What Is Scleroderma?
Scleroderma is a chronic disease that affects your skin, connective tissue, and internal organs. It comprises of two Greek words: “sclero” which means hard and “derma” means skin. It happens when the immune system causes the body to make too much of the protein collagen which results in the hardening of skin and formation of scars on your lungs and kidneys. Your blood vessels become thick and stop working. This leads to tissue damage and high blood pressure in the blood. It affects women more often than men and occurs between the ages group of 30 to 50.
What are the causes of Scleroderma?
The main cause of scleroderma is not known but the body’s immune system appears to play an important role in this disease. It is also caused due to the combination of factors including genetics and environmental triggers.
What are the symptoms of Scleroderma?
Scleroderma affects the skin in the early stages in which there are skin thickening and development of shiny areas around your mouth, nose, fingers, and other bony areas. As the condition becomes chronic, the movement of the affected areas becomes limited. Other symptoms of scleroderma include:
- Hair Loss
- Deposition of calcium, or white lumps under the skin
- Small and dilated blood vessels under the skin’s surface
- Joint pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dry cough
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Esophageal reflux
- Abdominal bloating
Patients may also experience spasms of the blood vessels in the fingers and toes. The extremities become white and blue when in the cold or feeling extreme emotional stress. It is called Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Home Remedies for Scleroderma:
Chandigarh Ayurved Centre is providing you the best home remedies for treating scleroderma. These remedies will help in reducing the symptoms associated with it.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric is an ancient herb that has been used in Ayurveda for many ages for treating skin and blood-related disorders. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immuno-modulator properties that provide strength to the immune system and reduce pain, swelling, and stiffness in the affected areas.
How to use
- Take a teaspoonful of pure turmeric powder and add it in a glass of hot milk. Drink this milk once or twice daily at night.
- Prepare a powder of pure turmeric and store it in a container. Take a teaspoonful of this powder with a glass of water once in a day.
- You can also add it to your cuisine for cooking purposes.
2. Garlic
Garlic the best known immuno-modulator herb that deals with scleroderma and its associated symptoms. It also treats other symptoms like muscle weakness, heartburn, swelling, and inflammation of joints.
How to use
- Chew 1 or 2 roasted garlic cloves on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Make a paste of it and apply it over the affected area of the skin. Leave it for 30 mins and then rinse it off with normal water.
3. Ginger
Ginger has anti-inflammatory and analgesic property that reduces the pain in scleroderma patients. It is a natural antioxidant that eliminates out the harmful toxins from the body.
How to use
- Grate fresh ginger and add it in two cups of water. Boil this mixture until it remains to one cup. Strain it and drink this Herbal Tea once or twice daily.
- You can drink fresh juice of ginger or consume it once or twice daily.
4. Onion
Onion contains compounds like cepaene & thiosulfinates that show an anti-inflammatory property. It reduces inflammation, stiffness, muscle weakness, and pain in joints related to scleroderma. It also reduces swelling hence it reduces pain also.
How to use
- Take onion extract and apply it over the affected part. Keep it for 30 minutes and then remove it with normal water.
- Use onion for cooking purposes in your food.
5. Gotukola
The Gotukola herb is a very helpful herb that reduces the signs and symptoms related to scleroderma patients. It also maintains the overall circulation of the body.
How to use
- Take fresh leaves of herb Gotukola and boil it in two cups of water until it remains to a half cup. Strain it and drink this herbal tea once or twice daily.
- Gotukola capsules are prepared with the pure extract of Gotukola and are available in the market. You can take one capsule twice daily with normal water.
6. Peppermint
The peppermint herb has menthol in it that has a soothing and cooling effect on the body. It has anti-inflammatory, digestive, and carminative properties that keep the digestive system strong and aids in digestion. It also reduces pain, inflammation, swelling, dryness in the mouth, etc. This is also the best herb for reducing the symptoms associated with scleroderma.
How to use
- Take fresh peppermint leaves & chew it on an empty stomach in the morning.
- Prepare an herbal tea by six to ten leaves of peppermint and boil them in two cups of water. Boil it until the remaining half cup. Strain this mixture and let it cool down. Drink this herbal tea once or twice daily.
7. Cinnamon
The cinnamon herb is the most easily available herb in your kitchen and cinnamaldehyde is the active compound resent in it. It shows antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, & immuno-modulator properties that keep the immune system strong.
How to use
- Take a stick of Cinnamon herb and boil them in two cups of water. Boil it until it remains to half. Strain and use this herbal tea once or twice daily.
- You can also add a teaspoonful of Cinnamon powder in a glass of water and boil them until it remains to half. Strain the mixture and drink this herbal decoction once daily.