Your healthcare provider will review your history and symptoms. They may ask you questions to better understand what you are experiencing, like if you have any tenderness around your temporal artery (between your eye and your ear) or around your scalp.

Your healthcare provider may also perform some assessments to help diagnose giant cell arteritis (GCA):

• Blood pressure and pulse taken on both arms. This lets your healthcare provider check for any narrowing of your blood vessels.
• Visual field testing to measure your vision and how well you can look above, below, and to the side of something you are looking at.
• Checking for abnormal sounds in your neck and groin arteries (called bruits). This helps your healthcare provider check for narrowing in your arteries.
• Checking your neck, shoulders, and hips for how they move or if you have any pain with movement.

These assessments are not invasive. Your healthcare provider will use a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and a light or random object (for the visual field test).

Other things to tell your healthcare provider

You are the most important part of your healthcare team. Tell your healthcare provider about the impact that GCA is having on the things that are important to you, like your job, hobbies and interests, and relationships. And let them know what has worked for you in the past to manage GCA.

Learn about being an active part of your care and building strong relationships with your healthcare team with Alberta Health Services Shared Commitments.

Making the most of your appointment

If you don’t understand what your healthcare team is telling you, let them know right away. Be open and honest. You might say:

• "It sounded like you said that I should… Did I understand that correctly?"
• "Can you show me a picture or model to help me understand?"

Learn more about working with your healthcare team and making the most of your appointment.