Does vitiligo affect organs?

Vitiligo is generally considered to be an autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders occur when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues and organs.

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Does vitiligo cause health problems?

If you see white patches and spots on your skin, it's important to find out if you have vitiligo. This disease increases the risk of having some other autoimmune diseases like thyroid disease and alopecia areata. Some people develop hearing loss or a problem with their vision.

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Can vitiligo affect kidneys?

There is an increased risk of chronic diseases among vitiligo patients including diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypothyroidism, renal injuries, and obesity.

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Do people with vitiligo have weak immune system?

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease of the skin, which means that someone with vitiligo has an immune system that is malfunctioning in a small way. The normal role of the immune system is to protect you from infections and cancer.

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Is vitiligo organ specific?

Vitiligo is an under-recognized organ-specific autoimmune disease of the skin that results from cytotoxic T cell-mediated attack on melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the epidermis (18).

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Vitiligo: When the Immune System Attacks & Causes Skin Discoloration

44 related questions found

What organs are involved in vitiligo?

Although vitiligo has long been considered a disorder confined to the skin, there is now good evidence that it also involves the extracutaneous compartment of the "melanocyte organ." It is also clear that vitiligo is not only a melanocyte disorder, but that it also involves cells, such as keratinocytes and Langerhans ...

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Does vitiligo affect anything else?

People with vitiligo can also develop: Low self-esteem or a poor self-image from concerns about appearance, which can affect quality of life. Uveitis, a general term that describes inflammation or swelling in the eye. Inflammation in the ear.

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What deficiencies are seen in vitiligo?

Based on our findings, patients with vitiligo have a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency, and this deficiency is more common among females than males.

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What makes vitiligo worse?

Certain components of hair dye, bleaching agents, and skin-care products can set off a vitiligo flare. Marmon advises choosing products labeled hypoallergenic that are free of harsh chemicals, fragrances, and irritants.

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Does vitiligo cause fatigue?

As non-segmental vitiligo is closely associated with other autoimmune conditions, you may be assessed to see whether you have any symptoms that could suggest an autoimmune condition, such as: being tired and lacking energy (signs of Addison's disease) being thirsty and needing to urinate often (signs of diabetes)

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Can vitiligo cause liver damage?

In conclusion, patients with vitiligo may develop liver diseases of autoimmune origin, such as PSC.

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Does vitiligo cause heart problems?

Vitiligo is a depigmenting autoimmune disease. Recent studies suggest a subset of vitiligo patients, those with more chronic and severe diseases, are at higher risk of developing dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis, with the potential increase of CVR.

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Does vitiligo cause thyroid problems?

People with a specific type of vitiligo are more likely to have autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) than the rest of the population.

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Does vitiligo affect life expectancy?

This chronic skin disease does not affect life expectancy, but it can have a significant psychological impact. Vitiligo is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis that affects the skin and mucous membranes.

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Does vitiligo get worse with age?

As you age, Dr. Mohta says untreated vitiligo often progresses to involve the surrounding skin or create new patches of discoloration. This is also known as generalized or nonsegmental vitiligo, which is the most common type.

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What food is not good for vitiligo?

Some food items like juicy fruits rich in vitamin C or ascorbic acid such as oranges and lemon, other fermented food items as curd, alcohol, Fish, red meat are to be avoided as they have harmful effect on vitiligo and can give rise to spreading of patches.

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What should you avoid with vitiligo?

How do I prevent vitiligo from getting worse?
  • Protect your skin from the sun. ...
  • Never use a tanning bed or sun lamp. ...
  • Avoid cuts, scrapes, and burns. ...
  • If you want to add color to your skin, use camouflage makeup, self-tanner, or skin dye. ...
  • Know the risks of getting a tattoo.

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Which vitiligo has bad prognosis?

The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.

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What autoimmune disease goes with vitiligo?

Vitiligo is epidemiologically associated with increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and Addison's disease8,15.

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What kind of autoimmune disease causes vitiligo?

In particular, vitiligo is present within the autoimmune polyendocrine syndromes (51), and it is more frequently encountered in family members of patients affected by autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, pernicious ...

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Can B12 reverse vitiligo?

Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid

This is why it is always recommended to take these two vitamins together in order to treat vitiligo. According to some scientific studies, a combination of vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation and sun exposure is a good strategy to regain natural skin color.

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Is vitiligo something to worry about?

Vitiligo is a condition that causes cosmetic changes to your skin. It doesn't need treatment because it isn't dangerous. But it's common for vitiligo skin changes to affect self-esteem and make people feel insecure or uncomfortable.

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What is often confused with vitiligo?

Pityriasis versicolor can sometimes be confused with vitiligo, as they both cause the skin to become discoloured in patches. But there are ways to tell the difference: vitiligo often develops symmetrically (on both sides of your body at the same time), while pityriasis versicolor may not.

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Should you worry about vitiligo?

Many people who have vitiligo are often otherwise healthy. Even so, it's important to find a doctor like a dermatologist who knows about vitiligo. People who have vitiligo have a higher risk of getting some other medical conditions. You can also get painful sunburns on the skin that has lost color.

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