Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
Health & Fitness

A Hard Disease with a Harder Name

Darpan News Desk, 10 Jun, 2016 11:17 AM
  • A Hard Disease with a Harder Name
The word itself is like a tongue twister. It is hard to say. But scleroderma is an even harder disease, a rare disorder that sees its patients fighting not only the devastating effects of their skin hardening, but also a stigma that comes with a general lack of awareness of scleroderma and its symptoms. It affects thousands of people, but millions don’t know anything about it.
 
“With no known cause or cure, scleroderma is a disease that doesn’t discriminate,” says Maureen Sauvé, a scleroderma patient and past president of the Scleroderma Society of Canada. “It can strike at men and women, young and old, any ethnicity. But we shouldn’t have to suffer alone. We are not our disease.”
 
Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to produce too much collagen, which in turn causes patches of skin to harden. Symptoms are both visible and invisible, attacking any organ in the body, and they make every day life extremely difficult.
 
As a rare disease, research into better therapies — and, ultimately, a cure — is vital. But resources are thin. Over the course of the month of June, Scleroderma Awareness Month, several communities across Canada are hosting fundraising and awareness events to raise money for research and educate about scleroderma and its devastating effects.
 
“The science is getting better and our understanding of scleroderma is improving,” says Maureen. “But we still have a long way to go. We are better treating the symptoms, and our capacity to support people living with the disease is rapidly improving. We can continue this progress by building awareness and support.”
 
Find the scleroderma event closest to your community by visiting the events page at scleroderma.ca. More resources are also available at hardword.org.

MORE Health & Fitness ARTICLES

Response to food images linked to glucose levels

Response to food images linked to glucose levels
Does the mere sight of food ignite desire to gorge upon high-calorie meals? This may well be due to low blood sugar levels in your body...

Response to food images linked to glucose levels

Daily running can lower death risk

Daily running can lower death risk
A new US study has suggested that running everyday, even for a few minutes, can significantly reduce a person's risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases....

Daily running can lower death risk

Gym bag must-haves

Gym bag must-haves
Excited about hitting the gym and cutting flab? Make sure to carry essentials like water bottle, hair ties and deodorant in your duffle bag....

Gym bag must-haves

People who work longer smoke more

People who work longer smoke more
Do you work for long hours? Check your smoking habits. New research has revealed that people who work longer smoke more....

People who work longer smoke more

Slow down to instil sexual desire in her

Slow down to instil sexual desire in her
Does being nice and responsive increase sexual desire in her? Do men perceive responsive women as more attractive and vice versa? The answers lie...

Slow down to instil sexual desire in her

Drink tea for thinner body, beautiful skin

Drink tea for thinner body, beautiful skin
Scientific research testifies to the health benefits of all kinds of tea, which not only help with beauty factors but also weight loss and hydration of skin, reports femalefirst.co.uk....

Drink tea for thinner body, beautiful skin