10 Important Symptoms of Vasculitis

10. Lung Issues

If vasculitis impacts your lungs, you may often feel short of breath. As the blood vessels in your lungs become inflamed, the tiny capillaries in your lungs can burst, causing you to cough up small amounts of blood. There are several types of vasculitis that affect the lungs, including microscopic polyangiitis, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome) and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's granulomatosis). If you are experiencing bloody coughs and breathing difficulty, your doctor will likely order a chest x-ray. These symptoms are also common in patients with pneumonia, so your doctor will need to identify other symptoms to determine that you have vasculitis.