Wegener's granulomatosis may either begin suddenly and severely or come on more mildly and gradually. It can take years for the full range of the disease to develop.
A person usually goes to the doctor with symptoms of a chest condition, including:
- A general feeling of not being well
- Joint pain that comes and goes
- Loss of appetite
- Congestion of the nose and sinuses
- Sores on the lining of the nose
- Bloody runny nose
- Cough, which causes blood to come up
- Inflammation of the linings of the lungs which causes difficulty and pain when breathing
- Inflammation of the middle ear, which is painful, can cause hearing loss or potential rupture the eardrum
- Weight loss
Inflammation of the nose is what usually brings patients to a doctor first. At this stage, Wegener's granulomatosis can often be mistaken for chronic sinusitis. The mucous membrane that lines the nose looks red, has a raised grainy appearance and bleeds easily. Other symptoms may also appear including rough, bumpy skin rashes, eye problems including redness of the eye and blockages of the ducts between the eyes and the nose and inflammation of the cartilage of the outer ear.
Serious complications may also develop as a result of Wegener's granulomatosis, including heart attack, meningitis or inflamed masses of the central nervous system that don't heal. Eventually, the condition spreads to the blood vessels and causes complications such as fluid leaking into the lungs and inflammation of the tiny capillaries of the kidneys. This latter condition can cause rising blood pressure and blood leaking into the urine.
Causes and Risk Factors
It is not known what causes this disease. While it appears similar to an infection, no bacteria or virus has been identified as a cause. Changes in the cells caused by this disorder suggest that it may be caused a type of allergic reaction. It can affect persons of any age. It is twice as likely to affect men as women.