By Scleroderma is a rare disease that involves tightening and hardening of the skin and connective tissues. This disease affects woman more often than men, and it occurs in between the ages of thirty and fifty. There is no cure for scleroderma, but there are many treatments that and help ease the symptoms and improve your quality of life.
There are different types of scleroderma, which is something your doctor will explain as well. You can learn more about scleroderma if you visit https://arthritiscare.com.au or you can do your own research. But the best way to learn more about scleroderma and whether you have it, is to simply contact your doctor, and schedule a consultation.
Scleroderma could be caused by certain genetic variations
The symptoms of scleroderma will vary, which depends on what part of the body is affected:
- Skin; almost everyone who suffers from scleroderma will experience tightening and hardening patches of skin. These patches could be shaped like straight lines or ovals, or they could cover wide areas, such as limbs and trunk. The number, size and location of these patches will vary based on the type of scleroderma.
- Toes or fingers; Raynaud’s disease is one of the earliest signs of systemic scleroderma. This disease will cause the small blood vessels in your toes and fingers to contract when in cold temperatures or in emotional distress. If this happens, your toes and fingers could turn blue, feel very numb or painful.
- Digestive system; scleroderma is known to cause a lot of different digestive symptoms, which will depend on the affected part of the digestive tract. If the intestines are affected, you could experience constipation, diarrhea, bloating or cramps, while if esophagus is affected, you could experience difficulty swallowing or heartburn.
- Heart, kidneys, lungs; people who have scleroderma could also have problems with the heart, kidneys and lungs. If these problems are left untreated, they could become life-threatening.
The cause of scleroderma
The accumulation and overproduction of collagen in our body tissues is what causes scleroderma. However, doctors still do not know what causes that abnormal collagen production. Collagen makes up our body’s connective tissues, and it is a fibrous type of protein.
Most likely, scleroderma is caused by different factors; such as environmental triggers, immune system problems and genetics. Anyone can get scleroderma, even though women are more prone to getting this disease. If you want to know more, you can check out the scleroderma medications in Brisbane from arthritisCARE or you can contact your local doctor.
It usually affects toes and fingers
Final word
Some people could have a certain gene variation that makes it more likely for them to develop scleroderma, which also means that scleroderma could run in your family. On the other hand, some scleroderma symptoms are triggered by exposures to certain drugs, medication and viruses. Whatever the case might be, it is important that you talk to your doctor on time!
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