What does it feel like to have connective tissue disease?

Early indications of mixed connective tissue disease can include: General feeling of being unwell. This can include increased fatigue and a mild fever. Cold and numb fingers or toes (Raynaud’s phenomenon).

Does connective tissue disease go away?

There is currently no cure for mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). However, treatments can help manage symptoms of the condition. For example, medications such as over-the-counter or prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may help with inflammation and pain of the muscles or joints.

Is lupus a connective tissue disease?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder affecting the connective tissue. In autoimmune disorders, the body’s own immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues causing inflammation and malfunction of various organ systems.

What medication is used for connective tissue disease?

Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) can treat mild mixed connective tissue disease and might prevent flare-ups. Calcium channel blockers.

What are the symptoms of connective tissue disease?

Other complications include the build-up of fluid around the lung and scarring of the lung tissue. SLE can also cause a condition called lupus pneumonitis, an inflammation of the lungs that can be chronic. Symptoms of these conditions include shortness of breath, chest pain, difficulty breathing and coughing.

Is there such a thing as mixed connective tissue disease?

Many people with this uncommon disease also have Sjogren’s syndrome. For this reason, MCTD is sometimes called an overlap disease. In mixed connective tissue disease, the symptoms of the separate diseases usually don’t appear all at once.

How to recognize different types of connective tissue?

Be able to recognize different types of connective tissue ( e.g ., dense irregular, dense regular, loose, adipose) and provide examples where they are found in the body. Be able to recognize a basement membrane (or basal lamina) in sections or micrographs where the structure is conspicuously present and understand its functions.

What happens to collagen in connective tissue disease?

The disease occurs when a mutation in two genes responsible for type 1 collagen reduces the amount or quality of the protein. Type 1 collagen is important to the structure of bone and skin.