I am going to list 31 facts about vasculitis and each fact will have a corresponding note card that I am going to leave somewhere in public or hand to someone or what have you! Each note card will have one fact about vasculitis on it and a link to this blog.
I am hoping people will visit and pass the cards along to others and in this way help me raise awareness!
If you want to play along, write out your own note cards and play the game in your area! Put a link to this blog and take pictures of your cards if your going to play. I hope you will help us in raising awareness for Vasculitis!
1. Vasculitis is an umbrella term for a group of autoimmune disorders that effect a person's blood vessels. From the smallest capillaries to the largest aortas.
2. Vasculitis is treated using drugs that decrease inflammation and weaken the immune system. These drugs include forms of chemotherapy, steroids, and others.
3. Different pea of vasculitis were featured on the tv show 'House' on many different occasions.
4. There are between 14 and 20 different types of vasculitis, each effecting different veins and organs.
5. Each type of vasculitis involves inflammation of the blood vessels which causes the walls of the vessels to thicken, weaken, scar, and narrow which all work to decrease the amount of blood that is able to circulate.
6.Vasculitis has no cure, it is something a person will never be rid of.
7. The goal of treatment in vasculitis is to put a patient into a quiet state where the disease is not actively attacking the blood vessels.
8. Patients with vasculitis see a rheumatologist; the same type of doctor people with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis see.
9. Not all rheumatologists know about vasculitis, so it is important for someone with vasculitis to contact an expert in vasculitis.
10. People with vasculitis may not look sick, even when they are experiencing episodes of active disease.
11. Sometimes, diagnosing vasculitis can be extremely difficult. There are no standard blood tests for it and if a biopsy is not done in the exact right spot it may not show signs of vasculitis.
12. Vasculitis is good at mimicking other diseases, making it even harder to diagnose or determine if a patient is having a flare.
13. The treatments for Vasculitis involve large risks to a patient's health as well.
14. Vasculitis can effect anyone of any age, gender, race, economic status, or country.
15. There are a couple of types of vasculitis where the cause is suspected to be an infection or an allergic reaction, but for the most part the cause of vasculitis is unknown.
16. The most common form of vasculitis is Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) which mostly effects small and medium sized vessels and arteries in the kidneys, lungs, and upper respiratory tract, though it is not strictly limited to these areas.
17. Vasculitis makes a person more susceptible to blood clots and strokes.
18. Vasculitis makes a person more susceptible to aneurysms.
19. Vasculitis can cause a person to have permanent organ damage.
20. Vasculitis and it's treatments can make a person much more susceptible to infections.
21. Large vessel vasculitides include Giant Cell Aerteritis, Takayasu' s Aerteritis, Kawasaki' s Disease and Polyaerteritis Nodosa.
22. Medium vessel vasculitides include Kawasaki' s Disease, Polyaerteritis Nodosa, Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), and Eosenophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA).
23. Small vessel vasculitides include IgA Vasculitis, Cryoglobulnemia,Leukocytoclastic vasculitis, MPA, GPA, and EGPA.
24. The Vasculitis Foundation is the leading resource for people with vasculitis.
25. The Vasculitis Foundation has a list of vasculitis experts that are willing to consult with doctors about patients for free.
26. The actor/ director Harold Ramis (known for playing Egon in 'The Ghostbusters') passed away due to complications of vasculitis.
27. Because vasculitis is rare, treatments are often taken from research into other types of autoimmune disorders.
28. The 1956 movie 'Bigger Than Life' is about a man diagnosed with Polyaerteritis Nodosa who is given prednisone.
29. The Vasculitis Foundation was supposed to have a billboard shown in the last episode of 'House' but the scene ended up cut.
30. Vasculitis can be deadly if it is not treated correctly.
31. Patients with vasculitis that are receiving proper treatment can live full lives.
9. Not all rheumatologists know about vasculitis, so it is important for someone with vasculitis to contact an expert in vasculitis.
10. People with vasculitis may not look sick, even when they are experiencing episodes of active disease.
11. Sometimes, diagnosing vasculitis can be extremely difficult. There are no standard blood tests for it and if a biopsy is not done in the exact right spot it may not show signs of vasculitis.
12. Vasculitis is good at mimicking other diseases, making it even harder to diagnose or determine if a patient is having a flare.
13. The treatments for Vasculitis involve large risks to a patient's health as well.
14. Vasculitis can effect anyone of any age, gender, race, economic status, or country.
15. There are a couple of types of vasculitis where the cause is suspected to be an infection or an allergic reaction, but for the most part the cause of vasculitis is unknown.
16. The most common form of vasculitis is Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA) which mostly effects small and medium sized vessels and arteries in the kidneys, lungs, and upper respiratory tract, though it is not strictly limited to these areas.
17. Vasculitis makes a person more susceptible to blood clots and strokes.
18. Vasculitis makes a person more susceptible to aneurysms.
19. Vasculitis can cause a person to have permanent organ damage.
20. Vasculitis and it's treatments can make a person much more susceptible to infections.
21. Large vessel vasculitides include Giant Cell Aerteritis, Takayasu' s Aerteritis, Kawasaki' s Disease and Polyaerteritis Nodosa.
22. Medium vessel vasculitides include Kawasaki' s Disease, Polyaerteritis Nodosa, Microscopic Polyangiitis (MPA), Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA), and Eosenophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA).
23. Small vessel vasculitides include IgA Vasculitis, Cryoglobulnemia,Leukocytoclastic vasculitis, MPA, GPA, and EGPA.
24. The Vasculitis Foundation is the leading resource for people with vasculitis.
25. The Vasculitis Foundation has a list of vasculitis experts that are willing to consult with doctors about patients for free.
26. The actor/ director Harold Ramis (known for playing Egon in 'The Ghostbusters') passed away due to complications of vasculitis.
27. Because vasculitis is rare, treatments are often taken from research into other types of autoimmune disorders.
28. The 1956 movie 'Bigger Than Life' is about a man diagnosed with Polyaerteritis Nodosa who is given prednisone.
29. The Vasculitis Foundation was supposed to have a billboard shown in the last episode of 'House' but the scene ended up cut.
30. Vasculitis can be deadly if it is not treated correctly.
31. Patients with vasculitis that are receiving proper treatment can live full lives.
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