Scleroderma is another rare condition that effects the skin but can also affect organs and blood vessels. ‘Sclero’ comes from the Greek word for hard, and ‘derma’ means skin. The immune system becomes overactive and starts to attack healthy tissue.
There are 2 main types of scleroderma:
The hardening of the skin is usually one of the first noticeable symptoms, but Scleroderma can effect joints, tendons and internal organs. This is due to the body producing excess collagen which can cause scaring to develop and prevent the affected parts of the body working properly.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms can vary depending on the type of scleroderma who have.
Who is affected?
Localised scleroderma often affects children but can occur at any age. Systemic sclerosis mainly affects women, with typical onset between the ages of 30-50 years. Children are rarely affected by this form of the disease.
Why does it happen?
Why some people develop scleroderma is unknown, but there could be certain genes involved, and if there is a close family member with disease, this can increase your risk.
Treatment
Treatment is mainly to help with the symptoms the condition gives you, as there is currently no cure for scleroderma.
Common treatments include: