Did you know that vitiligo is associated with psychological distress, especially in dark-skinned individuals for whom it causes concerning cosmetic skin changes? Also, in some parts of the world, such as in rural India, vitiligo is considered to be a social stigma, particularly for young girls. Well, you should know that vitiligo is an acquired autoimmune skin condition that is characterized by the destruction of epidermal melanocytes causing loss of skin pigment. Read on to know more.
What are vitiligo causes?
When the pigment-producing cells die, it is considered as one of the primary vitiligo causes. This might be caused due to a disorder that affects the immune system. This destroys the melanocytes in your skin and causes vitiligo. Even though it is rare, heredity can be considered as one of the vitiligo causes. Children whose parents are suffering from vitiligo and associated with autoimmune diseases are more probable to get the disease. Some conditions such as sunburn, stress or exposure to industrial chemicals can lead to vitiligo. A few factors that may aggravate vitiligo are deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate, copper and zinc.
What are vitiligo symptoms?
Vitiligo changes your skin colour and forms white patches on your skin. Initially, the discolouration appears on sun-exposed areas, such as the hands, arms, face, feet and lips. Other vitiligo symptoms are early whitening or greying of hair, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard, patchy loss of skin colour, and loss of or changes in colour of retina.
Even though vitiligo can hit people of any age, it usually appears before the age of 20. The discoloured patches might affect:
- Different parts of the body
- Only one side or one part of the body. This type is called segmental vitiligo and tends to occur at a younger age, may progress for a year or two and gradually it stop.
- One or on a few areas of the body. This type is also referred to as localized (focal) vitiligo.
What are vitiligo complications?
Vitiligo might trigger certain complications. These complications might include the following.
- Social or psychological distress
- Sunburn and skin cancer
- Eye problems like inflammation of the iris
- Hearing loss
How to diagnose vitiligo?
Vitiligo can be easily diagnosed from the way the skin appears. In addition, your medical and family history will enable homeopaths to confirm your diagnosis. Blood tests might be done for the following purposes.
- To check thyroid functions
- To check for diabetes
- To rule out pernicious anaemia
Which vitiligo treatment should you choose?
The conventional vitiligo treatments include Photo chemotherapy, micro-pigmentation (tattooing), and skin grafts. But there are possible side effects to conventional vitiligo treatments. These include severe sunburn and blistering, short-term results, recurrence if the disease is not controlled, and scarring.
And without any further ado, you should consider switching to homeopathic vitiligo treatment and cure it. Homeopathic and herbal remedies have been used for hundreds of year to tackle afflictions such as stress, insomnia and allergies. The scope of homeopathic vitiligo treatment extends beyond the physical symptoms and the approach is more holistic in nature. It also addresses the underlying conditions of mental stress and depression that are seen in many cases, to help patients be re-integrated into normal life. Even after starting the treatment, the patient may notice the occurrence of some new spots; however, this is because it takes some time to control the disease activity and balance the immune system. Homeopathic medicine is known to be safe, without any adverse effects, and the patients are not advised any particular dietary restrictions.
Conclusion
If you notice any vitiligo symptoms, book an appointment with your homeopath. Considering the severity of vitiligo, your homeopath suggests the right treatment for you.
