Vitiligo Symptoms
Vitiligo affects the 1% of population without discrimination of race, sex, age and background. Victims of Vitiligo lost their little pigments before the 20 years old. It does not physically affect the body but may cause the psychological problems.
The most notable symptom of vitiligo is de-pigmentation of patches of skin that occurs on the extremities. Although patches are initially small, they often enlarge and change shape. When skin lesions occur, they are most prominent on the face, hands and wrists. De-pigmentation is particularly noticeable around body orifices, such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, genitalia and umbilicus. Some lesions have hyper-pigmentation around the edges. In regards to psychological damage, vitiligo can have a significant effect on the mental health of a patient. Psychological stress may even result in an individual becoming more susceptible to vitiligo. Patients who are stigmatized for their condition may experience depression and similar mood disorders.
Vitiligo symptoms include milky white spots on the areas of the skin which are more exposed to sunlight such as hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. These blotches can not be felt with fingers though. In some cases, small areas may get its pigment back as they are recolonized by melanocytes. Some patches are re-pigmented and others become affected. Hence, the location of vitiligo affected skin changes over time. People with dark skin may notice a loss of color inside their mouths and nostrils. In addition to white patches on the skin, individuals may have premature graying of the scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard.
Vitiligo is a disorder which can be brought on by a variety of precipitating causes. The primary symptom of the disorder is the loss of skin color. Hair growing from the affected areas also lacks color. Moreover, people with this condition may have pigment abnormalities of the retina or iris of the eyes. Once it is diagnosed, Vitiligo treatment becomes indispensable. It is important to combat the other disorders that Vitiligo brings along. Vitiligo symptoms appear in several patterns. Specialists categorize them into Focal Pattern, Segmental Pattern and Generalized Pattern.
This disorder has many patterns distribution but generally, it appears in one of three patterns; focal, segmental and generalized patterns respectively. In focal pattern, the de-pigmentation is limited to one or only a few areas. In segmented pattern, white patches develop on only one side of the body whereas in generalized pattern, the patches appear all over the body. Sometime, these white spots or patches may appear as mirror images on the opposite side of the body.
In Non-segmental vitiligo (NSV), there is usually some form of symmetry in the location of the patches of de-pigmentation. New patches also appear over time, and can be generalized over large portions of the body, or localized to a particular area. Vitiligo where little pigmented skin remains is referred to as vitiligo universalis. NSV can come about at any age, unlike segmental vitiligo which is far more prevalent in teenage years.
Segmental vitiligo (SV) differs in appearance, aetiology and prevalence from associated illnesses. Its treatment is also different from that of NSV. It tends to affect areas of skin that are associated with dorsal roots from the spine. It spreads much more rapidly than NSV and, without treatment, patches of de-pigmented skin remain throughout life.
Vitiligo does not cause any physical discomfort to the affected skin, but people may feel very distressed and unhappy by the abnormal appearance of their skin. Attention should be paid to the psychological well-being of Vitiligo affected people. If you also have Vitiligo disease, you must be aware of the danger, a stressful life, which triggers the vitiligo. So upon noticing any of the aforementioned symptoms, consult your doctor immediately. |
