Scleroderma

Scleroderma is a long term autoimmune disease which is a chronic hardening and tightening of the skin and the connective tissues that affects eyes and other organs. This is a disease that can have devastating and lasting impacts on families and patients due to its uncommon effects. Scleroderma is not contagious, infectious, or cancerous. Scleroderma is classified as an autoimmune disease, which means that a person’s immune system works against itself. “The normal immune system protects the body by fighting off foreign invaders such as viruses and infections. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes a person’s own tissues as foreign invaders and set up a protective attack that backfires to cause problems”. In early 2009, my grandmother life as well as my life has changed forever when she was diagnosed with this Disease. It caused many changes in her, physically and mentally. Scleroderma symptoms include joint pain, skin rashes, swollen blood vessels in the skin or ulcers. Common symptoms of this autoimmune disease are acid reflux, chronic cough, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth,…

lost one of my best friends to a rare, unknown, incurable disease called scleroderma. Karen and I had met at college where we were both working on our Bachelors of Science degree in nutrition with the goal of becoming future dietitians. We formed an instant bond as we were both Jamaicans and could understand each other’s struggles and pain. We often studied together and found ourselves on occasions spending many sleepless nights getting ready for our microbiology, chemistry or nutritional…

Scleroderma is a rare disease that causes the skin to become thick and hard. It’s a rare disease that can be life threatening. More than 75% of people that get this chronic disease are women. There are usually two types of scleroderma, localized and systemic scleroderma. Localized scleroderma usually only affects the skin, and systemic scleroderma is more serious. It affects the skin, muscles, blood vessels, and organs. The cause of scleroderma is unknown and there is no cure for this disease at…

The use of taxpayer’s money should be used in the research of microchimerism. Microchimerism is the presence of foreign cells in a person, which originate from another person. In recent years, researchers have discovered foreign cells in babies and their mothers. There is evidence suggesting the transfer of cells between babies and their mothers during pregnancy does happen. This event is known as maternal microchimerism which can be beneficial or harmful. An example of a negative event is a…

Dad for a Hero Imagine you have a family member that is very sick. That makes you sad, right? Now imagine having a family member that is chronically ill. Now you’re probably upset. My dad was diagnosed with Scleroderma when he was in his early twenties. Scleroderma is a disease that hardens the skin and has been called a “Progressive Systemic Sclerosis”. Scleroderma comes from two greek words: “Sclero” which means hard and “Derma” meaning skin. Scleroderma also affects my dad’s…

- Skin c Thickening and hardening of the skin (scleroderma) • Physical examination o The examination should commence with general observations about patient appearance (e.g., systemic sclerosis may induce weight loss over time as a result of diminished appetite and dysphagia) and follow a conventional head to toe order henceforth o decreased oral aperture o Xerostomia and xerophthalmia o Cardiovascular findings of elevated BP are typical - Hypertension of abrupt onset, may be marked with…

MCTD may be diagnosed upon a clinical evaluation of overlap disorders, a detailed patient history, identification of characteristic findings, and specialized tests in blood that reveal high levels of antibodies to the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP) and high amounts of the antibodies ANA. Those who have mixed connective tissue disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis disease lack the antibodies dsDNA and Scl70, respectively. The treatment of MCTD is…

In Raynaud's disease, smaller arteries that supply blood to your skin narrow, limiting blood circulation to affected areas. Women are more likely than men to have Raynaud's disease. Treatment of Raynaud's disease depends on its severity and whether you have other health conditions. For most people, Raynaud's disease isn't disabling, but can affect quality of life. • Scleroderma Limited scleroderma is a progressive disorder. It is classified as a systemic disease because its effects can be…

from few minutes to the several hours. Why to suffer? It is better to get it diagnosed properly with the help of the Raynaud's Syndrome Diagnosis equipment and treated it clinically and appropriately. Deep About the Raynaud Syndrome This type of disease is divided into two paramount categories: 1. Primary Raynaud: It is the lower stage of this syndrome. Generally, there is not any specific cause of this disease. It won't induce much discomfort, but still, the sufferers have to bear with the…

It was like the weather. Some days were sunny, some cloudy, and every once in a while a great deal of rain. I could try and fathom what would happen next as if I actually were a weatherman. But what would be the point? I knew I had depression. I would just have to wake up each morning and see how it went. I thought maybe I’d outgrow it. Maybe I still can. My family is what drove me to the edge, but somehow they managed to slam their foot on the break before it was too late. I grew up a child…