Abstract

VITILIGO- A CASE STUDY

Dr. Himani Khajuria*

Abstract

Vitiligo is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make melanin pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, appears white patches on the skin in different parts of the body mostly extremities. Similar patches also appear on both the mucous membranes. The hair that grows on areas affected by Vitiligo sometimes turns white. The most widely accepted view is that the depigmentation occurs because Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease – a disease in which a person's immune system reacts against the body's own cells. According to Ayurveda, Vitiligo or Shvitra is caused due to increase of Pitta in the body. Pitta is an Ayurvedic entity that symbolizes fire and is manifested in the skin. Pitta is responsible for the coloration of the skin. In the case of Vitiligo. Pitta gets imbalanced, leading to the formation of ama, which consequently impairs deeper body tissues such as rasa dhatu i.e nutrient plasma, rakta i.e blood, mamsa i.e muscles and lasika i.e lymph. This ultimately leads to depigmentation of the skin & the skin becomes white. The disease is deep rooted and need cleansing of aggravated pitta from the body and pacification of ama.

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