Vitiligo(Leucoderma) and Homoeopathy

Vitiligo is a long term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment.

Vitiligo is also known as LEUCODERMA. 

These spots are caused by destruction or weakening of the pigment cells in those areas, resulting in the pigment being destroyed or no longer produced.

The patches of skin affected become white and usually have sharp margins. The hair from the skin may also become white.

Inside the mouth and nose may also be involved. Typically both sides of the body are affected. Often the patches begin on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. It is more noticeable in people with dark skin.

In most cases, vitiligo is believed to be an autoimmune-related disorder. In vitiligo, only the colour of the skin is affected but texture and other skin qualities remain normal. The hair may also turn white that grows in areas affected by vitiligo.

It occurs when the melanocytes, cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The precise cause of vitiligo is complex and not fully understood.

There are some evidence suggesting it is caused by a combination of auto-immune,genetic, and environmental factors.

Risk factors include a family history of the condition or other autoimmune diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, alopecia areata, and pernicious anemia.

Sign and Symptoms:

- The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmented skin which tend to occur on the extremities.

- The patches are initially small, but often grow and change shape.

- When skin lesions occur, they are most prominent on the face, hands and wrists. The loss of skin pigmentation is particularly noticeable around body orifices, such as the mouth, eyes, nostrils, genitalia and umbilicus.

Some lesions have increased skin pigment around the edges.

- Those affected by vitiligo who are stigmatized for their condition may experience depression and similar mood disorders.

Diagnosis:

          An ultraviolet light can be used in the early phase of this disease for identification and to determine the effectiveness of treatment. Skin with vitiligo, when exposed to a blacklight, will glow blue. In contrast, healthy skin will have no reaction.

Differential Diagnosis:

- Chemical leukoderma is a similar condition due to multiple exposures to chemicals.

- Vitiligo however is a risk factor. Triggers may include inflammatory skin conditions, burns, intralesional steroid injections and abrasions.

- Other conditions with similar symptoms include the following:

1.Pityriasis alba

2.Tuberculoid leprosy

3.Postinflammatory hypopigmentation

4.Tinea versicolor

5.Albinism

6.Piebaldism

7.Idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis

8.Progressive macular hypomelanosis

9.Primary adrenal insufficiency

Homeopathy for Vitiligo:

       Homoeopathy is able to give wonderful and miraculous cures in many cases of Vitiligo. This is due to the fact that homoeopathic treatment enhances the natural production of pigments. According to homoeopathic philosophy Vitiligo is not a disease in itself but an expression of an inner disturbed state of the body. Thus, the cure should occur at a level where things have gone wrong.

       The homeopathic remedies for vitiligo given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the treatment of this condition.

       The symptoms listed against each medicine may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are also taken into account for selecting a homeopathic remedy for vitiligo.

Homeopathic Remedies for Vitiligo:

Bacillinum:

- The patient is suffer from chronic cold, cough & occasional history of haemoptysis.

- He has loss in weight, loss of appetite, flat chested young boys & girls, prominent ribs & prominent clavicles. We get history of asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis & even T.B. in patients.

- Taciturn, sulky, snappish, fretty, irritable, morose, depressed and melancholic even to insanity.

- Frightened particularly by dogs.

Graphites:

- Obese patient with a history of suppressed itch.

Suited to – Excessive cautiousness; timid, hesitates; unable to decide  about anything.

- Fidgety while sitting at work.

- Sad, despondent; music makes her weep; thinks of nothing but death.

Arsenicum Album:

- Arsenic Album is yet another useful remedy for vitiligo in persons prone to dry, rough skin. The skin shows whitish spots and skin is dry, dirty and rough.

- The skin complaint alternating with respiratory complaints like asthma is a strong pointer for using homeopathic medicine Arsenic Album.

- In general sphere warmth is a relieving factor for persons needing Arsenic album.

- Warm applications over skin and warm drinks are highly desirable.

- Burning sensations in varying body parts may also be noticed.

- Extreme exhaustion may also be present.

- The most prominent out of these are fears and anxieties. This remedy is often indicated in persons who have fears including that of death, disease, germs and of catching infection.

- Patients requiring Arsenic Album are highly anxious personalities. They may show anxieties about health, trifles and anxiety about others.

- Marked restlessness is often seen on both mental and physical planes in persons needing Arsenic Album. Next distinctive feature for selecting Arsenic Album in vitiligo is fastidiousness.

- Person demanding extreme neatness and order in everything are yet another suitable subjects requiring Arsenic Album.

Silicea:

- Homeopathic medicine Silicea carries a good scope to treat vitiligo when selected as per the constitutional makeup of the person.

- The set of symptoms that indicate the use of Silicea are – 

Pale and waxy skin; tendency to excessive perspiration on hands and feet;

- Tendency to eruptions with pus formation in various body parts;

- Tendency to catch cold on frequent basis;

lean, thin physical makeup .

- The main mind symptoms are timidity and an under-confident nature.

- Silicea may be thought of in people who seem under-confident, fear public speaking, are timid and bashful.

Obstinate behavior and stubbornness may also indicate its use.

Merc sol:

- There is history of dysentery with mucus & blood.

- Jaundice with liver enlargement.

- These patients are worst at night with salivation & have a syphilitic miasm.

- They perspire in bed & do not tolerate too hot or too cold climate.

- Nervous affections after suppressed discharges especially in psoric patients.

- Glandular and scrofulous affections of children.

Calcarea Carb:

- These white spots can appear anywhere on the body.

- These are unique constitutional symptoms that guide in the selection of Calcarea Carb:

- The first among these is tendency to free perspiration over the head, neck and chest.

- Intolerance to cold weather.

- Certain peculiar cravings may be present are – eggs, lime, pencils.

- Person needing Calcarea Carb may show tendency to catch cold easily.

- Weakness of bone may also be found. Easily fatigued by exertion.

- Tendency to chronic constipation and obesity also guides the selection of Calcarea Carb in vitiligo.

- Person may shows a number of fears. The prominent fears among them are fear of misfortune, of contagious disease, of losing reason and of insanity.

Nitric Acid:

- Homeopathic remedy for vitiligo where White spots are found at the muco-cutaneus junction.

- More seen over at the angle of the mouth, eyes, nose, nipples, glans penis, vulva, etc.

- Along with it, there may be fissure at the same spot.

- In some of the patients along with this there is a desire for eating chalk, pencils, etc., particularly in children.

Sepia:

- The constitutional picture of Sepia matches with that of a person suffering with vitiligo, it possess a great ability to completely eradicate the disease. 

- Constitutional symptoms that indicate the use of sepia are

Having an indifferent approach towards life and family.

- They show aversion towards family members and friends who were once loved with great affection.

- They lack interest in doing any work.

- Tendency to avoid both Physical or mental labor is present.

- They are constantly depressed with marked irritability, weeping tendency, desire to be alone and an aversion to consolation or sympathy.

- The use of Sepia must also be thought in women with menstrual irregularities or those around menopausal age with tendency to hot flushes.

- Best acted in females. Beside the usual white discolouration, these patients have irregular menses either early or late, scanty & painful menses in young girls.

- Leucorrhoea, prurites, dysparunia, & frigidity is noted.

- Most of the patients complain of morning sickness along with motion sickness, nausea, vomiting or headache travelling in a car or bus.

- These patients are not social, they prefer to be alone.

- Adapted to persons of dark hair, rigid fibre, but mild and easy decomposition.

Sulphur:

- Adapted to persons of a scrofulous diathesis, subject to venous congestion; especially of portal system.

- Persons of nervous temperament, quick motioned, quick tempered, plethoric, skin excessively sensitive to atmospheric changes.

- Although Homeopathic medicine Sulphur is mentioned quite low down in the list for treating vitiligo but its worth is equivalent to above narrated medicines.

- Sulphur is a deep acting homeopathic medicine used frequently in treatment of varying skin diseases including vitiligo.

- It goes deep inside the basic root cause to annihilate the disease in its complete extent.

- The persons requiring homeopathic medicine Sulphur usually show a philosophical mindset.

- They are popularly referred as ‘ragged philosophers’.

- Their mind is constantly occupied with various theories and plans.

- As a result they suffer from mental fatigue and absent mindedness.

- They take little or no care for their physical appearance and even show aversion to bathing.

- Persons who have suffered a lot from skin troubles, itchy skin with long term use of ointments are also likely to be benefited from use of homeopathic medicine Sulphur.

- Apart from all above said symptoms burning sensations in various body parts may be present along with white spots on skin. 

- An extra ordinary craving for sweets may also be shown as a constitutional symptom.

- Sulphur symptoms should be present like heat in the palms, soles, eyes, anus, vulva, vagina and on the top of the head.

- Irritability and obstinacy is also noted.

- There is a history of suppression of skin diseases or any other suppression like suppressed diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid & in tropics many other fevers.

- Generally hot patient but could be chilly.

- Irritability & obstinacy is also noted.

- For lean, stoop-shouldered persons who walk and sit stooping like old men.

- Standing is the worst position for sulphur patients; they cannot stand; every standing position is uncomfortable.

- Dirty, filthy people, prone to skin affections.

- Aversion to being washed; always < after a bath.

Thuja:

- Adapted to hydrogenoid constitution of  Grauvogl. Acts well in lymphatic temperament, in very fleshy persons, dark complexion, black hair unhealthy skin. 

- Homeopathy for vitiligo where there is history of vaccination.

- There is dreams of falling, startling in sleep, have warts on face or on the body, with loss of appetite after vaccination. There is history of tuberculosis or respiratory diseases.

- Ailments from bad effects of vaccination; from suppressed or maltreated gonorrhoea.

- Fixed ideas: as if a strange person were at his side; as if soul and body were separated; as if a living animal were in abdomen; of being under the influence of a superior power.

“Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines for vitiligo are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution etc.”

“A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions.”

Dr. Mayur Modi

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