I have scleroderma?

ive had it for about 5 or 6 years and was wondering does everyone who has it have red dots on ther face? and is there diffrent types im not sure witch 1 i have if ther is

Scleroderma is a rheumatic disease which should be treated with antibiotics and antiinflammatory medications.

Scleroderma can be deadly, but remissions have been achieved with antibiotics.

Get an appointment with an orthopaedist, the medical doctor specializing in diseases of the bones, joints and skin, for a diagnosis and a review of treatment options, including antibiotics.

Rheumatic diseases are the result of a defective gene and collagen inflammation, often from a chronic infection. Collagen is present throughout the body, from the eyes, skin and joints to the heart. Hence, the multiplicity of symptoms, depending on the location of the most affected internal organs or body parts.

Rheumatic diseases are diagnosed in much the same way as rheumatoid arthritis, through a number of blood tests showing inflammation:

- Antistreptolysin-O (ASO);
- C-Reactive protein (CRP);
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR);
- Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Immunoglobulins A, E, and G;
- Complement 3 (C-3).

For more than 27 years, I have had seronegative rheumatoid arthritis like 20% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The telling signs are the following:
- Joint pain or cracking joints in the lower extremities, feet, ankles, knees or hips in the early 20's or late teens;
- Fatigue, especially after a moderate exercise like a 30 minute walk;
- Blood test showing a negative or low level of Rheumatoid factor (RF);
- Joint deformities of the fingers, after a few years, a specific sign of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Consecutive X-Rays, over several years, showing bone erosion, a consequence of rheumatoid arthritis;
- Generalized arthritis and pain, involving the whole body;
- Blood tests showing elevated levels of C-Reactive protein (CRP) and Sedimentation rate (ESR).

Antibiotics like Minocin, NSAIDs like Voltaren, COX-2 inhibitors like Celebrex, acetaminophen like Tylenol, codeine, and statins like Lipitor are all used to control inflammation and relieve the pain of scleroderma.

Regular exercise like walking, biking and swimming is also helpful for most patients. Make sure that you are not overweight as arthritis can be a component of scleroderma and carrying too much weight can only increase the pain of arthritis in the supporting joints of the hips, knees, ankles and feet.

For any form of scleroderma or rheumatic disease, patients should consult an orthopaedist who will order blood tests, joint scans and X-Rays to better diagnose the type of rheumatic disease from which they suffer.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons at http://www.aaos.org maintains a public online directory where you can find the address and phone number of orthopaedists who belong to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Orthopaedists are listed by geographic location and family name, inside the USA and in most countries.

The membership directory of the AAOS is located at:

http://www6.aaos.org/about/public/member...

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons maintains a wealth of information online at:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org

Lyme disease could be a possibility. Ask your doctor to test you for the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

Are there any other cases of arthritis, scleroderma or rheumatic diseases among your relatives? Scleroderma is usually prevalent in families where a defective gene is passed on by parents to their children.

There are a few hundred types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases. The good news is that science is progressing rapidly in its understanding of rheumatic diseases.

Antibiotics are now used to achieve full remissions for at least 40%, if not 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For scleroderma, 65% of patients were able to achieve a full remission with a single antibiotic. The number of recovering patients can be even more impressive when combining different antibiotics to address every infection.

For more info, please join the antibio group at:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ant...