A whole body approach to treatment of vitiligo

Some diseases or disorders are often described as having no known cause. Like ideopathic pulmonary fibrosis or cryptogenic cirrhosis. Yet as the philosophy of medicine evolves we are gaining greater clarity into the underlying causes of these diseases.

The word idiopathic comes from two words in Greek, idios meaning “one’s own” and pathos meaning “suffering.” These come together to describe something as a disease of its own kind.

Many medical conditions are generally recognized as having an identifiable cause. A disease of it’s own kind would be one for which the thought is that there is no understood contributing factor.

Epilepsy and vitiligo are two disorders that can be considered idiopathic. Idiopathic epilepsy would be considered predominantly genetic but still we lack clarity as to which genes are getting expressed.

Vitiligo is a term given to a condition where the skin or mucus membrane looses its pigment and lighter, or white, patches begin to appear and spread throughout the body. There are 200,000 individuals affected in the United States. I’ve read many an article that states the cause is unknown.

Cryp-togenic is also used to define medical conditions we do not seem to quite fully understand. There are other synonyms such as essential, primary, and agnogenic. Agno means “unknown” and gen means “cause.” Each of these describe a situation where the contributors appear hidden.

Sometimes, though, the mysteries begin to resolve if we look at the interaction among genes, our lifestyle activities, thinking, diet, and environmental considerations. I call this a whole-body approach.

Functional is another word that is used to describe something that is not known. Irritable bowel syndrome is considered a functional disorder. Everything in the gut is in order but not working properly. Something is wrong, yet there isn’t a specific reason that is easily identifiable. This is opposite of a structural disorder where we can actually see the abnormality.

I think, instead of saying the cause is unknown or that there is a functional disorder, it is more useful to realize the causes are just not normally understood or might be unimportant for treatment when approaching it from a conventional medicine perspective. But contributors are still there.

This is because these types of issues, especially chronic disorders, often have multiple contributors and evolve slowly over a long period of time. Traditional treatment is focused on addressing the symptoms and does not look deeper towards the underlying causes.

In the case of something like vitiligo, once thought of as having no known cause, our thinking and approach have greatly evolved. We now believe that changes in the body’s immune system, hormone imbalances, viral triggers, stress, a genetic propensity, histamine intolerance, and exposure to toxins can all contribute to vitiligo.

This would be a great example of a disease that is multifactorial in nature rather than having a single identifiable cause. Cells in the body that create melanin, called melanocytes, begin to die off and can no longer protect the skin from harmful rays from the sun. And many factors work together to cause this to happen.

Changes in the genes that help regulate one of the most important antioxidants, called glutathione, have been identified as playing a role. Gluten can trigger an autoimmune response where the body begins attacking it’s own cells, including the melanocytes.

Thinking about vitiligo as a disorder that rises from the inside out opens the doors to additional strategies from which we can approach this disease. This change to a multifactorial, whole-body perspective and adopting a philosophy that looks at the underlying causes, can be applied to other disorders that are often thought of as having no reason.

Vitiligo can begin as one small dot, appearing in an area more generally exposed to the sun. It is more common, and noticeable, if your skin is darker and as the dots turn into patches. This can be greatly disconcerting for those that have it as it is immediately noticeable to others when it shows up on the face, neck, and hands. It is not anything that is contagious.

Once we start to look at the multiple contributing factors, solutions that address these can arise. Typically this means correcting imbalances in the body, lifestyle changes, cleaning up the diet, and eliminating toxic exposures from a number of sources.

Additional strategies for treatment for vitiligo will include addressing nutritional deficiencies, supporting detoxification pathways, managing inflammation and oxidative stress, supporting the immune system, looking at thyroid or adrenal function, and balancing hormones.

Come on down if you want to talk more.

Scott Porter, a functional medicine pharmacist, is the director of the Center for Functional Nutrition at Sandpoint Super Drug.