The list of treatments mentioned in various sources for Scleroderma includes the following list. Always seek professional medical advice about any treatment or change in treatment plans.
The first step in getting correct treatment is to get a correct diagnosis. Differential diagnosis list for Scleroderma may include:
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Scleroderma:
Possibly curable types of Scleroderma may include:
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
Unlabelled alternative drug treatments for Scleroderma include:
These medical statistics relate to hospitals, hospitalization and Scleroderma:
Because scleroderma can affect many different organs and organ systems, you may have several different doctors involved in your care. Typically, care will be managed by a rheumatologist, a specialist who treats people with diseases of the joints, bones, muscles, and immune system. Your rheumatologist may refer you to other specialists, depending on the specific problems you are having: for example, a dermatologist for the treatment of skin symptoms, a nephrologist for kidney complications, a cardiologist for heart complications, a gastroenterologist for problems of the digestive tract, and a pulmonary specialist for lung involvement.
In addition to doctors, professionals like nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical or occupational therapists, psychologists, and social workers may play a role in your care. Dentists, orthodontists, and even speech therapists can treat oral complications that arise from thickening of tissues in and around the mouth and on the face.
Currently, there is no treatment that controls or stops the underlying problem--the overproduction of collagen--in all forms of scleroderma. Thus, treatment and management focus on relieving symptoms and limiting damage. Your treatment will depend on the particular problems you are having. Some treatments will be prescribed or given by your physician. Others are things you can do on your own. (Source: excerpt from Handout on Health Scleroderma: NIAMS)
The drug Dpenicillamine has been shown to decrease skin thickening. Symptoms involving other organs such as the kidneys, esophagus, intestines, and blood vessels are treated individually. (Source: excerpt from Connective Tissue Diseases: NWHIC)
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the treatments of Scleroderma.
Currently, no cure exists for scleroderma. Treatment aims to preserve normal body functions and minimize complications. Use of an immunosuppressant such as chlorambucil is a common palliative measure. Corticosteroids and colchicine seem to stabilize symptoms; d-penicillamine may be helpful. Blood platelet levels need to be monitored throughout drug therapy.
Other treatments vary according to symptoms:
❑ chronic digital ulcerations — a digital plaster cast to immobilize the area, minimize trauma, and maintain cleanliness; possibly surgical debridement
❑ esophagitis with stricture — antacids, cimetidine, periodic esophageal dilation, and a soft, bland diet
❑ hand debilitation — physical therapy to maintain function and promote muscle strength, heat therapy to relieve joint stiffness, and patient teaching to make performance of daily activities easier
❑ Raynaud’s phenomenon — various vasodilators and antihypertensive agents (such as methyldopa or calcium channel blockers), intermittent cervical sympathetic blockade or, rarely, thoracic sympathectomy
❑ scleroderma kidney (with malignant hypertension and impending renal failure) — dialysis, antihypertensives, and calcium channel blockers
❑ small-bowel involvement (diarrhea, pain, malabsorption, and weight loss) — broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as erythromycin or tetracycline, to counteract bacterial overgrowth in the duodenum and jejunum related to hypomotility.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:
Next articles:
Tools & Services:
Medical Articles:
Search Specialists by State and City
By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.
Copyright © 2009 Health Grades Inc. All rights reserved.
Whenever you go to a hospital or clinic for a major procedure or diagnostic test, one of the many forms you are given to sign is an "informed...
Germs are a fact of life and catching an infectious disease like a cold may seem inevitable. But there are simple ways to protect yourself against...
Sexual contact can sometimes result in problems. An unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases may be some of those consequences. But by...
Sleep is necessary to feel refreshed, but now we know sleep actually impacts the way the body functions. Sleeping poorly can affect how often you get...