Vitiligo (Leucoderma)

We are living in the era of technology where our lives are run like machines. So often we an average day begins and ends where we do not consider what or how we eat. As evening approaches we don’t care about the proper time to sleep. No consideration is given to the type of lives we actual live. Simply, No…and result we all know… lifestyle oriented diseases increase daily … and we never know when it may attack us too…

Disease according to Medical Science an auto immune disorder but in Ayurveda it is categorized under the “Kustha” and the most common causative factor is in appropriate Food Combination Or Virudhdha Aahar (Opposite Diet) which is the result of the modern fast life style we lead … and the disease is Leucoderma (Vitiligo).

Leucoderma is commonly known as vitiligo also, it is a skin disorder that affects nearly 2% of the world population.Vitiligo may be hereditary in some cases. Children of vitiligo affected parents are more likely to develop vitiligo disorder. However, most children will not get vitilgo even if a parent has it. Also most people with vitiligo do not have a family history of the disorder.
Large number of inherited disorders are associated with vitiligo.

They include: albinism of the ocular type, autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome, congenital deafness with vitilego and achalasia, dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria, ermine phenotype, familial histiocyctic reticulosis, kabuki syndrome, and the syndrome of spastic paraparesis, vitiligo, premature graying and characteristic facies.

Ayurvedic classical literature, Charak Sanhita describes Leucoderma as ‘white leprosy’ which is known as Svitra or Kilasa.

Leucoderma is a chronic disorder of the skin where the skin stops producing pigments that colour the skin. As a result white patches appear randomly at different locations on the skin. These patches are white in colour and as time passes may increase in number and size. Leucoderma  is not a medical term. It is only a substitute name for  vitiligo. Vitiligo  is a more common name for this disease in the west where as in Asia Leucoderma is used more frequently. According to modern science vitiligo involves focal  areas of melanocyte loss.

According to Ayurveda, Leucoderma is caused due to the aggravation of Pitta Dosha. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humour which symbolizes heat or fire, and is manifested in the skin. Aggravated Pitta leads to accumulation of Ama (toxins) in deep layers of the skin, leading to the condition of Leucoderma.

Pitta is of five types; one of them is Bhrajak Pitta that gives coloration to skin. In the case of Leucoderma, Bhrajak Pitta is in an imbalanced state, and therefore, the skin starts losing its colour and white patches appear. Along with Pitta Dosha, deeper body tissues like Rasa Dhatu (nutrient plasma), Rakta (blood), Mansa (muscles), Lasika (lymph) are also involved in the disease.

Treatment consists of pacifying imbalanced body energies, cleansing the blood and administrating herbs that restore skin colour. Poor digestion is the root cause of this disease, as it causes the build-up of toxins in the tissues. An essential part of treatment, therefore, is restoring digestion. The patient will also be advised on the correct diet and lifestyle adjustments to prevent recurrence of the disorder.

Ayurveda adds the following are the primary causes for Vitiligo

a. Improper hygiene
b. Inappropriate food combinations
c. Junk foods and drinks
d. Excessive exposure to insecticide, pesticide, erosive chemicals
e. History of jaundice, Sannipata type of fever (Typhoid)
f. Misuse of Ayurveda detoxification therapies

g. Suppression of natural urges

h. Excessive physical exercise in hotter climate, exposure to heat
i. Intake of cold items after exposing to heat, physical exertion
j. Stress and trauma
k. Intake of fatty, spicy foods and drinks during indigestion
l. Psychological qualities like untruthfulness, ungratefulness, insulting the preceptors, sinful acts, past life deeds
m. Incompatible foods and drinks
n. Ayurveda do agree that this condition can also have hereditary factors

Vitiligo is curable when…

•The hair colour on the patches is not white…

•The patches are in less number

•The patches are not connected with each other

•The patches are recently occurred

Friends the best way is to prevent the disease is to avoid the causative factors like

1. Avoid Inappropriate Food Combination

2. Avoid unnecessary stress

3. Avoid Irregular life style

Here it is important recognise that Ayurveda can be useful in the management of Vitiligo when following all the treatment protocols under qualified Ayurveda Physician.