Adult (or Acute) Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a medical condition which prevents the normal breathing process from taking place. ARDS occurs when there is severe inflammation in both lungs resulting in an inability of the lungs to function properly. ARDS is a devastating, often fatal, inflammatory lung condition that usually occurs in conjunction with catastrophic medical conditions, such as pneumonia, shock, sepsis (or severe infection throughout the body, sometimes also referred to as systemic infection, and may include or also be called a blood or blood-borne infection), and trauma. It is a form of sudden and often severe lung failure. Lung failure means that the lungs can no longer carry out their normal function of getting oxygen into the blood and removing carbon dioxide from the body.
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Systemic Sclerosis ("scleroderma") is a rare, chronic autoimmune (arthritis) disease that primarily affects females who are 30 to 50 years old at onset. It is a serious illness that can affect any part of the body. It is broken down into categories such as Diffuse, Limited, CREST, and Overlap. Learn more at the sclero website
This type is often referred to as the "disease that turns people into stone" for the distinctive skin hardening that often occurs eventually. The hardening typically affects the hands, causing the fingers to curl inward.
There are dozens of symptoms of Systemic Sclerosis, and a huge variance in how people are affected by it. Often the illness develops slowly, with vague initial symptoms such as swelling of the hands, carpal tunnel syndrome, sensitivity to cold, fatigue, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and reduced endurance.
Scleroderma can be quite difficult to diagnose, and many people are misdiagnosed with CFS, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis in the beginning. Many people with scleroderma may have comparatively mild symptoms for decades, while those with the rare form of rapid-onset Diffuse Scleroderma, may quickly suffer disability, disfigurement, and even death.
The Cause of Scleroderma remains largely unknown. It is not contagious or cancerous. You can't catch it by kissing, holding hands, sharing eating utensils, or through sexual intercourse. Only about 1-2% of cases are genetic. Sometimes scleroderma is caused by chemical or environmental exposures.
Unfortunately, there is no proven treatment or cure for any form of scleroderma. However, there are effective treatments for many of the symptoms, many experimental treatments and clinical trials, and plenty of ways to lessen symptoms and adapt to the illness.
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