Vitiligo Day: be aware of symptoms, causes, and treatment

Despite the approach of the world Vitiligo day 2019, most people are still not conversant with this type of disease. Vitiligo is one dominant disease in society and can affect any individual, and any part of the body. This condition tends to cause white patches on the affected region, which is very sensitive to sunlight.

Many people in the world today do not know the importance of Vitiligo day. A more significant percentage of society do not know how to deal with this condition if it were to occur to them.

What is Vitiligo?

Vitiligo is a skin disease that tends to form pale white patches on the skin. The extent of these patches and the rate of color loss is undetermined. This condition can affect any part of the body regardless of whether it is exposed to sunlight directly or not.

What causes Vitiligo?

The primary cause of this skin disease is the lack of melanin, which is a significant pigment in the skin. Melanocytes are the cells within the skin responsible for producing melanin. Hence, when an individual's skin melanocytes that are destroyed, he or she is prone to get these pale white patches. Medical professionals also believe that one or more genes present in a person may make him or her more vulnerable to get the disorder.

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Other causes of this skin disease include:

• Family history of this skin condition
• A triggering event such as stress, sunburn, or exposure to industrial chemicals

What are the symptoms of Vitiligo?

White patches are a significant symptom of this disease. The patches are mostly present in areas that are exposed to sunlight. Thus, the patches maybe noticed on the:

• hands
• feet
• face
• arms
• lips
• eyes
• around the mouth and groin (where the legs meet the body)
• genitals
• nostrils
• navel
• rectal areas

Other symptoms that can tell an individual that he or she has this skin condition include:

• Patchy loss of skin color
• Premature whitening or graying of the hair on one's scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or beard
• The loss of color in the tissues lining the inside of one's mouth and nose (mucous membranes)
• Change or loss of color of the inner layer of the eyeball (retina)

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Where do these white patches mostly occur?

The location and size of your patches depend on the type of this disease one has acquired. The patches may cover:

1. Many parts of your body- This is the most common type of skin disease and is known as generalized Vitiligo. The pale patches tend to progress similarly on corresponding body parts.
2. Only one side or part of your body- This type of skin condition is called segmental Vitiligo. It is common at a younger age and has the tendency of progressing for about a year or two, and then stop.
3. One or only a few areas of your body. This type of condition is known as localized or focal.

What age is more vulnerable to acquire this condition?

Vitiligo can occur at any age but often occurs to an individual before they turn 20 years old.

When is world Vitiligo day?

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Vitiligo day is June 25 every year. This date is preserved is set to raise awareness about this skin condition. Each year has its theme. The international theme for 2019 was 'The Quality of Life of a Vitiligo Patient,' and the campaign focused solely on the mental and medical journey of Vitiligo.

Treatment of Vitiligo

The good news is that this skin disease is treatable. However, the treatment method an individual chooses may vary depending on the kind of treatment the specialist recommends for you, the vastitude or number of patches on your skin, and their prevalence, and the condition and outlook of the patient.

The widely used medical treatments for this skin disease include:

• Medicine and phototherapy as a combined treatment
• Medicated creams and ointments for skin
• Surgical procedures like – skin grafts and tattooing small areas of skin
• Oral medication
• Sunscreens
• Counseling and support

One of the essential days in medical history is world Vitiligo day. It is because a lot of information is shared with the world regarding this condition. People get to learn the causes of this skin condition, the symptoms, and how to treat it.

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Source: YEN.com.gh