Scleroderma: symptoms and treatment tips, photos

Scleroderma is hardening of certain areas of the skin that gives the complication and internal organs.

You can define scleroderma as a disease of diffuse type is for problems with connective tissue, in which some parts of the skin manifested by scar tissue.

If the process of formation of uncontrolled scar tissue grows, it can affect in addition to the skin and internal organs.

Scleroderma can be divided into two main forms of the disease, is:

• The systemic form of the disease;
• A limited form of the disease.

The main symptoms of scleroderma

The systemic type of the disease also has a unique, internal classification, which can be defined as a common type of sclerosis and limited sclerosis.

In the first case, the disease usually shows extensive areas of skin lesions. In addition, multiple sclerosis and affects the internal system of the body, for example, intestine, kidney, cardiac system, joints. Further development of this form depends on how infected a person is predisposed to complications.

On the trunk or extremities, may form a dense skin, which resembles elephant ivory. This is a reflection of systemic sclerosis with skin changes. Systemic sclerosis can lead not just to external changes, but also to disability.

The joint involvement in scleroderma is quite specific and the result of a lightning inflammation and stiff. In the joint starts to grow fibrous tissue, which leads to a drop in mobility.

Patients notice changes in wellbeing, primarily in the morning, and it manifests itself in stiffness and pain in the joints. Problems with joints are another cause of disability in multiple sclerosis.

If scleroderma affects internal organs, it affects the gradual deterioration of their work that causes failure, which is fraught with serious complications.

CREST syndrome

The name is an acronym, which is a different manifestation forms of multiple sclerosis:

• calcification, or a large concentration of calcium under the skin;
• Raynaud's syndrome, it characterized the problems with capillaries on the hands and feet;
• dysfunction of the esophagus, which is always manifested by severe regurgitation and impaired swallowing function;
• sclerodactylia affects the fingers, leads to their thickening;
• telangiectasia, manifested by enlargement of the capillaries on the skin, oftenonly, in the form of stars.

Limited scleroderma

Usually start with the inflammatory process together with a small number of lesions on the skin. Development of foci can be divided into several stages:

• Spots;
• Plaques;
• Atrophy.

The first manifestation of the disease can go unnoticed at all, because it's just a few pink spots. However, over time, the spots turn pale, and form a dense plaque. Hair in the affected area drop out, completely stops the sweating. After some time, the plaque completely atrophies and falls.

For the circle of scleroderma are often characteristic signs of slowing down the progression of the disease in a few years. But for linear forms over time, the condition of the plaques is only getting worse and begins the process of starting a gradual deposition of salts and calcium.

Complication leads to atrophy of the muscles that results in the weakening and loss of main functions.

Causes of scleroderma

Unfortunately, the cause of scleroderma has not been found. So far, all we know is it, the manifestation of the affected area, and it covers the whole world, regardless of gender, age and geography.

One can, however, be noted that scleroderma occurs more than four times more often in women than in men. As the number of diseases increases with age, it can be assumed that the causes of scleroderma are rooted in genetic predisposition.

The treatment of the disease

That is to fight scleroderma is still no single type of treatment. Of course, there are the treatment of fibrosis of the skin, of course, and problems with internal organs, but it is a local decision of the investigators of scleroderma, but not for the opposition and eliminate the causes.

So today, the treatment of scleroderma, it is a symptom, manage and alleviate the disease.

You can only give a few tips on how to manage your time when scleroderma:

• always protect hands and face from the cold;
• to develop a diet;
• the exception of alcohol and cigarettes;
• no stress and fatigue.

Mainly in the treatment of scleroderma apply a tonic, anti-inflammatory drugs which are designed to restore joint function. Scleroderma is a very unpleasant disease, and at the slightest signs and suspicions,it is best to conduct a medical examination, to prevent the development of disease and lesions of the organs is easier at the initial stage.