Vitiligo Alopecia & Joint Pain
Vitiligo, alopecia and joint pain are three autoimmune conditions. Each of them can exist on their own as a treatable condition. Each can also be a symptom of another treatable condition or the side effect of prescribed medication. The list of autoimmune disorders is extensive, yet each disorder is the result of the immune system mistaking other cells for foreign invaders and attacking them. It is possible for one person to have more than one autoimmune condition, especially if susceptibility to autoimmune disorders runs in the family.
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Alopecia
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Alopecia describes an obvious condition of balding and hair loss. It occurs equally in men and women. Hair loss in alopecia occurs at a higher-than-normal rate and exposes more of the scalp than is considered safe. Most professionals consider a loss of 15 hairs each day to be normal. Anything more than 15 should be cause for concern. This situation may be the result of an underlying disease or condition.
There are two forms of alopecia: androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Alopecia areata could be a permanent hair loss, but is typically a temporary condition. The other form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia, attacks mostly teens and adults. Androgenetic alopecia connects hair loss with family patterns of balding. Patient stories of hair loss patterns help determine the rate, age and amount of balding likely to occur.
Vitiligo
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Vitiligo is the loss of skin pigmentation. It is most noticeable when it affects dark-skinned individuals, although it is not limited to this population. The cause of this condition is elusive. Researchers believe vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder. It has triggers like stress, trauma, injury or severe sunburn in genetically susceptible individuals. The characteristics of this condition include loss of skin pigmentation and appearance of stark-white widespread patches on the skin. Approximately 30 percent of individuals with vitiligo report that other family members have this condition. It is believed to be a genetically transmitted disorder. Men and women experience vitiligo equally; however, the cosmetic impact drives women to seek medical attention. Women, therefore, provide most of the information available today.
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Joint Pain
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A patient with joint pain endures unbearable discomfort, which can eventually incapacitate the patient. Depending upon the location of the joint, possible causes of pain range from breaks, strains and sprains to diseases such as arthritis. Joint pain could also be a side effect from medication or a symptom of an undiagnosed underlying condition. It is also a symptom of several autoimmune diseases and conditions.
Relationship
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When each of these conditions are independent of the other, the treatment is easier to determine. However, it is possible that a patient could have vitiligo, alopecia and joint pain at the same time. One or more common threads could bring them together. Thyroid disorders and alopecia areata often occur together. Similarly, alopecia areata patients have a high frequency of vitiligo. Relatives of patients with alopecia areata show an increased frequency of insulin-dependent diabetes. Joint pain erupts for an assortment of reasons ranging from injury to illness. Pain from injury is easiest to identify and treat. However, joint pain from a disease, condition or a prescription side effect is more difficult to identify and treat. However, it is almost always a symptom of an autoimmune disorder.
Common Thread
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There is one common thread that links vitiligo, alopecia and joint pain together. The three conditions result from active autoimmune system tendencies. It remains unclear what would cause the immune system to react against itself, but one theory is a familial genetic connection. The lengthy list of autoimmune disorders is interrelated in a similar fashion shown by these three diseases. This is why a person could have more than one active autoimmune disorder at the same time.
Hair loss is often associated with the thyroid condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition. Rheumatoid arthritis--another autoimmune condition--is just one of many autoimmune disorders characterized by joint pain. Skin depigmentation is symptomatic of vitiligo--also an autoimmune disease. Treatment relieves some autoimmune symptoms, but there are no cures.
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