Vitiligo causes and triggers
Before getting into this subject I need to stress that I have absolutely no medical training. So please don’t make any important decisions regarding your health based on the information on this site alone. If in doubt, please cross reference the information and/or check with your doctor. Having said that, I do have 50 years experience of living with vitiligo and reading up extensively on the whole subject. So maybe that counts for something. I have also almost fully recovered from my vitiligo by taking a safe and natural approach to my treatment. And I do take great care to ensure that all the information on this site is accurate. So I hope that you will find the following information about vitiligo causes and triggers useful.
Opinions vary
If you have read up on vitiligo (or leucoderma / leukoderma) as I have over the years, you will know that the scientific literature presents a confusing picture. Various theories exist about vitiligo susceptibility. Why do some people get the condition and what triggers it? Most researchers believe there is an autoimmune dimension to it. Some point to raised levels of hydrogen peroxide in the skin of vitiligo patients. Others to hereditary predisposition and / or environmental influences.
It’s worth searching for some of the research articles, past and present to get an idea of how complex the whole field of research is. This news article gives an insight into current thinking from researchers on the causes of vitiligo.
The only real consensus of opinion seems to be that the exact process behind the condition is still not clear. Hence there is still no cure. The lack of clarity is frustrating. But it does at least highlight one truth we can probably latch onto with a degree of confidence. The fact that vitiligo probably does not have a single cause, but many.
Associated conditions and diseases
I have listed below a number of possible causes and associated diseases that commonly feature in the available scientific literature. Please click on any item for more information:
- Digestive problems
- Low Stomach Acid
- Autoimmune conditions
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Poor adrenal function
- Impaired liver function
- Poor pancreatic function
- Oxidative stress
- Emotional stress
- Pernicious anaemia
- Thyroid problems
- Lupus
- Raynaud’s disease
- Systemic sclerosis
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Cuts and other traumas
- pH imbalance
- Genetic predisposition
- Environmental / occupational factors
This is not an exhaustive list. I’m sure I shall find myself adding to it. So please do visit again!