Scleroderma Symptoms

Symptoms of scleroderma include:

• Raynaud's Disease and Phenomenon :
  • Changes in skin color of the fingertips, toes, and nose in response to cold or emotional stress
  • Skin usually turns very white when first exposed to cold, then blue, then very red
  • May be accompanied by pain, tingling, numbness
• Sores or ulcers on the fingers
• Changes in the skin, as areas of affected skin lose hair and become:
  • Stiff
  • Hard
  • Thick
  • Shiny
  • Darker or lighter with darker spots (the so-called salt and pepper appearance)
• Skin over face may become so tight that it's hard to change expression (face appears “mask-like”)
• Fingers and toes become swollen or puffy
• Whitish bumps of calcium deposits develop under the skin (calcinosis)
• Tiny purplish-red blood vessels appear under the skin (telangiectasias)
• Skin creases diminish or disappear
• Arthritis (joint aches and stiffness)
• Muscle pain and weakness
• Dry eyes and mouth (called Sjogren's Syndrome )
• Digestive problems:
  • Heartburn-Overview
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Poor absorption of nutrients, weight loss
  • Liver blockage, Jaundice (yellowish appearance to the whites of the eyes and the skin)
• Problems due to lung, heart, and kidney involvement:
  • Shortness of breath
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Heart failure
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Kidney Failure