There are usually no other problems, and most people with vitiligo have good health. However, some people with the condition also have autoimmune conditions such as Graves' disease (an overactive thyroid) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (an underactive thyroid).
In the absence of other autoimmune conditions, vitiligo does not affect general health or physical functioning. However, concerns about appearance and ethnic identity are significant issues for many affected individuals.
The condition can affect the skin on any part of the body. It can also affect hair and the inside of the mouth. Normally, the color of hair and skin is determined by melanin. Vitiligo occurs when cells that produce melanin die or stop functioning.
Vitiligo causes isolation, stigmatization, loss of self-esteem, depression, and self-consciousness.
Vitiligo does not pose a serious threat to one's health, but it can result in physical complications, such as eye issues, hearing problems, and sunburn. People with vitiligo also tend to be more likely to have another autoimmune disease (like thyroid disorders and some types of anemia).
Vitiligo patients show a high risk of developing psychiatric disorders, in particular anxiety and depression, which may be the psychological consequences of social embarrassment and/or aggravating factors of the skin disease.
In summary, these observations make it pretty clear that vitiligo is an autoimmune disease that is initiated by melanocyte stress, which can be worsened by exposure to chemicals.
Vitiligo can also affect the hair, causing white or prematurely gray hair. Some people lose some of their eye color and see light spots on the colored part of an eye. Vitiligo can also develop inside your ear and may affect your hearing.
The takeaway. People with vitiligo have an increased risk of other autoimmune conditions, which occur when the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body.
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.
Vitiligo is associated with other autoimmune disorders and has been reported to develop following the onset of viral illnesses, such as HIV, hepatitis C virus, and cytomegalovirus.
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). The result is the loss of pigment in the skin, visible as white spots (Fig. 1) (19).
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)
Skin conditions such as vitiligo are not automatically classified as a disability, but can be categorised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if they have a major long-term effect on a person's normal day-to-day activity.
The one significant observation that we found to have the poor prognostic implication in vitiligo is the presence of mucosal vitiligo.
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.
Females tend to present with vitiligo at an earlier age, with a peak prevalence during the first decade of life, whereas male peak prevalence is in the fifth decade of life.
Sometimes, larger patches continue to widen and spread, but they usually stay in the same place for years. The location of smaller macules shifts and changes over time, as certain areas of skin lose and regain their pigment. The amount of affected skin varies for each person diagnosed with vitiligo.
As with any type of skin condition visible for the world to see, vitiligo can be difficult to live with. Many diagnosed with the disorder suffer from low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety. Having the information and some tools available may help you gain some control over vitiligo.
For every 100,000 person-years, 503 people with vitiligo developed dementia compared to just 102 healthy controls.
Patients with vitiligo may be more likely to develop dementia than patients without vitiligo, according to findings from a retrospective cohort study published in the Journal of Dermatology. Vitiligo and dementia may be linked as they both involve autoimmune-related inflammation, it was posited.
In conclusion, the findings from this study indicate that vitiligo patients have high levels of perceived stress. In patients predisposed to vitiligo, metabolic and psychological stress might influence the onset and progression of vitiligo.