Giant cell arteritis, also known as temporal arteritis or cranial arteritis, is an inflammation of the lining of the arteries, most commonly in the temporal scalp. Common symptoms include persistent headache and tenderness, usually in the temple area; decreased vision; scalp sensitivity; jaw bread; pain and stiffness in the neck, arms, or hips; sudden and permanent loss of vision in one eye; fever; and weight loss. Advanced age, female gender, Caucasian race, and the presence of polymyalgia rheumatica are risk factors for giant cell arteritis.
Ayurvedic treatment of giant cell arteritis aims to treat the symptoms of this condition and prevent complications such as blindness, stroke, angina, and aortic aneurysm. Medicines like Triphala-Guggulu, Yograj-Guggulu, Panch-Tikta-Ghrut-Guggulu, Maha-Manjishthadi-Qadha, Saarivadi-Churna, Chandrakala-Ras, and Sutshekhar-Ras are used to reduce pain and inflammation in the cranial arteries. Herbal medicines that can be used for this purpose are: Bahava (Cassia fistula), Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Daru Haridra (Berberis aristata), Takla (Clerodendron phomo dis), Karanj (Pong amia pinnata), Khadeer (Acacia catechu) and Bhrungraj (Eclipta alba).
Sudden and permanent blindness can be an immediate complication of this condition. This is the result of inflammation of the cranial arteries, which cuts off the supply of blood and nutrients to the delicate tissue of the eyes. This can be prevented with the timely use of steroids. Ayurvedic medicines like Tapyadi-Loh, Ekangveer-Ras, Kaishor-Guggulu, and Maha-Manjishthadi-Qadha can also be used for this purpose. In the acute condition, localized bleeding of the temple areas with the application of leeches can help overcome the crisis by reducing pain and inflammation. Ayurvedic medicines must be continued for a long time to avoid a relapse of the condition and long-term complications such as aortic aneurysm and stroke.
Due to the risk of serious complications, giant cell arteritis must be diagnosed and treated promptly. Education and awareness about this disease in the general public is necessary to enable them to seek medical help as soon as possible.