Vitiligo
What is Vitiligo?
Vitiligo - one of the most complex and unexplored in the treatment of diseases. It can occur at any age and manifests the appearance of white spots on the skin, that is, areas devoid of pigment - melanin. This phenomenon is called depigmentation.
This disease is common in all countries of the world. The disease can occur at any age, but most often it occurs in women as well as young people aged up to 20 years. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of patients, both in the adult and pediatric population, especially among young people.
Vitiligo is a disease that conventional medicine is not very fan of. It is believed that it is the life and health is not threatened. But it is not so. Maybe the threat to life and there, but for the health harm is obvious. Because vitiligo is not only unpleasant cosmetic defect, but also more than a visual reminder of the serious violations of the body.
The causes leading to the development of vitiligo
Neither the cause nor the mechanism of action in the development of vitiligo to date not been identified conclusively.
It is assumed that a role is played by the following factors in the appearance of vitiligo:
violation of neuroendocrine nature (dysfunction of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, gonads);
trauma;
disorders of the autonomic nervous system (the predominance of sympathetic tone of the autonomic nervous system tone of its parasympathetic part);
autoimmune processes;
genetic predisposition, as evidenced by familial disease.
Of great importance in the development of vitiligo have stress, infectious diseases, chronic diseases of internal organs, intoxication, skin contact with certain synthetic fabrics, physical trauma.
Many patients were determined by an imbalance of vitamins, copper metabolism, iron, zinc and other micro-and macro, malabsorption syndrome was observed. In recent years, an important role is given to abuses on the part of the immune system, there is evidence of autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo.
Depigmentation (bleaching) can provoke intestinal worms (helminths), disrupting the normal activity of the endocrine glands and the resulting deficiency of copper in the body. Held in such cases deworming helped cure the sick.
The symptoms of vitiligo
The disease is usually chronic, and the patient mentally depressing causing discomfort. Disease begins with the appearance of the skin is slightly pink or milky white spots of color. Gradually the spots enlarge, acquire different values, clear lines, round or oval shape. Expanding, spots tend to merge with each other, forming large pockets. Outbreaks can be single or multiple, located in any part of the skin, most often in public places: on the face, the neck, upper and lower extremities, large folds in the vulva, anus.
Outbreaks often are arranged symmetrically, sometimes there are unilateral lesion, often localized along the nerve trunks. The foci of the hair change color, turn pale; violated perspiration and sebum secretion, vasomotor and muscular-hair reflexes (discolored skin loses its ability to respond to cold and other irritants in which a so-called "goose bumps").
Often accompanied by vitiligo solar dermatitis.
The most severe degree of vitiligo is a universal defeat, when the entire skin is depigmented.
Subjective sensations in patients with vitiligo do not have, and worried about them, as a rule, only a cosmetic defect. Some spots may disappear spontaneously. The patient should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, as the tanned skin white spots stand out more.
With the progression of vitiligo is depigmentation lesions appear on areas of recent injuries in areas of friction or pressure on the skin.
What can your doctor?
The diagnosis of vitiligo is placed on clinical grounds, and in most cases does not cause difficulties, due to the characteristic clinical manifestations of the disease.
Many factors contribute to the appearance of vitiligo, necessitates the multimodality treatment of this disease.
Vitiligo is a challenge for dermatologists due to the lack of a clear treatment regimen, despite the emergence in recent years of several cause-based approaches to therapy. Use drugs that increase the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, followed by irradiation of.
Complete recovery of patients is impossible without addressing comorbidities. Vitiligo - "cutaneous marker of internal disease."
There is an ongoing search for effective treatments for this disease.
What can you do?
If signs of disease should consult a dermatologist. But in describing the symptoms do not have to focus only on the problems with the skin, not to miss, and other features not related to the skin. Because, as mentioned above, the reason may be due to changes in the body as a whole.
Vitiligo - one of the most complex and unexplored in the treatment of diseases. It can occur at any age and manifests the appearance of white spots on the skin, that is, areas devoid of pigment - melanin. This phenomenon is called depigmentation.
This disease is common in all countries of the world. The disease can occur at any age, but most often it occurs in women as well as young people aged up to 20 years. In recent years there has been an increase in the number of patients, both in the adult and pediatric population, especially among young people.
Vitiligo is a disease that conventional medicine is not very fan of. It is believed that it is the life and health is not threatened. But it is not so. Maybe the threat to life and there, but for the health harm is obvious. Because vitiligo is not only unpleasant cosmetic defect, but also more than a visual reminder of the serious violations of the body.
The causes leading to the development of vitiligo
Neither the cause nor the mechanism of action in the development of vitiligo to date not been identified conclusively.
It is assumed that a role is played by the following factors in the appearance of vitiligo:
violation of neuroendocrine nature (dysfunction of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, gonads);
trauma;
disorders of the autonomic nervous system (the predominance of sympathetic tone of the autonomic nervous system tone of its parasympathetic part);
autoimmune processes;
genetic predisposition, as evidenced by familial disease.
Of great importance in the development of vitiligo have stress, infectious diseases, chronic diseases of internal organs, intoxication, skin contact with certain synthetic fabrics, physical trauma.
Many patients were determined by an imbalance of vitamins, copper metabolism, iron, zinc and other micro-and macro, malabsorption syndrome was observed. In recent years, an important role is given to abuses on the part of the immune system, there is evidence of autoimmune pathogenesis of vitiligo.
Depigmentation (bleaching) can provoke intestinal worms (helminths), disrupting the normal activity of the endocrine glands and the resulting deficiency of copper in the body. Held in such cases deworming helped cure the sick.
The symptoms of vitiligo
The disease is usually chronic, and the patient mentally depressing causing discomfort. Disease begins with the appearance of the skin is slightly pink or milky white spots of color. Gradually the spots enlarge, acquire different values, clear lines, round or oval shape. Expanding, spots tend to merge with each other, forming large pockets. Outbreaks can be single or multiple, located in any part of the skin, most often in public places: on the face, the neck, upper and lower extremities, large folds in the vulva, anus.
Outbreaks often are arranged symmetrically, sometimes there are unilateral lesion, often localized along the nerve trunks. The foci of the hair change color, turn pale; violated perspiration and sebum secretion, vasomotor and muscular-hair reflexes (discolored skin loses its ability to respond to cold and other irritants in which a so-called "goose bumps").
Often accompanied by vitiligo solar dermatitis.
The most severe degree of vitiligo is a universal defeat, when the entire skin is depigmented.
Subjective sensations in patients with vitiligo do not have, and worried about them, as a rule, only a cosmetic defect. Some spots may disappear spontaneously. The patient should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, as the tanned skin white spots stand out more.
With the progression of vitiligo is depigmentation lesions appear on areas of recent injuries in areas of friction or pressure on the skin.
What can your doctor?
The diagnosis of vitiligo is placed on clinical grounds, and in most cases does not cause difficulties, due to the characteristic clinical manifestations of the disease.
Many factors contribute to the appearance of vitiligo, necessitates the multimodality treatment of this disease.
Vitiligo is a challenge for dermatologists due to the lack of a clear treatment regimen, despite the emergence in recent years of several cause-based approaches to therapy. Use drugs that increase the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, followed by irradiation of.
Complete recovery of patients is impossible without addressing comorbidities. Vitiligo - "cutaneous marker of internal disease."
There is an ongoing search for effective treatments for this disease.
What can you do?
If signs of disease should consult a dermatologist. But in describing the symptoms do not have to focus only on the problems with the skin, not to miss, and other features not related to the skin. Because, as mentioned above, the reason may be due to changes in the body as a whole.