Daily care of systemic sclerosis

       Systemic sclerosis, also known as scleroderma and progressive systemic sclerosis, is a systemic connective tissue disease characterized by limited or diffuse skin thickening and fibrosis leading to sclerosis and atrophy. It can involve the heart, lungs, kidneys and digestive tract and other internal organs, causing multi-system damage.  1.Keep a comfortable mood, treat the disease correctly and cooperate with the treatment.  2.Avoid cold and humid living environment, pay attention to keep warm. Avoid sun exposure and hot and cold stimulation.  3, according to the condition of the choice of general food, semi-liquid or liquid diet; eat easy to eat less and more meals, chew slowly; eat high protein, high calorie, high vitamin light and delicious, easy to digest low salt diet, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid hard food, spicy and stimulating food, coffee, and alcohol and tobacco. If you have difficulty swallowing, eat semi-liquid or paste-like easy-to-digest food, and drink more water when eating solid food. For those with severe swallowing difficulties, give nasal fluid or/and intravenous nutrition to ensure basic energy supply. Take a seat or semi-recumbent position when eating to reduce gastric-esophageal reflux, and give anti-reflux medication if necessary.  4. Instruct patients to take care of themselves as much as possible in daily life, take a 15-minute hot bath after waking up every day, and wash hands and face with hot water normally. For dry and itchy skin, use moisturizing skin and mild lubricants to stop itching after bathing.  5, appropriate joint activities, preferably after a warm bath, each time each joint repeated 2 times to prevent muscle atrophy; try to maintain the functional position of the joint, if necessary, splinting. For stiff joints, massage, hot bath or physiotherapy.  6.When there is Raynaud’s phenomenon: avoid staying in the cold air for a long time in winter, adjust the thickness of gloves and socks according to the temperature change to keep the temperature of the extremities; avoid entering the refrigerator directly to take things and avoid contact with cold water.  7.Patients who are bedridden should be turned regularly and padded with small cotton pads at the extremities or protruding parts to prevent local pressure, poor blood circulation and the formation of pressure sores and ulcers.  8. Pay attention to bed rest and ensure sufficient sleep. Develop good oral hygiene habits and brush your teeth after three meals. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to prevent damage to the gums.  9. Take medication correctly as prescribed by the doctor and master the correct use of immunosuppressants or glucocorticoids and the prevention of their common complications. Avoid increasing or decreasing the dose of medication on your own. Review regularly. When the disease is active, it is advisable to review once a month to adjust the treatment plan and monitor the drug response. After the disease is stabilized, regular blood and urine tests and liver and kidney functions should be performed at least once every 3-6 months.