipes for vasculitis:
- Take equal proportions of nettle leaves, black elderberry flowers, Japanese sophora fruits and yarrow. A total of 8 tablespoons of raw materials should come out (that is, there should be 2 tablespoons of each component). Pour a liter of hot boiled water and let it brew for an hour. After time, filter the broth. You should take it one glass three times a day.
- In case of a severe allergic reaction, an infusion of elderberry flowers, calendula, poplar buds, horsetail, yarrow and mint will help. Take half a tablespoon of all ingredients and pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Leave for an hour. Drink half a glass of infusion in the morning and before bed.
- A decoction of bitter herbs: take a tablespoon each of immortelle, wormwood and elecampane, place in a thermos, fill with 1.5 liters of boiled hot water. Brew dry, crushed leaves in the evening and leave in a thermos overnight, and filter in the morning. Take 3 tablespoons at a time. Number of appointments per day – 2.
- To cure vasculitis, you need to drink an infusion of star anise as tea. To prepare it, you need to pour 30 grams of raw materials into a glass of boiling water. Leave overnight. When using, add a spoonful of honey. Be sure to drink in the morning on an empty stomach. 30 minutes after taking it, you can start your morning meal.
- You need to drink 35 drops of alcohol tincture of ginseng, eleutherococcus, zamanikha (optional) daily
- To improve blood supply, a course of treatment with leeches may be prescribed.
- In case of cutaneous vasculitis, pine resin compresses are applied to rashes or hemorrhages. To prepare the medicinal mixture, take 200 grams of pine resin, melt it in a water bath, add 40 grams of vegetable oil (it should only be unrefined), and add 50 grams of beeswax to all this. Mix everything thoroughly, allow to cool and apply to the damaged areas. The compress must be applied at night and kept for at least 1 day (it is better to try to keep it for 2 days).
Skin changes due to vasculitis can be treated with applications from an infusion of elderberry flowers, horsetail, peppermint and yarrow (there should be twice as much elderberry and horsetail as yarrow and mint).
The mixture of herbs is poured with water and brought to a boil (6 tablespoons of herbs are needed per liter of water). After boiling, the infusion is left for 10 hours. Then they filter and start making applications.
The decoction should be kept on areas of the skin affected by vasculitis for no longer than 25 minutes (the minimum adjustment time should be 15 minutes). For applications, you can use gauze, cotton pads, or plain fabric.
Another good remedy for external use against vasculitis is considered to be birch buds ground into powder with nutria fat.
To prepare the ointment, you need to take a glass of ground dry birch buds (you can also use a glass of gruel from fresh buds) and 500 grams of nutria fat. Everything needs to be thoroughly mixed, placed in a clay pot and simmered for 7 days for three hours in the oven.
On the seventh day, the entire resulting mixture should be filtered and poured into jars. After this, the ointment is ready for use.
- any products or seasonings that contain allergens or to which you are allergic (special care should be taken with eggs, cocoa, chocolate, citrus fruits);
- salt in large quantities;
- excessively cold or, conversely, hot food;
- alcoholic drinks;
- refractory fats;
- foods containing potassium (for kidney failure).
All these products can worsen the metabolism of medications and cause complications on the liver.
Editor of the section “Nutrition for Diseases” Natalya Stefan, © Food+
Source: https://edaplus.info/feeding-in-sickness/vasculitis.html