This can lead to loss of vision, or even abrupt total blindness. It may not be possible to restore sight once the artery is blocked. Fortunately, this usually doesn't happen until months after the temporal artery has started acting up, and the person is already likely to be under treatment by then. This condition is treated with prednisone, a cortisone type drug, given at first in high doses, and then tapered to a low dose, which can sometimes be taken only every other day to reduce side effects. Arteritis is very sensitive to this treatment, so it is almost always successful if begun before an organ like the eye is damaged.
Treatment is continued for a year or so, and can then often be stopped without any recurrence.
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