Signs and Symptoms
It is more common in women than in men by a ratio of 2:1 and more common in whites than blacks. The mean age of onset is >55 years, and it is rare in those less than 55 years of age.
People present with:
- bruits
- fever
- headache
- tenderness and sensitivity on the scalp
- jaw claudication (pain in jaw when chewing)
- tongue claudication (pain in tongue when chewing) and necrosis
- reduced visual acuity (blurred vision)
- acute visual loss (sudden blindness)
- diplopia (double vision)
- acute tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- polymyalgia rheumatica (in 50%)
The inflammation may affect blood supply to the eye and blurred vision or sudden blindness may occur. In 76% of cases involving the eye, the ophthalmic artery is involved causing arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Loss of vision in both eyes may occur very abruptly and this disease is therefore a medical emergency.
Read more about this topic: Giant-cell Arteritis
Famous quotes containing the words signs and/or symptoms:
“The highway presents an interesting study of American roadside advertising. There are signs that turn like windmills; startling signs that resemble crashed airplanes; signs with glass lettering which blaze forth at night when automobile headlight beams strike them; flashing neon signs; signs painted with professional touch; signs crudely lettered and misspelled.... They extol the virtues of ice creams, shoe creams, cold creams;...”
—For the State of Florida, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“Murderous desire, hatred, distrust are nowadays the accompanying signs of physical illness: so thoroughly have we embodied our moral prejudices.—Perhaps cowardice and pity appear as symptoms of illness in savage ages. Perhaps even virtues might be symptoms.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)