What Is And How Do We Naturally Treat Scleroderma?

Scleroderma, also called progressive systemic sclerosis, is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the skin to thicken and harden, causes a build-up of scar tissue, and damages internal organs such as the heart and blood vessels, the lungs, the stomach and kidneys.

Some signs of scleroderma

An adequate diet, with certain nutrients, as well as some simple tips, will help us to significantly improve our quality of life.

Some of the signs that warn us that we may suffer from this disease are:

• Swelling.
• Edema.
• Hardening of the skin.
• Color change of the fingers.
• Gastroesophageal reflux.

The cause is, at the moment, unknown, although it is related to the immune system.

This disease is relatively rare, and most affected are women mainly between 30 and 50 years.

Feeding

Scleroderma is a disease that can be related to intolerance to certain foods. In this case, gluten and lactose. To confirm these intolerances we will consult with the doctor. They may recommend that we avoid these foods:

Foods that contain lactose, mainly: milk and its derivatives:

• Cheese.
• Yoghurt.
• Kefir.
• Ice creams.
• Desserts.
• Cream.
• All kinds of pre-cooked or packaged dishes that contain lactose.

We can substitute them for drinks and desserts made with rice, millet, tigernut, and all kinds of dairy desserts made for lactose intolerant.

Gluten-containing foods made from wheat, spelled, oats, rye, and barley such  as:

• Flours.
• Pasta.
• Bread.
• Pastries.
• Cake shop.
• Breakfast cereals.

We will replace these foods with others made with grain and rice flour , corn or buckwheat.

It must be taken into account that both gluten and lactose are added as an ingredient to many precooked dishes, purees, juices, sausages, nuts, frozen, etc. We must always look carefully at the ingredients.

The doctor will prescribe for how long we have to avoid these foods.

Nutrients

Healthcare professionals can take blood samples to check for protein and specific vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This includes blood tests to assess iron levels, as well as zinc and B12, vitamin D, carotene, and more.

Good circulation

Due to the characteristics of scleroderma, it is essential to take good care of the circulation of our body. Internally we can take infusions of rosemary and ginkgo biloba.

Externally we can do scrubs with some of the following natural remedies:

• • Rosemary vinegar : we will marinate vinegar with fresh rosemary branches.
  • St. John’s wort oil : we will marinate olive oil with St. John’s wort flowers for a month in an outdoor area where the sun touches it.
  • Natural cream in which we will mix aloe vera gel (we can buy it or extract it from the plant), rosehip oil and a few drops of rosemary, witch hazel or cypress essential oil .

Massages, stretching and exercise

It is very important to mobilize the skin and muscles that tend to contract well. We can go to a masseur but we can also perform stretching and self-massage, in the form of circles, gently dragging the skin.

Another way to improve circulation is to do half an hour of gentle exercise each day. We can walk, bike or swim.

This is a serious disease that should always be controlled by a doctor. Here we have offered you a few tips that you have to take into account if you suffer from it or believe that you may suffer some of the symptoms.