Living with Scleroderma

Living with Scleroderma


by Charlene Collins, Staff Writer (Ranked #2 expert in Immune System Diseases)

Scleroderma is a disorder caused by inappropriate responses from the immune system. The disorder causes thickening of the skin and connective tissue of the body. Scleroderma can also affect the blood vessels, lungs and other internal organs. The thickening of the tissues occurs because the body manufactures too much collagen. It’s not known why the body’s immune system attacks the skin and connective tissue. Scleroderma can occur in families, though, to date, no gene has been identified as the causative factor.

There are two different forms of scleroderma, which are localized and diffuse scleroderma. Localized scleroderma occurs in certain parts of the body; diffuse scleroderma is systemic. In other words, the diffuse form of scleroderma can affect the organs of the body, including the kidneys, lungs, bowels and esophagus.

Scleroderma of the skin and connective tissue can make movement very difficult. The skin and connective tissue becomes stiff and hard from the excess collagen being produced by the body. The overall health of an individual can suffer when her/his esophagus, lungs or kidneys become impaired. If the esophagus becomes stiffened, swallowing may become difficult. If the lungs are affected, the individual may suffer from respiratory insufficiency. When the kidneys are affected by scleroderma, filtration problems may occur. An individual may also have blood pressure problems if the kidneys and/or blood vessels are affected.

With scleroderma, an individual is likely to experience different complications associated with the disorder. The complications that could arise are related to hardening of the skin and circulatory problems.

Calcinosis

The medical term for tissue hardening is called calcinosis. Calcinosis is more likely to occur in the bend of the knees, fingers, elbows, toes, and other joints of the body. Calcinosis of the tissues can be painful, especially if the calcified pieces of skin break off. The areas which are calcified can become infected.

Raynaud’s phenomenon

Aside from hardening of the skin, an individual with scleroderma may be very sensitive to heat and cold. This sensitivity is called Raynaud’s phenomenon. Raynaud’s phenomenon occurs when the tiny blood vessels go through periods of spasm and relaxation. The areas on the body most often affected by Raynaud’s phenomenon are the fingers, toes, ears, nose, and tongue. These areas may experience burning like pain due to ischemia (lack of oxygen rich blood flow to the tissues).

Sclerodactyly

Like calcinosis, sclerodactyly occurs when the skin thickens and hardens so much that movement is difficult. The skin becomes shiny with calcified particles on the skin.

Conclusion

Individuals with scleroderma may have reddened areas on the hands, ears, lips and face. These reddened areas are caused by dilated capillaries in the affected areas. People who have diffuse scleroderma are more likely to have other serious medical conditions which are secondary to the disorder. For instance, acid reflux is quite common in people who have scleroderma in their esophagus. The stomach acid can splash up from the stomach into the esophagus, if the bottom third of the esophagus is affected.

People can lead relatively healthy lives if their internal organs are not affected. When people die from scleroderma it is usually due to the secondary conditions caused by the systemic form of the disease. However, most people live relatively normal life spans. Eating can become difficult if the jaw becomes stiff and difficult to move. If the bowel becomes stiff, an individual may be prone to having fecal impactions.

The disease is chronic and usually gets worse as time goes on. The degree of disability will vary from person to person; it will depend on the type of scleroderma and which parts of the body are affected.

Family support is important for people who are diagnosed with scleroderma. Living day to day with this disease can be challenging. Your skin can be painful and itchy all at the same time. It is easy to get depressed when your body slowly becomes immobile. One of my aunts had scleroderma. She lived a long life; she had good days and bad days, but she got progressively worse until she died. The main thing I remember about her was that her hands looked hard and shiny.

Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/scleroderma/article.htm

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/311/main.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/scleroderma/DS00362/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis

About Charlene Collins
Charlene specializes in health/wellness writing and also in diseases and conditions writing. Charlene wears many hats, she is Christian, mother, friend, cook, writer and ghostwriter.