Living with lupus or scleroderma in the past was definitely thought to be something impossible, however, today, there are solutions even for complicated conditions such as these. While unfortunately a cure does not exist, viable treatment that takes care of most if not all the symptoms can give a person with these conditions a long and normal life. But what exactly are lupus and scleroderma?
Systemic lupus
There are not that many autoimmune diseases out there, however, lupus is one of them. An autoimmune condition will cause the immune system of the patient to attack not only foreign cells that want to harm the patient, but also some of the patient’s healthy cells.
The reason why lupus develops is currently unknown, however, there are some theories that revolve around genetics, sunlight, infections, hormones and stress, that if they react together for some time, lupus is going to appear. Those are only speculations, but that is the best that current medicine can do.
Of course, just because the cause is unknown, and there is no cure, there is a treatment in form of medication. Corticosteroids are the main choice of medication when kidneys are affected, while for other forms of lupus, NSAIDs and DMARDs are preferred.
If you are experiencing some symptoms of lupus, which are joint pain and swelling, skin rashes, sores in the mouth and nose, and lowered red blood cells, you should immediately consult with a specialist. You can learn more about this condition at https://arthritiscare.com.au/service/lupus-systemic-lupus-erythematosus before you go and have you consultations, so you can have a better understanding.
Lupus can affect different parts of the body
Scleroderma
The world scleroderma means hard skin, which is probably the easiest way to explain this condition to someone. That is because patients who have scleroderma tend to have various areas on their body, where they have connective tissue, much harder than they actually should be.
What makes scleroderma easy to diagnose, is that the cause of that hardness is extra collagen, which is a protein responsible for the strength of the connective tissue. As we age, our deposits of collagen tend to deplete, and the skin become looser and saggier, however, people with scleroderma have the complete opposite effect.
While local scleroderma, the one that affects only certain areas of the skin with hardness is the more common version, the systemic sclerosis is more dangerous, as it affects connective tissue throughout the whole body, including the blood vessels, joints, the lungs, and the digestive system. If you have this condition, you can seek scleroderma treatment in Brisbane like arthritisCARE if you are in the area.
Some cases of scleroderma can cause fingers to turn white
Final word
Both of the conditions that we talked about are definitely not fun to live with, however, thanks to medical advancements, treatment for both is very accessible. All you have to do is visit the correct specialist, and you will be able to live your life without pain caused by these conditions.