Sep 28 2009
What Is Scleroderma?
What Are The Symptoms Of Scleroderma?
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease, whereby hardening, or sclerosis, of the tissue occurs, most commonly in the skin, but also taking place in other organs. Being an autoimmune disease, it occurs when the body’s tissues are being attacked by its own immune system. The most visible sign of scleroderma is the formation of scar tissue in the skin, or in the affected area, which leads to that area being much firmer and thicker. When scleroderma occurs in different parts of the body all at the same time, it is often referred to as, systematic sclerosis.
Systematic sclerosis can be fatal, as it could result in kidney, heart, intestinal or lung damage. The other form of sclerosis, which is known as morphea, is not usually fatal, but has been known to leave its victims crippled.
What Causes It?
As of now, there is no known cause for scleroderma. Some say that it is all to do with the genes, while others say that it is more environmental than genetic. Since genes are considered to play a major role in the disease, it would not be unusual to find relatives of a scleroderma patient being affected by the disease at a later date. Scleroderma also tends to affect females, rather than males.
Although there is no definite cause of scleroderma, there are various theories that can be relied on, for the treatment of scleroderma. Every treatment for scleroderma, is patient specific and is only made to alleviate a patient from pain, cure the hardening skin, or ease other precise symptoms. Hardening of the skin has been treated very successfully in the past, with the use of PUVA (Psoralen and UVA treatment), d-penicllamine and cyclosporine.
How Do You Know You Have It?
Symptoms of scleroderma are rather unique and you would know immediately if you had it. If you have scar tissue coupled with pain on parts of your skin, most commonly the knees and elbows, then it is mostly likely that you have scleroderma. Take note, that this does not develop immediately, but rather over a period of time.
If you show any symptoms of Scleroderma, then you should see your doctor immediately, in order to get a proper diagnosis. That conclusion will be based on the clinical findings of the illness. More than likely, your doctor will have you undergo a blood test to see how your antibodies are affecting you. Other tests, will probably include gastrointestinal tests, to monitor your bowel movements, lung function testing, x-rays, and tests on your heart.
Scleroderma Treatment
Since scleroderma has no known cause, treatment for it, is aimed towards relieving a patient of specific symptoms, rather than an attempt to entirely alleviate the patient of scleroderma.
Since scleroderma is an autoimmune disease, some of the most common approaches for treating it, would involve the use of immunosuppressive agents such as azathioprene, mycophenolate and methotrexate. As for patients whose lungs are affected, they could benefit from oxygen therapy, which could relieve them from shortness of breath and increase blood oxygen levels, of which they are most likely deprived of.
