Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in the human skin. The human skin contains special skin cells (melanocytes) that produce the pigment melanin which colors the skin. In Vitiligo, the special skin cells (melanocytes) as well as the tissues (mucous membranes) that line the inside of the mouth, nose, genital and rectal areas, and the retina of the eyes are destroyed. As a result, white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. The hair may also turn white that grows in areas affected by vitiligo. There are several theories regarding the cause of vitiligo (see the cause) but the actual cause is not fully known.
According to one theory, people with vitiligo develop antibodies that, turn upon them and destroy their own melanocytes instead of protecting them. There is another theory according to which the melanocytes somehow attack and destroy themselves. Finally, some people with vitligo have reported that a single event such as severe sunburn or an episode of emotional distress is the main cause of this order. Scientifically, events of this nature have not been accepted as the main cause of vitiligo. These are merely coincidences. The number of people affected by vitiligo disorder ranges from 40-50 million. It forms about 1 to 2% of people in the world. 2 to 5 million people have the disorder in the United States alone.
Vitiligo affects all races and both sexes equally and ninety-five percent of its victims are below the age of 40. In Autoimmune diseases, a person‘s immune system reacts against the body‘s own organs or tissues. Vitiligo is found to be more common in people with certain autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases that are associated with vitiligo include: hyperthyroidism (over activity of the thyroid gland), adrenocortical insufficiency (the adrenal gland does not produce enough of the hormone corticosteroid), alopecia areata (patches of baldness), and pernicious anemia (a low level of red blood cells caused by the failure of the body to absorb vitamin B12).
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.
White patches (depigmentation) on the skin are the foremost symbol of vitiligo. These patches are more common in sun-exposed areas, including the hands, feet, arms, face, and lips. Other common areas are the armpits and groin, and around the mouth, eyes, nostrils, navel, and genitals. Vitiligo generally appears in one of three patterns: focal pattern, segmental pattern and generalized pattern. In focal pattern, the depigmentation is limited to one or only a few areas. In segmental pattern, depigmented patches are developed on only one side of the body.
But in the generalized pattern, depigmentation occurs on different parts of the body. In Ayurveda, Leucoderma is known as ‘shivitr‘ or kilaas‘ - Appearance of patches on skin with white or red coloration without any kind of swelling, fermentation... Leucoderma is a skin disease also known as white patch (the development of circumscribed depigmentred patches). There is complete loss of melancytes from the affected patch.
There may be positive family history of the disorder in those generalized leucoderma and this type is associated with auto-immune diseases such as diabetes and thyroid. ‘Leuco‘ means ‘white‘ and ‘derma‘ means ‘skin‘, thus leucoderma means abnormal whiteness of the skin. This disease is usually very difficult to treat. If the patient and the physician treat this disease for a long time with patience, it is possible to cure it. During the treatment very small blackish spots appear in the white patches. These spots keep spreading and the skin gradually becomes normal.
The abnormal whiteness disappears. In this way, the disease is cured. It is not an infectious disease. Only the skin becomes white. According to Ayurveda this disease is known as ‘shivitr‘ or ‘kilaas‘ - the appearance of a patche on skin with white or red coloration without any kind of swelling, fermentation, and pus formation in it. The patch of de-pigmentation of the skin is generally surrounded with normal skin. The patch might spread extensively covering the entire skin surface.Pitta is the dosha, which is responsible for occurrence of this disease. When it is increased beyond the norm it affects rakt dhatu (blood), maas dhatu (flesh), maid dhatu (fat).
The logic being that as a cloth needs to be purified or cleaned of impurities and dust before it can be permeated with a new color, similarly the body needs to be purified before it can be permeated with new colors of youthfulness, health and vigor etc. In fact, most of the time, Panchakarma is an end in itself rather than a prelude to other therapeutic measures. Elimination is a natural body instinct but over a period of time and in cases of dosha imbalance these wastes are not effectively eliminated from the body. Thises wastes tend to stick into the minute channels of the body known as the "Srotas" and start producing disease.
PanchKarma is consisted to be the most radical way to cleanse the body and thereby eliminate, once and for all the disease cauing doshas and the toxins. It is a term meaning Malignanacy. It is the second most dreaded killer after coronary heart disease in the world today.