The onset of GPA may be slow with few symptoms or rapid and severe. Patients have symptoms of a ‘cold,’ ‘runny nose’ or sinusitis that fail to respond to the usual therapeutic measures and last considerably longer than normal upper respiratory tract infections. Not all patients with GPA experience all symptoms and the severity of the disease is also different for each patient. If any of the symptoms listed below persist, consider a possible diagnosis of GPA and arrange to have a complete evaluation, including health history, physical exam, laboratory studies, including a urinalysis and an ANCA test: arthritic joint pain; blood in urine (which may or may not be indicated by a change in urine color); cough (with or without the presence of blood); fever; inflammation of the ear with hearing problems; inflammation of the eye with vision problems; lack of energy; loss of appetite; nasal membrane ulcerations and crusting; night sweats; numbness of limbs; pleuritis (inflammation of the lining of the lung); rash and/or skin sores; saddle-nose deformity; weakness, fatigue; weight loss.
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