Deccan Herald - Leucoderma: Not a execration

Omar Quayyam, about leucoderma, centuries ago. Perhaps he had in his mind, the severe suffering, community stigma and the emotional emphasis that these patients had to undergo. It is indeed unlucky that even after centuries after his statement, patients of leucoderma still undergo so much stress and stigma.

Even today, in the period of modern medicine, when many new effective treatments are available, these patients suffer collective embarrassment, find it bothersome to get married, gain difficulty getting proper jobs and suffer countless misery. Depressed and frustrated, they tend to look for isolation.

All this championing a infection which origin no bodily harm except transform of colour and which can be treated effectively if help is sought at beforehand stage! What is leucoderma? The medical name for leucoderma (leucos means white; derma means skin) is vitiligo.

It is a affliction caused by destruction of cells called melanocyte in skin, which assemble the pigment melanin decision-making representing our skin colour. Loss of this pigment conducts to white patches in different parts of the thing - there are no other symptoms associated with it.

It can occur at any age. Why the stigma? The social stigma seen about the malady is seen mostly in the Indian subcontinent, but not so much in other countries. The reasons for this are: The white patches are more obvious and prominent on the brown-black Indian skin; in Western white skin, the disease is not taken seriously as it is not very obvious and apparent.

Erroneous axiom that it is infectious Erroneous belief that it is always inherited and that all the members of the family would also bias the ailment (and hence the fear of marrying such a person) Erroneous assumption that it always spreads to all on the body Inaccurate belief that there is no action towards for the illness Leucodarma is not infectious.

It is not contagious and does not spread from adult to person. In ancient Ayurveda, the disease was referred to as ‘Shwetha kushta’ seeing of the immaculate patches.

This unfortunate and incorrect lingo is devolving on for all the more of the suffering of vitiligo patients. Leucodarma is not connected to leprosy. Leucoderma is believed to be the result of antibodies produced by the body against pigment-producing melanocytes causing their destruction.

Environmental toxic substances such as phenolic chemicals in rubber and plastic industry may also be responsible for the death of these cells. Vitiligo is always hereditary This is another misconception in the lay public, that vitiligo is at all times hereditary, which be in want of to be corrected. Only 30% of vitiligo cases show hereditary background.

In the majority of patients, there is no kinfolk history. Even if one male in a family is affected, in most patients, other fellow of the kith and kin do not get the disease. For this reason, there is no bar for these patients to get married and lead a normal life like any other person.

Vitiligo causes harm to patients Vitiligo does not affect any other organ in the body. These patients are otherwise healthy. Leucoderma disperse all upon the body No, in most cases, leucoderma does not spread all above the body. It is important to note that there are different types of vitiligo which behave differently.

From http://deccanherald.com/content/may172008/living200805166829~.asp