What Are the Symptoms of EGPA?
EGPA can affect blood vessels in many different organs so there are a wide range of symptoms depending on which organs are affected.
Nearly everyone living with EGPA will experience these signs and symptoms:
- Feeling frequently ill and tired
- Loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss
- Fever
- Asthma and/or sinus polyps
- A higher-than-normal level of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell
Patients can also have any number of these symptoms depending on the organ affected:
- Shortness of breath
- Coughing
- Chest pain
- Rashes on the skin
- Muscle and/or joint pain
- Nasal discharge
- Facial pain
- Abdominal pain or bloody stools
- Numbness or loss of strength
- Tingling in hands and feet
- Kidney disease
When to See Your Doctor
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with EGPA or are experiencing these symptoms, consult your healthcare provider and request an evaluation. The Vasculitis Foundation has tools to assist in locating a care center.
How It's Diagnosed
Because EGPA is so rare and the symptoms so varied, it can be a challenge to get a correct diagnosis. A correct diagnosis may take years, which is immensely frustrating for patients seeking answers to their symptoms.
Diagnosing EGPA will require a series of steps starting with a detailed history to uncover the unique combination of symptoms and signs that may lead your doctor to suspect EGPA and diagnostic tests that will confirm the prognosis. A typical path to diagnosis will look similar to these steps:
- A clinical exam, where your doctor will ask about your medical history and do a physical exam. Your doctor will look for a history of asthma, allergies and other EGPA signs and symptoms.
- Blood tests to check your white blood count and determine if eosinophils percentages are greater than 5% of your total white blood cells.
- An urinalysis to determine if there are too many red blood cells or protein in your urine.
- A chest X-ray or CT scan to look for abnormalities in the lungs or sinuses.
- A biopsy, also called a tissue sample, may be ordered if abnormal findings are seen in the above tests to look for eosinophils, eosinophilic granulomas and/or vasculitis.
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Understanding Your Lung Health: EGPA
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Reviewed and approved by the American Lung Association Scientific and Medical Editorial Review Panel.
Page last updated: October 30, 2024