Medical Questions » Autoimmune Diseases Questions » Question No. 105
| Question: | I have been told by my doctor that I may have scleroderma, and he has ordered tests. Could you please explain what kind of sickness is scleroderma, what are the symptoms, and how is it treated? |
| Answer: | Scleroderma is one of the many auto-immune diseases that can beset mankind. In these diseases, the body attempts to reject part of itself as though it is foreign material, resulting in the attacked tissue becoming inflamed and damaged. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common auto-immune disease, and the tissue being attacked is the cartilage inside the joints.
Scleroderma is a relatively uncommon condition which is caused by the widespread rejection of most body tissues. This results in thickening of the skin, arthritis, and replacement of normal tissue in other organs with fibrous scar tissue.
Raynaud' s phenomenon, in which the hands and feet become cold, white (or blue), swollen and painful is a very common symptom. This is caused by a poor blood supply to the hands, and in due course the fingers and toes may develop ulcers.
Elsewhere the skin becomes blotchy, and feels leathery and thick. The same happens to the gut, causing difficulty in swallowing, bowel irregularities and difficulty in absorbing food.
Every organ in the body may be affected, including the heart, lungs and kidneys.
There is no cure for scleroderma, but quite effective controls are available to slow the spread of the condition and relieve its symptoms. Very careful tests will be performed to prove the diagnosis before any treatments are started. |
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