Wendy Henderson,  —

Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease where the body suddenly starts to produce too much collagen. This excess collagen can cause thickening of the skin and also fibrosis of internal organs. In addition to issues associated with collagen, many scleroderma patients will also experience extreme fatigue. MORE: Six common symptoms of…

Scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by an overproduction of collagen that can cause thickening of the skin and fibrosis of internal organs. The severity of the disease varies greatly: some patients experience only mild skin thickening while others suffer organ involvement that can lead to potentially life-threatening diseases like heart disease, kidney failure,…

Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma is a rare autoimmune disease where the body generates too much collagen. This overproduction of collagen causes thickening and hardening of the skin and other organs. We’ve put together a list of fast facts about systemic sclerosis with help from the Scleroderma Foundation. MORE: Seven common…

As the weather turns warmer, many of us will be thinking about vacations and traveling. While traveling with a lung disease does require some careful consideration, having a lung disease doesn’t mean that you have to be confined to the house. The British Lung Foundation has…

This video from SclerodermaSoCal is all about Kelly Clemeshaw. Kelly began experiencing symptoms of scleroderma in 1992 when she was still in high school. She suffered from swelling of the hands and face, chronic fatigue and Raynaud’s syndrome. She was later diagnosed with the disease in 1994.

If you or your partner have recently been diagnosed with scleroderma, you may be concerned that the disease will impact intimacy. MORE: How serious is scleroderma? According to the Scleroderma Foundation, the effect scleroderma has on a person’s sex life can vary greatly from patient to patient. Many may not…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxOI5-OCTqo In this video from invisible i, Katy takes the time to discuss one of the invisible illnesses she suffers from: Raynaud’s Phenomenon. Many systemic scleroderma patients with Raynaud’s syndrome soon develop other conditions. Katy explains that with Raynaud’s phenomenon, the blood vessels in the hands and feet…

Because scleroderma is such a rare disease, there is a chance that some emergency service professionals haven’t come across a patient with the condition. They may not understand some of the intricacies of the disease and how best to approach caring for the patient. MORE: Twelve things to care for…

Having a chronic illness presents many challenges for patients, not only in terms of managing the symptoms they suffer but also having to deal with people’s preconceived ideas about invisible illnesses. MORE: Despite there being approximately 300,000 people in the U.S. who have scleroderma, it seems that many people…

This Project Scleroderma video posted on their Facebook page is all about 20-year-old Hollie from London, U.K. MORE: Scleroderma patient appeals for help for a complicated lung transplant.  Hollie first noticed something was wrong in her mid-teens when she began to experience joint pain in her hands. After visiting the…