Keep Warm
THIS WINTER
(With a lit tle advice from our friends)
The winter months are upon us so it’s time to wrap up against the cold. When you’ve got a chronic health condition like PH which can affect your circulation and slow you down, it is particularly important to keep warm.
O
ur friends at the Raynaud’s and Scleroderma Association and Scleroderma Society are also focused on helping people to defend themselves against winter chills, particularly in their extremities. Many PHA UK members are familiar with Raynaud’s and scleroderma as there are strong links between the conditions and PH. Raynaud’s affects around five per cent of the population. The condition narrows the blood vessels and can severely reduce blood flow especially in the fingers and toes. A small proportion of people with Raynaud’s also develop scleroderma, a rare autoimmune condition, through which individuals overproduce collagen which deposits within the body causing hardening and scarring. The condition can affect the skin, muscle tissue and internal organs. Some patients with scleroderma go on to develop PH as the condition stiffens and thickens the walls of the pulmonary artery, which, in turn, causes a build-up of pressure and puts strain on the heart. This type of PH is called connectivetissue disease-associated pulmonary hypertension. For more information please visit the Scleroderma Society website at www.sclerodermauk.org And for a little expert advice to help you keep warm this season, visit the Raynaud’s and Scleroderma Association (RSA) shop online at www.rsa-shop.co.uk
The page opposite shows a few cosy suggestions from the RSA shop. News Flash: The Raynaud’s and Scleroderma
Association and the Scleroderma Society have announced plans to merge in early 2016 to form Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK (SRUK). We wish our partner charities every success going forward together!
WINTER 2015 emphasis 40
