What causes inflamed arteries in the head?

Giant cell arteritis causes inflammation of certain arteries, especially those near the temples. The most common symptoms of giant cell arteritis are head pain and tenderness — often severe — that usually affects both temples.

Why is my temple vein bulging?

High blood pressure or anything that can increase blood flow to your head can cause your veins to bulge. It can also be indication of a lingering heart issue. If you notice a bulging forehead vein that’s accompanied with chest pain or other irregular symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

Can temporal arteritis symptoms come and go?

Some symptoms of temporal arteritis such as head pain can come and go. Symptoms experienced depend on which arteries are being affected and are commonly found to include pain in the right temple and the left temple.

Does temporal arteritis come on suddenly?

Giant cell arteritis can begin suddenly or gradually with nonspecific symptoms such as malaise, weight loss, depression, and fatigue or with the classic symptoms of headache, scalp tenderness, jaw claudication, visual changes, or polymyalgia rheumatica.

What is the prognosis for temporal arteritis?

The outlook for those with temporal arteritis is very good, unless the person has had a loss of vision. If that occurs, the damage generally cannot be reversed. Most complications associated with temporal arteritis are from the use of steroid drugs, not from the disease itself.

What does it mean if your temple is swollen?

Temporal arteritis is a form of vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). In temporal arteritis, also known as giant cell arteritis or Horton’s arteritis, the temporal arteries (the blood vessels near the temples), which supply blood from the heart to the scalp, are inflamed (swollen) and constricted (narrowed).

Is temporal arteritis life threatening?

Untreated temporal arteritis can cause serious damage to the blood vessels in your body, and in some cases, it can be life-threatening. Call your doctor if you notice any symptoms. This will make it more likely that you’ll be diagnosed with a condition when it’s in the early stages.

Will temporal arteritis show on CT scan?

CHICAGO — A combination of PET and CT scanning of the temporal, occipital, maxillary and vertebral arteries — in addition to the chest — demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy for giant cell arteritis compared with temporal artery biopsy, according to data from a late-breaking abstract presented here.

What is temporal arteritis and what causes it?

The vasculitis that causes temporal arteritis can involve other blood vessels, such as the posterior ciliary arteries (leading to blindness), or large blood vessels like the aorta and its branches, which can also lead to serious health problems.

What are the signs and symptoms of a bulging temporal artery?

Headache is the most common symptom. You may have severe and throbbing pain in one or both of your temples. Your temporal arteries may also be enlarged or bulging. You may also have any of the following:

How do you test for inflammation of the temporal artery?

Blood tests may show signs of inflammation. A CT scan, MRI, or angiography may be done to take pictures of your temporal arteries. Angiography may show swelling and narrowing of your blood vessels. You may be given contrast dye to help the arteries show up better in the pictures.

What causes the lining of the arteries to swell?

Causes With giant cell arteritis, the lining of arteries becomes inflamed, causing them to swell. This swelling narrows your blood vessels, reducing the amount of blood — and, therefore, oxygen and vital nutrients — that reaches your body’s tissues.