Connective tissue diseases

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Marfan syndrome

By Sama Mohamed

What is Marfan syndrome? Marfan syndrome (also known as Marfan’s syndrome) is a disorder that affects the connective tissue that strengthens and stabilises the joints and muscles. It generally affects the limbs, but can also affect the skeleton, eyes, lungs, heart and nervous system. It is usually inherited from a parent with the condition. Marfan syndrome used to cut short people’s lives, but now people have a normal life expectancy What are the symptoms of Marfan syndrome? People with Marfan syndrome are often tall and slim, with longer than usual limbs, fingers and toes. They may have a long, thin

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Lupus

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Key facts Lupus is an autoimmune illness where your immune system attacks your own normal cells. It mostly affects your skin and joints, but it can affect any part of your body. Stress, exposure to sunlight, infections and some medicines can trigger symptoms of lupus. It can be hard to diagnose lupus because there is no single test that confirms it. There is no cure for lupus, but you can manage your symptoms with a combination of medicines and a healthy lifestyle. What is lupus? Lupus is a chronic autoimmune illness. This means that your immune system attacks your body’s own

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Rheumatoid arthritis

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Key facts Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause pain and swelling in your joints. People who have rheumatoid arthritis often experience times when their joints are particularly painful. It is important not to delay speaking to your doctor if you think you may have rheumatoid arthritis. Starting treatment as soon as possible helps avoid serious symptoms. You can slow down further damage to your joints and manage pain with medicines, exercise and lifestyle changes. What is rheumatoid arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause pain and swelling in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis

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Scleroderma

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

What is scleroderma? Scleroderma is a long-term condition affecting the connective tissue of the body. Connective tissue is the tissue that connects and supports your joints, muscles, skin and organs. People with scleroderma produce too much collagen, which makes their connective tissue, including skin, hard and tight. Scleroderma can either be ‘localised’, which only affects the skin, or ‘diffuse’, which affects internal organs or blood vessels as well as skin. This is sometimes known as systemic sclerosis. What are the symptoms of scleroderma? The symptoms of scleroderma depend on the type of scleroderma you have and which part of your

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Sjögren’s syndrome

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

What is Sjögren’s syndrome? Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disorder, where the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells. It typically attacks the glands that normally produce tears, saliva and sweat. Other parts of the body may also be affected. The cause of Sjögren’s syndrome is unknown. It is more common in women, people over 40 and those who have rheumatic disease, like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Most people with Sjögren’s syndrome are able to live normally, without any serious complications, especially if they take care to manage their symptoms. What are the symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome? People with

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Vasculitis

By Dr. Ahmed Hafez

Key facts Vasculitis is a group of disorders where you have inflammation of your blood vessels. Vasculitis can cause a range of different symptoms depending on the type and the body part/s affected. If the vasculitis is from an infection it will usually improve when the underlying problem is treated. Vasculitis can also be from an autoimmune disorder — this needs treatment with medicines that act on your immune system. It is important to seek help right away if you think you have vasculitis, as early treatment can help prevent long-term damage. What is vasculitis? Vasculitis occurs when there is

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Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

By Sama Mohamed

What is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome? Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a genetic condition that mainly affects the joints, skin and walls of the blood vessels. People with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or EDS, have very loose, hypermobile joints. Their skin is stretchy and fragile. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome can’t be treated, but the symptoms can usually be managed. What are the symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome? There are many different types of EDS. All of them involve extremely flexible joints and fragile skin that bruises and stretches easily. Some find their joints are so flexible that they have frequent dislocations, and this often leads to pain in the joints.

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Arthritis

By Sama Mohamed

What is arthritis? Arthritis is not one disease alone, but an umbrella term for more than 100 conditions that affect the joints of the body. Joints are points where 2 or more bones meet, such as in the wrist, knuckles, hips, knees and ankles. If you have arthritis, the joints are inflamed, causing discomfort and pain. It can range from mild to severe and can affect people of all ages. It affects nearly 4 million Australians, including at least 6,000 children. The 3 most common types of arthritis found in Australians are: osteoarthritis rheumatoid arthritis gout Other types of arthritis include:

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