The causes and mechanisms of vitiligo are complex, and are the result of a combination of factors such as psychological stress, diet and hygiene, lifestyle habits, region and occupation, season and climate. The reason and mechanism of the disease is important for the treatment and prevention of this disease. In recent years, the incidence of vitiligo has gradually increased trend, especially adolescent children increased significantly, according to our clinical observation, the main causes and environmental and food pollution, dietary habits, neuropsychiatric factors are closely related.
I. Industrial pollution
At present, the main source of environmental pollution is industrial emissions, automobile exhaust, mining, waste electrical batteries, etc. are also sources of environmental pollution. All of the above pollutants contain a variety of substances harmful to the human body, such as sulfur dioxide, strong acids, strong bases, lead, arsenic, mercury, benzene and phenols and other chemical and heavy metal toxins. Harmful substances can cause acute or chronic poisoning in humans, and can also directly or indirectly cause damage to human tissues and organs. In recent years, the ozone layer in the atmosphere has been continuously destroyed, which has been proved to be caused by the large amount of fluorine refrigerants emitted by human beings. The ozone layer can be a barrier, weakening the sun’s ultraviolet radiation to the surface of the earth, after the destruction of excessive ultraviolet light to the surface of the earth, the human body surface tissue is the first to be damaged, the above factors are the reason for the increase in the incidence of skin diseases.
Second, agricultural pollution
Excessive use of chemicals in crops, such as fungicides, insecticides, ripening agents and poultry feed in recent years to add growth hormones and other substances, these substances remain in agricultural products and poultry body, will have adverse effects on human health after consumption.
Third, the housing renovation pollution
In recent years, domestic and foreign repeatedly reported new pollution housing renovation, and called it the “third pollution or indoor killer. Decoration materials contain formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene and other series of substances, including floor tiles, marble also contains radioactive substances, can cause damage to the human eye, skin, nerve, respiratory, digestive and other multi-system multi-organs. In recent years, the state has issued documents on the standard of decoration materials to regulate housing decoration.
Fourth, small food and beverage
Small foods and beverages have an obvious impact on the growth and development of children and their health, for the following reasons.
1, interfere with the normal diet of children: small food, drinks sweet and delicious will be as a snack, eaten at any time. Over time, they can not eat normally on time, disrupting the normal eating pattern.
2, long-term use of injury to the spleen and stomach: snacks, beverages are mostly sweet food, Chinese medicine believes that the long-term use of sweet products will occur in the stomach heat stagnation, the spleen does not transform food, appetite decline, and even paranoia, anorexia. According to our clinical observation, most of the children with paranoia and anorexia are related to long-term consumption of small foods and beverages. Long-term paranoia and anorexia lead to insufficient nutrient intake or disproportionate nutrient intake, and the immunity of the body decreases due to lack of nutrition. Therefore, the long use of small foods, beverages can affect the normal development of children, and will lead to malnutrition and other diseases.
3, some do not meet the health standards of small food, beverages, containing excessive chemical additives, such as coloring agents, preservatives, sweeteners, etc.. Some puffed food made by lead container processing (such as popcorn), the heavy metal salts can exceed the standard by several times to tens of times. The above chemical and heavy metal salts are excessive intake by the body can have adverse health effects.
Researchers have found that some toxic substances are absorbed and cause damage to melanocytes by inhibiting the activity of certain enzymes in the body and making melanocyte synthesis impaired. From the current incidence of vitiligo in various countries to observe the comparison, high population density and high incidence in developing countries, India ranks first in the world, China, Japan and Southeast Asian countries, the incidence of Western developed countries is low, while the incidence of our heavy industrial cities, oil-producing areas, coastal areas is high. Therefore, the analysis of clinical observation suggests that environmental and food pollution is one of the main reasons for the development of this disease.
V. Endocrine disorders, immune dysfunction
Certain pathogenic factors (chemical and heavy metal toxins) damage the body tissues, resulting in endocrine dysfunction, immune dysfunction, the production of anti-melanocyte antibodies, the resulting antibodies can not recognize the autologous pigment cells, antigen antibody immune reaction, aggravate the damage to the autologous pigment cells, pigment cells are damaged since the epidermal loss, local formation of white spots. The process is roughly as follows: disease-causing factors→ damage pigment cells→ cell damage releases antigens→ stimulates the body to produce antibodies→ antigen antibody immune response→ more pigment cells are damaged→ release a large number of antigens→ stimulate the body to produce a large number of antibodies→ a large number of pigment cells are damaged&rarr rarr; forming large white patches. This is the reason why the more white spots the larger the area the faster the disease develops. The body’s immune response is a complex physiopathological process (refer to Health General Knowledge IX for details). After the onset of the disease, the body constantly releases new antigens and produces the corresponding antibodies, and the above reaction process is repeated, forming a vicious circle leading to the aggravation of the disease.
In addition, long-term psychological stress, trauma can also lead to imbalance in the body’s neurohumoral regulation and endocrine disorders is also an important factor in the occurrence and development of vitiligo.
The actual fact is that the actual body’s metabolism is involved in the middle of the active substances, such as copper, zinc, selenium, iodine and so on. They are directly involved in the synthesis of pigment cells, the role of protecting pigment cells from toxic damage. Research has proved that the lack of trace elements or disproportion can lead to pigment cell synthesis disorders.
Seven, genetic factors
Some people mistakenly believe that vitiligo are developed by heredity, worried that the disease will be passed to the next generation. The family history is not all can be determined by the genetic disease, even from the genetic disease, treatment timely method appropriate also can be cured, treatment effect and non-genetic patients exactly the same, after healing also not recurrence, patients and family members do not need to worry about this.
Eight, trauma
Clinical burns, stab wounds, mosquito bites and local infections are common after the formation of skin white spots. Trauma is a triggering factor and develops on the basis of the imbalance of yin and yang and the loss of harmony between qi and blood in the body.
Nine, Chinese medicine theory
The Chinese medicine believes that the onset of vitiligo is the result of the interaction of internal and external factors of the body. On this basis, dampness, heat, wind and evil take advantage of the deficiency and enter the skin, closing the meridians and blood vessels, the skin is not warm, the skin and hair loss of nourishment, resulting in the loss of pigment cells, local or circumferential skin formation of white spots and the onset of Chinese medicine is called vitiligo, white erosion or white barge.
The Chinese medicine “imbalance of Yin and Yang, Qi and blood” and modern medicine “endocrine dysfunction, immune dysfunction” doctrine is quite consistent.