As they re-warm, a flushed red color is apparent. In extreme situations, this can cause sores on fingers or toes or even gangrene on the ends of digits. Disorders of the esophagus are also very common. The muscles of the esophagus are affected in such a way as to interfere with normal motion. Eventually, a stricture may develop which interferes with swallowing.
Arthritis is a common part of scleroderma.
This may involve small and large joints, with or without typical swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. This can lead to more serious health problems that are very challenging to treat. Lung involvement is frequently found in this disorder. Lung tissue develops a thickening of fibrosis, which interferes with the passage of oxygen. This causes shortness of breath with exertion and may be increasingly disabling.