Scleroderma, the hard skin disease

Biosalud Day Hospital offers personalized treatments to alleviate the effects of this rare, autoimmune, chronic disease that attacks the body's connective tissue.

It is a rare (due to its low incidence), autoimmune (since the body attacks itself), and chronic disease. However, anyone can be affected by it. It is scleroderma, a condition whose exact causes are still unknown and which attacks what is known as the body's connective tissue (i.e., the tissue that supports the skin and internal organs). The disease causes it to harden and thicken, leading to swelling and pain in the muscles and joints.

Skin hardening is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease, as its name suggests (derived from the Greek words "sclero," meaning hard, and "derma," meaning skin). However, the disease varies from patient to patient.

Different types of scleroderma

There are two main types of scleroderma: localized scleroderma and systemic scleroderma. Localized scleroderma affects the skin on areas such as the hands, face, or muscles. It develops slowly and rarely spreads to other areas (internal organs are not usually affected), and people with localized scleroderma rarely develop systemic scleroderma.

• One form of localized scleroderma is morphea. It is characterized by the appearance of waxy patches of varying sizes, shapes, and colors on the skin. The skin beneath the patches may thicken, and the patches may expand or shrink (often even disappearing spontaneously). Morphea usually appears in patients between the ages of 20 and 50, but it is often seen more frequently in young children.
• Linear scleroderma is another form of localized scleroderma. It often begins as a line of hardened, waxy skin on an arm, leg, trunk, or forehead. Sometimes, a long fold forms on the head or neck, called a "sword stroke" because it resembles a sword wound, which can lead to facial hemiatrophy. Linear scleroderma tends to involve deeper layers of the skin as well as the superficial layers. It can sometimes affect joint movement. Linear scleroderma usually develops in childhood and can affect the growth of the affected limbs.

Systemic scleroderma, on the other hand, can affect connective tissue in many parts of the body. The tissue of the organs involved becomes hard and fibrous, causing them to function less efficiently. It can affect the skin, esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, kidneys, heart, and other internal organs. It can also affect blood vessels, muscles, and joints. There are two main recognized patterns that the disease can follow:

• In diffuse scleroderma, skin thickening occurs more rapidly, involves more areas than in limited disease, and can affect the dermis anywhere on the body, especially the hands, arms, thighs, chest, abdomen, and face. In addition, people with diffuse scleroderma are at greater risk of developing "sclerosis" or fibrous hardening of internal organs.
• Limited scleroderma affects the skin of the face, fingers, and hands and does not extend beyond the elbows or knees. Although internal problems do occur, they are less frequent, tend to be less severe than in diffuse scleroderma, and take longer to develop. Limited scleroderma is also sometimes called CREST syndrome, an acronym that stands for the five most common features of this disease: calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia. People with limited scleroderma and occasionally with diffuse scleroderma may develop pulmonary hypertension, a disease in which the blood vessels in the lungs narrow, leading to impaired blood flow through the lungs and causing breathing difficulties.

A difficult, long, and complex diagnosis

However, due to its low incidence (estimated at three cases per 100,000 people) and wide range of symptoms, which are very similar to those of other autoimmune diseases, diagnosing scleroderma is often difficult, lengthy, and complex. This process may also require consultation with a rheumatologist specializing in arthritis or a dermatologist (skin specialist), as well as blood tests and many other specialized tests, depending on the organs affected.

Currently, there is no cure for scleroderma, but there are many different treatments available to help with the specific symptoms each person experiences. For example, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or medications to improve bowel movement and heartburn can be used to control heartburn. Other treatments aim to reduce the activity of the immune system.

Treatment using biological medicine techniques

At Biosalud,we develop a personalized treatment plan in several phases that combines all the techniques of integrative medicine. The first thing we do is functional regulation, toxin drainage, and, if necessary, chelation therapy to eliminate heavy metals, along with intestinal cleansing.

After four weeks, we will continue with the treatment of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections. After a minimum period of eight weeks, we willregulate the immune system and deactivate the genetic loads that have been activated in the patient to develop the autoimmune disease.

Ultimately, our goal is simply to help your body regain its well-being and a healthy state so that you feel better.