Finger Ulcers a Problem for Scleroderma Patients

Scleroderma Foundation eLetter

eLetter #409

Greetings!

Thank You for a Great Weekend
in the "City by the Bay"

Dinesh Khanna, M.D., MS.c (left), with Scleroderma Foundation CEO Robert Riggs. Dr. Khanna was awarded "Doctor of the Year" during the awards banquet.

More than 520 people attended the 2011 National Patient Education Conference last weekend in San Francisco. With the generous support of staff and volunteers from the Northern California Chapter, this year's conference was a huge success with 56 workshops and panel discussions, a dessert reception, awards banquet and more.

If you were unable to attend or would just like to relive the memories of the event, check out the full recap in the Fall 2011 issue of "Scleroderma Voice," which lands in mailboxes in mid-August. (Not a Foundation member? Don't miss out on exclusive content, join today!)

Finger Ulcers a Problem for Scleroderma Patients

A significant number of patients with systemic sclerosis develop digital ulcers, greatly increasing their disease burden and the likelihood of complications, researchers reported at the annual meeting of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) in May.

For instance, 29.8 percent of patients with one or more digital ulcers developed critical ischemia of the affected digit, compared with 7.4 percent of those without ulceration, according to Marco Matucci-Cerinic, M.D., of the University of Florence in Italy, and colleagues. And 15.8 percent of those with ulcers needed antibiotics for soft tissue infection compared with 1.8 percent of those with no ulcers.

Tips to Prevent Dry Mouth

According to the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health in America, dry mouth is a side effect of more than 400 prescription and over-the-counter drugs, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxants and high blood pressure medicines.

Dry mouth may make it difficult to speak, chew and swallow, and may alter the taste of your food. It can also cause a sore throat, hoarseness and bad breath.

Learn more about dry mouth, how to prevent it and other advice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Got Direct Deposit for Your SSDI?

With the 2011 hurricane season under way, Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, has an important message for people receiving checks from Social Security: please sign up for Direct Deposit before the first storm hits.

"Direct Deposit is a secure and convenient way to receive Social Security payments, particularly when a natural disaster strikes," Commissioner Astrue said. "This is a simple step people can take to eliminate one concern as they prepare for the hurricane season. Having funds available in the event of a storm is critically important."

Sign up to receive your payments electronically at www.godirect.org.

Save the Date: Rare Disease/Orphan Product Summit, Oct. 11-13

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) will co-sponsor the 1st Annual Rare Diseases/Orphan Products Summit Tuesday, Oct. 11, through Thursday, Oct. 13. Collaborating organizations include EURORDIS (the European Rare Disease Organization), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Duke Clinical Research Institute.