Early Symptoms of Scleroderma

Scleroderma is a rare disease, caused due to abnormal growth of the body's connective tissue, which results in more deposition of collagen. It is often called a connective tissue disease or rheumatic disease. Scleroderma is a type of autoimmune disease, meaning that this ailment is developed due to an overactive immune system that affects the body's own tissues and organs. The exact cause cause of scleroderma is still not clear. However, researchers are of the opinion that abnormal immune activity, hormones, genetic and environmental factors play a major role in the development of scleroderma disease. This condition is more common among the adults of age between 30 to 50. It is also observed that women are more susceptible to scleroderma than men.

The early symptoms of scleroderma are vague and often confused with other diseases and disorders. The symptoms vary, depending upon the type of scleroderma and the affected organ(s). There are two types of scleroderma based on the symptoms, namely localized and generalized. Following are the early symptoms of localized scleroderma and systemic scleroderma.

Early Symptoms of Localized Scleroderma: Localized scleroderma causes hardening and tightening of the skin. It is further classified into morphea and linear. The morphea type causes skin inflammation, associated with the development of reddish patches that thicken after a few days. These skin patches have ivory color centers with violet borders. Though skin patches are more common in the chest, stomach and back portion they are also present on the face, arms and legs.

In case of linear scleroderma, symptoms appear in a linear fashion. There may be development of a single line of thickened skin and/or discolored skin. In general, this line progresses on the forehead, arms and legs.

Early Symptoms of Generalized Scleroderma: Generalized scleroderma affects the skin along with the internal organs (esophagus, lungs and heart) and the blood vessels. It is also referred to as systemic sclerosis. The most common early symptoms of generalized scleroderma are swollen fingers and hands, tightness of skin around the face and mouth, esophageal dysfunction (abnormal functioning of esophagus), heartburn, indigestion, shortness of breath and calcinosis (deposition of calcium in the connective tissue that causes ulcer).

Raynaud's phenomenon is another symptom of generalized scleroderma, in which the patient is very susceptible to cold temperatures and emotional stress. For such patients, there are chances of blood vessel constriction that may result in numbness, pain and skin discoloration. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also a common early symptom of systemic sclerosis.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Scleroderma

The severity of scleroderma condition varies from one person to another. Usually, people get swollen fingers in the beginning that later progresses to Raynaud's phenomenon. It is to be noted that scleroderma is not contagious. Scleroderma is diagnosed based on the symptoms, physical examination and medical history of the patient. The physician may conduct a series of lab tests including blood test and skin biopsies. The blood sample of a scleroderma patient may show the presence of scleroderma-specific antibodies like antitopoisomerase-1 and anticentromere.

There is no treatment to stop overproduction of collagen as of now. Hence, the treatment of this condition is mainly focused on relieving pain and minimizing the possible tissue damage. Scleroderma treatment is done by administering medications such as pain killers and steroids. However, effective treatment methods greatly vary from one patient to another. It is always advisable to consult and seek advice from a qualified physician before opting for any treatments of scleroderma.