Homeopathy Can Work Wonders in Vitiligo Treatment

Homeopathy Can Work Wonders in Vitiligo Treatment

It is a skin disorder in which the cells that make melanin pigment (melanocytes) are destroyed. The destruction results in the loss of pigment and the appearance of irregular white patches on the skin.

 

some cured cases by me 

 

Vitiligo is a skin disorder in which the cells that make melanin pigment (melanocytes) are destroyed. The destruction results in the appearance of white patches on the skin. Vitiligo can occur at any age, but usually occurs before the age of 20 in about 50% of patients.
There are five main types of vitiligo, which are based upon the location of the white patches and the pattern of involvement: focal, generalized, acrofacial, segmental and universal.

• Focal Vitiligo – minimal involvement with only one or a very few white patches scattered on the skin
• Generalized Vitiligo – the most common type with symmetrical patches on any location on the skin including the trunk and/or extremities
• Acrofacial Vitiligo – white patches limited to the fingers and around the mouth and eyes
• Segmental Vitiligo – white patches on one side of the body and in a linear or line-like distribution (dermatome)
• Universal vitiligo – Widespread patches involving almost the entire body

The cause of vitiligo is not well understood. It is believed to be an autoimmune, disorder which means that certain blood cells in your body, lymphocytes, turn against and attack the melanocytes. Another theory is that vitiligo is caused by an interaction between the body’s nerve cells and melanocytes.
Vitiligo may be associated with other immune disorders. They include Addison disease (an adrenal gland disorder), alopecia areata, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, parathyroid disease, melanoma, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (yeast infection), pernicious anemia, and uveitis (eye disorder).

 

Skin is made up of many layers. Skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects, maintains the temperature balance, releases out the toxins out of the body in the form of sweat and maintains the equilibrium. It reflects the internal and general health of the person. Unhealthy, Patchy, Dry, Discolored and Pigmented skin depicts indication for certain medical diseases.

Skin cell contains Melanin, a dark pigment that gives the Colour to the Skin and protects it from the strong rays of the Sun that are particularly harmful. If the Melanin is destroyed at certain part of the body or not produced then the skin looses its colour and turns leave white spots known as Leukoderma or Phulveri in laymen's language. Leukoderma means Leuco - White and Derma - Skin also known as Vitiligo in medical terminology. It is also true that all white spots are not of leukoderma.

Children born with congenital absence of Melanin have complete white skin of the whole body called Albinism that is a congenital and incurable condition.

Though the exact cause of Leukoderma is not known to the medical world still Stress, and General Low Immunity level are considered certain precipitating factors for this ailment. Vitiligo the depigmentry disorder is wide spread in India and has higher percentage than in Western countries. Because of its disfiguring presentation, it gives rise to severe Psychological Strain and Social Stigma. The Occurrence of leukoderma is Stress related is about 42%, Hereditary 28% and Worms infested 30%.

Leukoderma patch may start as a small white colored almost milky patch that keeps on increasing in varying size and shapes. Patches are usually uniform in colour with well-demarcated edges because of peripheral hyperchromia. It may occur anywhere on the body or all over the body but still the commonest sites are around lips, on cheeks, bilaterally distributed on legs, hands, fingers, chest or back around the eyes and even on the head. A single white strand of hair could be the first sign of vitiligo on the scalp. Few patients have these patches around or over the joints like elbow, knee etc. Most of the times people get scared of any white patch on the body and fear it to be leukoderma, but any and every white patch is not of leukoderma they can be because of Liver disorders, Worms, Taenia infection, Calcium deficiency Injury or burns spots or even Leprosy. As such patient of leukoderma does not have any problem or symptoms like Itching, Pain, Discharge etc. whatsoever but still the patient seek treatment for cosmetic reasons.

Though the aetiology of vitiligo is obscure, various hypothesis are suggestive of its genesis. Among these the important ones are: -

• Immune Hypothesis - Melanocyte destruction and dysfunction or both may result into Hypopigmentation of vitiligo.
• Neural Hypothesis - Neurochemical inhibitors are released at nerve endings that destroy the melanocytes or inhibit their functioning.
• Melanocyte Self-Destruction Hypothesis - Proposes that an intermediate in melanin synthesis causes melanocyte destruction.
• Dietary deficiency of Proteins and Cupro minerals is a major factor for causing vitiligo. Serum skin and cerebro-spinal fluid copper levels are low in theses cases.
• A gastro-intestinal disorder like chronic amoebiasis, chronic Dyspepsia and Intestinal Worms may be additional factors.
• Use of Broad spectrum Antibiotics, especially Chloramphenicol and Streptomycin leads to appearance of vitiligo.
• Trauma or Local irritation caused by wearing the sari or Trousers too tightly do produce vitiligo in individuals predisposed to it.
• Acute Stress may be followed by fast spreading type of vitiligo proving the theory of Troponeurosis. Emotional crisis may be an additional factor.
• An Endocrinal disorder may be operative, Diabetes, Pernicious anaemia, Thyrotoxicosis, Myxoedema, and Addison's disease may be associated with vitiligo.
• Composite Hypothesis - None of the theories alone is entirely satisfactory. Actual mechanism of inhibition or destruction of melanocytes is much more complex than any of these mechanisms suggested.

Precipitating Factors: -

• Emotional Crisis - Death in family, Loss of job, Sudden shock etc.
• Gastro intestinal tract disorders like Worms, Jaundice, amoebiasis etc.
• Prolonged use of Drugs, antibiotics, Oral an ovulating agents etc.
• Local causes like trauma, burns exposure to chemicals etc.
• Pathologically: - A defect in enzyme Tyrosinase is held responsible for vitiligo. According to some Dermatologists, it is a Trophoneurosis and Melatonin, a substance secreted at nerve endings inhibits Tyrisinase, thus interfering in pigment formation.

Clinical Presentation of Vitiligo

Localised Type: -

Focal - One or more macules in two single areas but not segmented.
Segmental - One or more macules in a dermatomal pattern.
Mucosal - Involvement of mucous membrane alone.

Generalised Type: -

Acrofacial - Involvement of face and distal extremities.
Vulgaris - Scattered macules in symmetrical or asymmetrical distribution.
Universalis - Total or nearly whole body involvement.

Precautions: There are certain precautions, which can delay or stop the onset of the disease.

• Maintain good general health and immunity.
• It is a non-communicable disease.
• Any patch should be thoroughly examined first.
• Application of any unconfirmed tropical medication on skin should be avoided.
• Use of synthetic clothes should be restricted.
• Avoid excess intake of Sour things.
• Avoid Steroids.
• It is a myth that leukoderma occurs by drinking milk over the fish. There is no relevance in avoiding anything to eat or drink which is white in colour as assumed by some people similarly in cases of Jaundice for Yellow coloured things.

Treatment: -

Allopathy - Commonest drug used is Psoralen, Melanocyl etc to be use locally followed by sun exposure. In few cases oral Antioxidants are also being used. The latest application of Placentex is also used. Ultraviolet Rays exposure or PUVA.

Ayurveda, Natural Treatment - Local application of Babchi Oil over the depigmented areas, Use of Copper utensils.

Others - Applying Coloured Dyes, Silver Nitrate etc. Latest being permanent Colouring.

Surgical measures - Grafting etc.

Homoeopathy - Offers a comprehensive treatment as it goes to the root of the problem by helping build up immunity and eventually restores the pigmented patches back to the normal skin colour. I have observed in my clinic that there are some definite connection in the patients who are being treated for Hypothyroidism then getting Hyperthyroidism show patches of leukoderma as drugs induced leukoderma.

Miasmatically

• Syphilitic - (destruction of melanocytes) predominance
• Psoric - Though in Aphorism 195, Dr. Hahnemann states that "In chronic local maladies that are not obviously venereal, the internal antipsoric treatment alone requisite' suggests that it is Psoric in nature.
• Sycotic - As sycosis is the miasm which disturbs the pigment metabolism and produces hyperpigmentation and depigmentation in patches or diffuse in different parts.

How effective is homoeopathy?
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 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. In order to archive this, the patient is analyzed on various aspects of mental and physical and familial attributes and also a complete study is done on the psychological-environment that the patient has gone through in his life. The prescription is then based at the deepest level of understanding of the patient?s disturbed inner force. Although many homoeopathic medicines Arsenic Sulph Falvus, Arsenic Album , Baryta Mur and Baryta Carb are known to give good results in Vitiligo; I would again reiterate the fact that real cure of Vitiligo occurs when the prescription is made according to the true principles of homoeopathic philosophy i.e. treating that ?deep causative factor ? which caused this inner disturbance. Also remember that Vitiligo is a chronic disorder and can take considerable time even with the best of the homoeopathic treatment, for it to be completely cured.
 some useful homeopathy remedies
 
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.
A Maceration of a Typical Tuberculous Lung Mind. Taciturn, sulky, snappish, fretty, irritable, morose, depressed and melancholic even to insanity. Fretful ailing, whines   and complaints; mind given to be 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.
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.
Nit. Acid
Homeopathic remedy for vitiligo where White spots are found at the muco-cutaneus junction. More 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
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.
 Sulphur
There is a history of suppression of skin diseases or any other suppression like suppressed diarrhea, dysentery, jaundice, typhoid & in tropics many other fevers. There is heat in the palms, soles, eyes, anus, vulva, vagina & on the top of the head. Generally hot patient but could be chilly. Irritability & obstinacy is also noted.
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. 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
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.
Adapted to hydrogenoid constitution of  Grauvogl. Acts well in lymphatic temperament, in very fleshy persons, dark complexion, black hair unhealthy skin.  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 for Vitiligo Treatment. Homeopathic Remedies for treating vitiligo in children are safe and effective.

 Hydrocotyle Asiatica is arguably the best homeopathic ingredient for the natural treatment of Vitiligo. This ingredient stimulates pigmentation, and will reverse your symptoms. 
Arsenicum Sulfuratum Flavum is used in the treatment of many different skin conditions. This compound will reverse your symptoms. 
Syphilinum is a powerful natural treatment that is very effective in treating skin conditions, as well as digestive problems.
Silica is very effective in treating not only Vitiligo, but also Eczema. A Silica deficiency has been the cause of Vitiligo in many patients. 
Nitrium Acidum has shown some encouraging signs in the treatment of Vitiligo. This ingredient is very popular in many natural treatments.