Scleroderma symptoms

What are the first signs of scleroderma? Is scleroderma curable or not? What is the course of progression for scleroderma? Can scleroderma be diagnosed with a blood test?

Your doctor can treat your symptoms and help you feel better, though. The symptoms of scleroderma depend on the type of scleroderma present and the extent of external and internal involvement in the individual affected.

They include: Tight, hardened skin. In limited scleroderma , skin changes typically affect only the lower arms and legs, including fingers and toes, and sometimes the face and neck. The symptoms and severity of the condition vary from one person to another based on the systems and organs involved. Systemic sclerosis is also called scleroderma , progressive systemic sclerosis. Find some of the general symptoms associated with the condition.

Scleroderma can affect everyone differently. The disease can be either localized to the skin or involve other organs in addition to the skin. The scarring is due to the excess production of the protein collagen, which normally strengthens and supports connective tissues.

Environmental factors could also put people at risk for scleroderma. For example, men exposed to silica appear to have a higher risk for developing scleroderma and certain drugs are capable of causing a scleroderma -like reaction. Most people start with just one or two symptoms , which can appear in any order. Because of its complexity, scleroderma symptoms vary from one person to another.

Any chronic disease can be serious. How serious is scleroderma ? The most common symptoms of this condition are skin problems, joint and muscle pain, blood vessel narrowing, gastrointestinal problems and calcium deposits in connective tissues. It is a group of diseases that cause abnormal growth of connective tissue. Connective tissue is the material inside your body that gives your tissues their shape and helps keep them strong. Localised scleroderma is the mildest form of the condition.

The disease involves progressive affectation of the body through gradual hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues – components of the body that are naturally meant to be elastic and flexible. Early diagnosis of scleroderma is very important. This section includes a list of possible symptoms that can occur with different forms of systemic scleroderma.

No patient will experience all of these symptoms an even among patients who have the same specific subtype of systemic scleroderma , there is a tremendous variability in terms of which symptoms ultimately will occur and in what order. Signs and symptoms of scleroderma can vary in intensity and affect many different body parts. The extent of the symptomatology, prognosis and treatment differ, according to the disease type.

Sometimes it damages the area around internal organs and blood vessels.

It varies in severity from a mild form that most people can handle to life-threatening. The word scleroderma means hard skin. One of the most visible symptoms of the condition, also called systemic sclerosis, is hardening or thickening of the skin.

It occurs as a result of the immune system attacking the connective tissue underneath the skin, hardening the skin and tissue surrounding the internal organs, and causing scarring. Unlike other illnesses dubbed as silent killers because of invisible symptoms , scleroderma can be easily diagnosed because of its noticeable manifestation on the body. However, it is best to see a doctor before assuming you have this disease. Also note that symptoms may vary depending on the type of scleroderma.

Sine sclerosis is a rare autoimmune condition that affects only about percent of people with systemic scleroderma. Patients with sine scleroderma do not have the har thick skin that is characteristic of systemic scleroderma , but still experience an abnormal accumulation of scar tissue in their internal organs. The third category of systemic scleroderma is a diverse group that is generally referred to as scleroderma overlap syndromes. With overlap syndromes, while patients have clear scleroderma specific symptoms , they also have symptoms that overlap with other autoimmune diseases including lupus and myositis (muscle inflammation).

It usually begins in the fingers and extends proximally to the upper arms, shoulders, neck, and face.