Causes of Vitiligo
January 12, 2009
The term Vitiligo refers to a skin disorder that is caused by pigmentation irregularity. In people suffering from this ailment, melanocytes and mucous membrane that line the inside of the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas, and the retina of the eyes get battered. In the absence of melanocytes, the production of the coloring pigment, melanin is negatively affected. As a result, white patches start appearing on different body parts. In people who are affected by this disorder, even the body hairs turn white.
White patches on the skin are the most prominent symptom of vitiligo. These patches mainly occur in those parts exposed to sun light such as hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. Other areas that are prone to attack include armpits and groin, eyes, nostrils, navel, and genitals.
Some scientists attribute the cause of this disease to the crazy behavior of antibodies. In people affected with vitilgo, antibodies created by the body for protecting its cells, turn against it and destroy own melanocytes. Yet another theory in this regard is that melanocytes destroy themselves.
Whatever be the true reason, the total number of people who are affected with this discoloring ailment has crossed fifty million. Both men and women fall victim to Vitilgo though it has been found that those under forty years of age are prone to the disorder.
Vitiligo is found to be more common in those people who suffer from certain autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases are those ailments characterized by a person’s immune system reacting against the body’s own organs or tissues. The main autoimmune diseases that are associated with Vitiligo include hyperthyroidism (over activity of the thyroid gland), adrenocortical insufficiency (the adrenal gland does not produce enough of the hormone corticosteroid), alopecia areata (bald patches), and pernicious anemia (decreased count of red blood cells due to the failure of the body to absorb vitamin B12).
Some patients inherit this disease. However, most children do not get attacked by this disease if a single parent is infected. If both the parents are affected with vitilgo, then the child is likely to develop it.
St.Botanica Cosmetics
Recent Articles
Understanding Swine Flu
With the news of outbreak of swine flu in various parts of the world, there is suddenly a lot of panic and doubts in the minds of numerous people. However, to deal with a problem in the right way
Causes of Nausea
If you suffer from nausea and vomiting, then you would like to know the cause behind it. Nausea is often a symptom of some underlying trouble and knowing the cause helps in effectively dealing with the problem.
Important Herbs for Digestion
Digestive related disorders can be extremely uncomfortable, annoying and even painful, disrupting the healthy life of a person. There are certain herbs that can help you to naturally keep your digestive system
The Health Benefits of Yoga for the Body and Mind
It’s surprising that more people don’t practice yoga to improve their mental and physical fitness, because it’s one of the world’s easiest programs to follow. Yoga can be performed by anyone in any condition
The Best Weight Loss Secrets
The fact that most people are or are becoming overweight is now common knowledge. As a result of this, there are many weight loss plans and diet programs in the media.
