What is temporal or giant cell arteritis?
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), or temporal arteritis (pronounced aa-tuh-rai-tuhs), is a condition which affects the arteries, in particular the arteries in your neck and head. If left untreated it can cause serious sight loss. Some of the common signs and symptoms associated with GCA include headaches, pain around eyes and pain when chewing.
With Giant cell arteritis the medium-sized blood vessels become swollen. The most common artery to swell is the temporal artery. The temporal artery provides blood to the optic nerve, the danger to sight occurs because the artery can become so swollen that it is easily blocked. If this happens then the optic nerve is starved of blood and sight can be lost.
The cause of GCA is unknown. It is not a common condition and it rarely affects people under the age of 50. Women are more commonly affected by GCA than men.
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