What is the difference between lupus and scleroderma?

Lupus, for instance, can have symptoms that include fatigue and fever. Symptoms of scleroderma can include heartburn. When you notice the first symptoms—generally some form of skin rash that doesn't go away or that worsens over time—you may seek treatment from a primary care doctor or dermatologist.

Is lupus and scleroderma the same?

As scleroderma is an immune system disorder, these patients may have other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus. In fact, lupus affects an estimated 20 percent of all scleroderma patients. Such related conditions are often called overlapping or crossover diseases.

Is scleroderma more serious than lupus?

Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have worse health-related quality of life than patients with other systemic rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a Korean study found.

Can I have lupus and scleroderma?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune condition, which causes inflammation and damage to the joints, muscles, kidneys and other organs. Around 20% of people with scleroderma also have lupus as a cross-over condition or 'overlap syndrome'.

What does that mean if you have scleroderma?

Scleroderma (sklair-oh-DUR-muh), also known as systemic sclerosis, is a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin. It may also cause problems in the blood vessels, internal organs and digestive tract.

Systemic Sclerosis and Scleroderma: Visual Explanation for Students

What were your first symptoms of scleroderma?

What does scleroderma pain feel like?

Common symptoms of scleroderma may include painful joints (arthralgia), morning stiffness, fatigue, and/or weight loss. The intermittent loss (triggered by cold temperatures) of blood supply to the fingers, toes, nose, and/or ears (Raynaud's phenomenon) is an early and frequent complaint of people with scleroderma.

What is the life expectancy of a person with scleroderma?

People who have localized scleroderma may live an uninterrupted life with only minor symptom experiences and management. On the other hand, those diagnosed with an advanced and systemic version of the disease have a prognosis of anywhere from three to 15 years.

How does a doctor check for scleroderma?

The doctor will start by asking questions about symptoms and previous medical history. He or she will also do a physical exam and may order a biopsy to look at a small sample of the affected skin under a microscope. He or she may also order urine, blood and other tests to see if any internal organs have been affected.

What are the 7 autoimmune diseases?

How does scleroderma lead to death?

Most scleroderma experts believe that, currently, the most frequent cause of death is pulmonary involvement, either interstitial lung disease or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Why is scleroderma fatal?

The illness is classified based on the extent and severity of skin thickening which in turn is related to the risk profile of developing internal organ involvement. Disability and survival are mainly influenced by the presence of damage to the lungs, kidneys, heart and gastrointestinal systems.

What are the stages of scleroderma?

Cutaneous involvement has 3 phases: (1) edematous, (2) indurative, and (3) atrophic. Skin becomes thickened and tight.

What is the life expectancy for lupus?

The prognosis of lupus is better today than ever before. With close follow-up and treatment, 80-90% of people with lupus can expect to live a normal life span. It is true that medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, and some people do die from the disease.

What foods should be avoided with scleroderma?

REFLUX/HEARTBURN: eat small frequent meals to avoid overfilling your stomach; avoid eating within 2-3 hours of bedtime; avoid foods that may aggravate symptoms such as citrus fruits, tomato products, greasy fried foods, coffee, garlic, onions, peppermint, gas-producing foods (such as raw peppers, beans, broccoli, raw ...

How do u get lupus?

It's likely that lupus results from a combination of your genetics and your environment. It appears that people with an inherited predisposition for lupus may develop the disease when they come into contact with something in the environment that can trigger lupus. The cause of lupus in most cases, however, is unknown.

What can mimic scleroderma?

However, similar features of hard and thick skin can be seen in other conditions which are often referred to as “scleroderma mimics”. These mimics include eosinophilic fasciitis, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, scleromyxedema, and scleredema among others.

At what age is scleroderma usually diagnosed?

Age: Most localized types of scleroderma show up before age 40, and systemic types of scleroderma are typically diagnosed between ages 30 and 50.

Does scleroderma show up in blood work?

If scleroderma is suspected, tests will be ordered to confirm the diagnosis, as well as to determine the severity of the disease. These tests may include: Blood tests: Elevated levels of immune factors, known as antinuclear antibodies, are found in 95% of patients with scleroderma.

Is scleroderma a death sentence?

Scleroderma is “not automatically a death sentence,” says Dr. Chatterjee. A milder form of the disease does not necessarily shorten one's normal life span. Even if you have a more severe form involving major organs, treatments can manage most symptoms.

What is the best treatment for scleroderma?

Can you live a full life with scleroderma?

Many people have a good scleroderma prognosis - they do not die of the disease and live a full and productive life. However, some people do die from scleroderma, for example those with severe lung, heart or kidney involvement.

Where does scleroderma usually start?

Another early sign of systemic scleroderma is puffy or swollen hands before thickening and hardening of the skin due to fibrosis. Skin thickening usually occurs first in the fingers (called sclerodactyly) and may also involve the hands and face.

Does scleroderma cause weight gain?

Acute localized scleroderma (morphea) can present as severe generalized oedema with rapid weight gain and oliguria.

What happens if scleroderma is left untreated?

Scleroderma causes a restrictive ventilatory defect (small lungs) secondary to an inflammatory process in the lung alveoli (air sacs). This process, left untreated, leads to fibrosis of the lung tissue (a fibrosing alveolitis) that interferes with normal gas exchange from the air to the blood.