What are the warning signs of GCA?
A new or frequent headache, often sudden, sometimes with a sore scalp; pain in the jaw or tongue when eating or talking; and any problem with sight. Any of these means getting help the same day.
Contact a doctor or an urgent care line immediately. Problems with sight need a same-day appointment with an eye specialist. For sudden loss of sight, go to the emergency department straight away. If you can't get through quickly, call the emergency number. Flu-like symptoms, weight loss and tiredness can come with it too.
Sources
- NHS: Polymyalgia rheumatica, symptoms
- NHS: Temporal arteritis (giant cell arteritis)
- Toyoda, Mackie, Yates et al.: The 2026 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica (Rheumatology 2026;65(10):keag502)
- Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis): Giant cell arteritis (GCA)
- Mackie, Dejaco et al.: British Society for Rheumatology guideline on diagnosis and treatment of giant cell arteritis (Rheumatology 2020;59(3):e1-e23)
Reviewed 2026-11-09 · next review 2027-11-09