Behcetas Disease - Symptoms, Risk factors and Treatment

Behcet’s disease, also known as Behcet’s syndrome, is a rare condition in which inflammation of the blood vessels occurs. Firstly it is difficult to diagnose as the signs and symptoms are quite diverse. It may cause mouth sores, skin rashes, eye inflammation, and genital sores. Until now, there is no such cure for it. The healthcare providers opt to manage the symptoms and prevent complications, most importantly, blindness. 

Symptoms

The main symptoms of Behcet’s disease are;

• Mouth sores and genital sores that keep coming and going
• Skin and joint pain
• Inflammation of the eyes- a condition known as conjunctivitis

The symptoms of Behcet’s disease may vary from person to person. Also, they may come and go, become severe and settle down. Moreover, they also depend upon the area of the body affected. 

Mouth-The mouth sores may resemble canker sores. But they occur frequently and are numerous in numbers. Moreover, they may come and go and be painful. Often it is the first symptom that a person notices long before knowing about other ones. Mouth ulcers due to Behcet’s disease can occur on the lips, inside of the cheek, and tongue.

Genital sores- in appearance they look similar to the mouth sores and are painful too. But they are less common as compared to mouth sores. In men, they appear on the scrotum- a pouch that holds the testes, and in women, it occurs on the vulva- the external genitalia. 

Eye inflammation- Behcet's disease causes inflammation of the eye- a condition known as conjunctivitis. It may also cause sensitivity to light, blurry vision, and teary eyes and can eventually lead to vision loss. 

Skin problems- one of the most common symptoms it causes is a skin problem. It causes swollen nodules that may be painful, shallow, and deep.

Joint pain- it causes swelling of the joints like ankles, knees, hips, and elbow. 

Vein inflammation- Behcet’s disease causes inflammation of the veins that can lead to the formation of clots. Also, it can close the vein completely. It can affect both the deep veins and superficial veins- close to the skin. Moreover, it can also affect the biggest vein of the body called vena cava- which can be a life-threatening condition. The problems in the circulation occur due to the inflammation of the veins, not because of a flaw in the clotting system. 

Digestive system- it can cause abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, and bleeding. 

Brain- it can cause inflammation of the brain, causing headache, fever, disorientation, loss of balance, or stroke.

Causes 

Behcet’s disease is an autoimmune disease- a condition in which your own body attacks its cells. Moreover, environmental and genetic factors may also play a role. 

Conclusion

Behcet's disease, also known as Behcet’s syndrome, is a rare condition in which inflammation of the blood vessels occurs. Firstly it is difficult to diagnose as the signs and symptoms are quite diverse. It may cause mouth sores, skin rashes, eye inflammation, and genital sores.