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How do you get Vitiligo?
A persistent question with people diagnosed with this condition
is how do you get vitiligo?
The most sincere answer is no one knows. Doctors know the
mechanism involved in losing
pigment in different parts of your body, but as of now they do
not know how the process
begins. The condition affects one to two percent of the
population around the world orclose to 70 million people.
Who gets vitiligo?
Just as the previous question the answer is not known. What
doctors do know is vitiligo
affects every race and gender equally and it generally strikes
people under the age 20 and
30. People who have family members with vitiligo have a slightly
higher risk as well as
those with different autoimmune disorder.
How do dermatologists diagnose vitiligo?
Your dermatologist is the best source to answer the question of
how do you get vitiligo?
Even though they might not be able to give you the right answer
at this time they can be a
great source of reliable information. A dermatologist will
determine if you have vitiligo
after reviewing your medical and family history as well as
performing physical
examinations including blood tests. Once you have been diagnosed
your dermatologist will
give you a prognosis based on the type of vitiligo you happen to
have.
What causes vitiligo?
Vitiligo is the result of your melanocytes not being able to
produce melanin. Without
melanin your skin loses pigment, this causes patches of skin
that are lighter than your
normal skin color. It is believed vitiligo is an autoimmune
disorder or a malfunction of the
nervous system. These hypotheses can be true in some instances
but it is not always the
case. Some of the theories are:
Autoimmunethis is when your immune system starts attacking your
melanocytesNeurogenic factorsa toxic substance released by your
nervous system candamage the melanocytes
Geneticsfactors such as heredity or trait can make some people
more susceptibleto vitiligo
Self-destructionin some instances melanocytes destroy
themselves
Other possible factors include traumatic and stressful
events.
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Types of vitiligo
Although there are different types of vitiligo the most common
types are classified as
segmental or unilateral vitiligo and non-segmental or bilateral
and generalized vitiligo.
Segmentalstarts at an early age and appears on one segment of
the body,meaning the symptoms appear on the right or left side of
the body. The progression
generally lasts about a year but this is not always the
case.
Non-segmentalthis type of vitiligo appears on both sides of the
body. It can stopand begin at any time throughout a persons life
making it hard to accurately
prognosticate. Pigment loss can expand covering a large portion
of the body.
The progressive nature of vitiligo makes it necessary to
revaluate your initial diagnosis.
Whether the disease is progressing or it is in remission talk to
your doctor to find out what
is happening with your particular case of vitiligo.
Outlook
The answer to the question how do you get vitiligo is not easily
answered, what you can do
if you have been diagnosed is stay informed about the latest
development about the disease
from reliable source. The outlook for vitiligo is very hard to
predict because there are
people who have overcome the disease and those who are still
living with it. Currently
there are many forms of therapy which make it possible to
pigment areas of your body that
have lost color. The key is not giving up and always looking for
a solution, if that is yourwish.
