What is Vitiligo?

Article by : Vitiligo Treatment


Vitiligo is a skin disorder that causes patches of white skin to appear on different parts of the body. It can occur in anyone, and affects all races and both genders equally. Worldwide, about 100 million people suffer from this condition and its prevalence in the United States is estimated to be around 1%.

What Cases Vitiligo?

In vitiligo, the cells responsible for giving the skin's its color (the melanocytes) are destroyed, hence the appearance of white patches. There may be several factors that can cause these cells to be destroyed, and sometimes the exact cause is unknown. It is believed that vitiligo may be an autoimmune disease, which causes the immune system to start attacking the melanocytes. It can also arise due to a disorder in the melanocytes themselves, causing them to trigger pathways that result in 'cell suicide'. Some researchers also believe that sunburn and chronic stress can cause vitiligo.

Symptoms of Vitiligo

The main symptoms of vitiligo are white patches on the skin. These patches often spread and become larger with time. The rate of spreading is highly variable - some people report very quick spreading while in others they spread slowly over several years. These patches tend to be found mostly on the areas that are exposed to the sun, such as the hands, feet, face and around the lips. However, they are also commonly found in the armpits and groin, at the navel, in the genital area, and at the nostrils. In addition, people with vitiligo often suffer from early graying of the hair.

Diagnosis of Vitiligo

White patches of skin are tell-tale signs of vitiligo, but there are other factors that confirm this diagnosis. These include whether the patient has a parent who suffers from vitiligo, whether autoimmune diseases run in the family, and whether the patient experienced grey hair before the age of 35. Sometimes, a biopsy and a blood test will be used to rule out other medical conditions.

How is Vitiligo Treated?

Treatment for vitiligo is still a highly-researched and changing area. Treatment will depend on the extent of the condition, and also how much the patient can afford, as many treatments tend to be very expensive. In addition, even the most specialized treatments are not always effective and are associated with a number of side effects.

Usually, one of the first treatment options recommended is steroid therapy and/or immunomodulators. However, both these pharmaceutical treatments can only be used in the short term and are notoriously ineffective and suffer from a high incidence of side effects. Another treatment option involves the use of ultraviolet light coupled with medications. However, this involves bi- or tri- weekly visits to a specialized clinic for weeks or months, is very expensive, and side effects include eye damage and an increased risk of skin cancer.

Yet another treatment option involves surgical skin grafting, but sometimes this causes skin trauma that ends up aggravating vitiligo even more. For very small patches of white skin, tattoos are sometimes used to cover these up.

It is interesting to note that as early as the 1980's, medical researchers had reported that they cured people of vitiligo using herbal extracts, mega doses of vitamins or a combination of herbs and vitamins. Several such reports were also published in the 1990s; for example, there was a group of Swedish doctors who cured patients of their vitiligo in just 3 weeks using only vitamin supplementation. However, nowadays such research has been hidden both from the general public and from the scientific community itself. This is because there is too much money involved in the more expensive treatments, and indeed vitiligo accounts for a large chunk of the pharmaceutical and medical industry's annual revenue. Doctors who know about the natural cures for vitiligo will not mention it as doing so will cause them to miss out on thousands of dollars from each patient. Worse, young doctors may never know about the natural alternative, as this research has been removed from all modern medical textbooks.

Due to the pharmaceutical and medical industry's wide-reaching influence and the money involved for all health professionals who deal with vitiligo, very few are willing to publicize findings that vitiligo can indeed be treated naturally, safely, extremely cheaply and in just a few weeks. One of these few medical researchers who dares to go against the current is Michael Dawson, a UK-based researcher and certified nutritionist who is doing a lot of work to try to make these findings available to the general public. He is the creator of the "Natural Vitiligo Treatment System™", a step-by-step guide to self-curing vitiligo holistically using an amalgamation of all the research done in the area together with his own research and self-experimentation.

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Nasal Polyps – Nasal Polyposis

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Nasal polyps are growths in the nasal cavity. They often look like grapes or small balloons within the structures of the nasal cavity.

What is going on in the body?

The nose acts as a filter, removing over 80% of particles in the air. A variety of agents entering the nose can cause inflammation. These agents include pollens, mold spores, animal dander, dust mites, dust, and dirt. Nasal polyps are the result of long-term, untreated nasal inflammation. Rarely, the polyps may protrude through the nostrils.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

Many disorders can lead to nasal polyps, including:

• asthma, a disease of the airways that is the most common cause
• chronic allergies
• sinusitis, particularly sinus infections cause by a fungus
• cystic fibrosis, a congenital disease that affects the airways
• sensitivity to aspirin
• structural abnormalities of the nose

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Symptoms & Signs

What are the signs and symptoms of the condition?

Most people with polyps already have sinus and nasal problems. The symptoms of nasal polyps are related to those illnesses. These include:

• nasal blockage
• chronic facial pain or headache
• excessive nasal secretions
• impaired sense of smell
• excessive post nasal drip, with nasal secretions going down the back of the throat
• chronic cough

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Diagnosis & Tests

How is the condition diagnosed?

Large nasal polyps are easy for the healthcare provider to see during a nasal exam with a special instrument. CT scans can clarify the extent of the underlying problem. Usually, nasal polyps are present in both sides of the nose.
If a polyp only appears on one side, it may be a tumor. In this case, a biopsy is needed to check for cancer.

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Prevention & Expectations

What can be done to prevent the condition?

Prevention involves proper control of the underlying problem. A person with chronic bacterial sinusitis needs to take the appropriate antibiotics. If there are structural abnormalities within the nose, they can be corrected surgically.

What are the long-term effects of the condition?

Untreated nasal polyps cause blockage of sinus drainage. If this occurs, chronic sinusitis can develop. Expanding mucus buildup can put pressure on the nerves that control eye movement and vision. This creates double vision or other visual impairments. In addition, mucus buildup can eventually lead to displacement of the eyeball in its socket. Sense of smell may become lost and asthma may become more difficult to manage.

What are the risks to others?

There are no risks to others, as the polyps are not contagious.

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Treatment & Monitoring

What are the treatments for the condition?

Polyps can usually be reduced with long-term nasal steroid therapy and management of the underlying disorder. If an individual continues to have symptoms despite medical therapy, surgery may be recommended.

What are the side effects of the treatments?

Side effects are specific to the medications used. In the case of surgery, hemorrhage, infection, and injury to eye structures may rarely occur.

What happens after treatment for the condition?

The symptoms usually subside after medical treatment. However, new polyps often develop, especially in people with asthma. Children with cystic fibrosis usually continue to have difficulties with polyps.

How is the condition monitored?

One of the earliest symptoms of polyp recurrence is the loss of sense of smell. If this occurs, a person should seek medical attention. Because recurrence is common, regular medical follow-up helps to determine the rate of regrowth and what type of therapy may be necessary. Any new or worsening symptoms should be reported to the healthcare provider.
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Attribution

Author:Mark Loury, MD
Date Written:
Editor:Planko, Christa, MA
Edit Date:04/19/00
Reviewer:Gail Hendrickson, RN, BS
Date Reviewed:08/20/0

Source: Nasal Polyps Treatment