Scleroderma is an uncommon but chronic autoimmune condition in which dense, thick fibrous tissue replaces healthy tissue. The immune system often aids in the body’s defense against illness and infection. The immune system causes other cells to overproduce collagen in scleroderma patients. The skin and organs get this additional collagen, which results in thickening and stiffening.
Scleroderma can affect the intestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, heart, blood vessels, muscles, joints, and skin, though it typically just affects the skin. In its most extreme forms, scleroderma can be fatal.
A person with scleroderma may also have the following symptoms in addition to the thickening of their skin:
- Skin with red patches
- Swollen feet and hands
- Excessive skin calcium deposition
- Face with tight, mask-like skin
- Bruises on the toes and fingers
- Stiffness and discomfort in the joints
- Chronic cough
- Breath difficulty
- Acid reflux
- Having trouble swallowing
- Gastrointestinal and digestive issues
Scleroderma has no known cause. It belongs to the class of disorders referred to as autoimmune diseases. These take place when your immune system, which normally defends you against pathogens, instead inflames your skin and other organs.
Localized and systemic scleroderma are the two main types. There are two basic forms of systemic scleroderma: diffuse and restricted.
- Localized scleroderma:?Localized scleroderma, which is the disease’s most prevalent form, only affects a person’s skin, typically in a few locations. It frequently manifests as waxy stripes or spots on the skin, and this less severe type frequently stops progressing or disappears without medical intervention.
- Diffuse scleroderma: This kind affects many different body parts, as its name suggests. It can harm several internal organs in addition to the skin, impairing breathing and digestion while also increasing the risk of kidney failure. Occasionally, systemic scleroderma can develop into a serious and even fatal condition.
- Limited scleroderma:?Additionally known as CREST syndrome, each letter denotes a characteristic of the condition:
- Calcinosis: calcium deposits on the skin
- Raynaud’s phenomenon:
- Esophageal dysmotility: difficulty in swallowing
- Sclerodactyly: hardening of the skin on fingers
- Telangiectasias: red patches on the skin
Scleroderma does not currently have a treatment. Instead, the focus of treatment is on managing and reducing the symptoms. Since scleroderma can present with a wide range of symptoms, a variety of strategies are frequently required to properly treat and control the condition.
- Skin treatments:?Topical drugs are frequently helpful for localized scleroderma. Moisturizers are used to treat tough skin as well as to stop the skin from drying out.
- Heartburn:?To treat individuals with heartburn and other digestive issues, a range of drugs may be recommended. Antacids both over-the-counter and prescribed, as well as proton pump inhibitors, are among them.
- Prevent infection:?Fingertip ulcers brought on by Raynaud’s illness may be prevented from getting infected by cleaning them and protecting them from the cold. Regular immunizations against the flu and pneumonia can aid in protecting lungs that have already suffered damage from scleroderma.
- Therapies:?Occupational or physical therapists can help you keep your independence with daily duties while increasing your strength and mobility. Hand treatment might help avoid contractures of the hands.
- Stem Cell Therapy:?When more conventional treatments have failed to relieve severe symptoms, stem cell transplants may be a possibility.?Stem cells-derived exosome therapy?has been regarded as a potential approach for managing the symptoms of various autoimmune diseases.
If you’re looking for?exosome therapy for scleroderma, drop your queries at?[email protected]?or WhatsApp/call at +91-9654321400
