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Step 1
Be aware that scleroderma is an auto-immune disease that has as its most distinctive feature a thickening of the skin. Scleroderma actually means "thick skin," but the symptoms can progress deeper than the dermal layer.
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Step 2
Check for other symptoms if you suspect that you may have scleroderma or notice a thickening and possible scaliness of the skin anywhere on your body. Other symptoms can include joint pain, muscle weakness, chest pain and acid in the esophagus (reflux esphagitis).
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Step 3
Take notes of your symptoms so you can share them with your doctor.
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Step 1
Know that the main form of diagnosis for scleroderma is a clinical evaluation. A doctor will listen to your list of symptoms, check your skin and give your body a thorough examination before attempting to diagnose your condition. Make an appointment as soon as you become concerned.
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Step 2
Know that a biopsy is often ordered if scleroderma is suspected. The tissue sample, or biopsy, is scrutinized under a microscope for further information on what is causing your symptoms. Scleroderma shares symptoms with a number of other ailments, so a number of tests may be done to determine that this is indeed what you are suffering from.
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Step 3
Have a blood sample taken to test for antibodies as part of the attempt to diagnose your condition. Since scleroderma is an auto-immune disease, albeit a non-contagious one, there may be the presence of certain antibodies in the system.
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Step 4
Understand that since scleroderma can affect various internal organs, other tests may be given to see if this is what is happening in your case.
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Step 1
Understand that scleroderma affects women four times as often as it does men. Also, although children can and do suffer from scleroderma, the average age when the disease is diagnosed is around 40.
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Step 2
Be aware that the disease is neither infectious nor contagious, and current medical thinking is that it is not inherited, either. It seems to occur when there is overproduction of collagen and certain proteins in the body.
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Step 3
Be aware that Native Americans of the Choctaw tribe and African-American women seem to be elevated risk groups, according to Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
