GCA?

[Maisiek]

My friend is suffering excruciating pain in her eye: her eye is inflamed and swollen around it: the hospital yesterday diagnosed blepharitis but anti biotics haven’t helped so far....she now has a migraine ( she does suffer from these). Does one have external swelling with GCA? To be fair the anti biotics haven’t had much time yet? Thank you so much for your help.

[SheffieldJane]

There was a recent thread, probably provoked by my sore eye where people spoke about, Orbital Cellulitis, a condition I hadn’t heard of. It certainly has severe swelling , to the extent that the eye can almost be closed. Very painful ,you feel unwell and it requires prompt medical attention. See if that fits.

GCA is not really visible, to the naked eye, except some swelling of the temporal artery can be detected in some patients. My Rheumatologist always used to feel mine..The alarm-bell symptoms are usually severe and unusual headaches, jaw pain when chewing and visual disturbance, like disturbed or double vision, or temporary loss of vision. I know what it’s like to see GCA in everything and mine was in the end, so it’s right to be vigilant.

[Maisiek in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thank you so much x

[Maisiek in reply to SheffieldJane]

Just an update: it was quite miraculous -Her eye was So painful she was sent to A and E where they discovered her blood pressure was sky high! I don’t think the eye was Connected - it’s gone down with anti- biotics . Thank you again.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Maisiek]

Once upon a time taking the patient's BP was standard procedure at every consultation...

[Maisiek in reply to PMRpro]

Indeed, at my annual MOT ( telephone) I was told to buy my own machine . Because she’s always had a lot of migraines, she put the headaches down to that: much better now she’s on B/P medication.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Maisiek]

It was already rarely done before we moved here. Never assume ...

[Maisiek in reply to PMRpro]

I was lucky then, and my asthma -

Cant check that on the phone -

But I’m not complaining - as an ex GPs receptionist I know how busy they are and now to cope with vaccinations and making all those appointments 😱