In this blog post, we will discuss the connection between vitiligo and thyroid disease by taking insights from Dr. Shikha Aggarwal, a famous skin specialist who offers the best vitiligo treatment in Ludhiana at Bliss Laser Skin Clinic.
What is the Link Between Vitiligo and Thyroid Disease?
The simple answer to this is autoimmunity. Autoimmune disease is when the body attacks its immune system and identifies specific cells in the body as foreign. After this, it creates antibodies to attack them. In vitiligo, the body’s immune system produces melanocyte-specific antibodies which attack the melanocytes where the pigment-making cells are destroyed.
With autoimmune thyroid disease, i.e. AITD, the body’s immune system creates thyroid-specific antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. The different types of autoimmune thyroid diseases include Vitiligo Alopecia Thyroid, Thyroid Acropachy, Hashimoto Thyroiditis, and Overactive Thyroid.
How are AITD and Vitiligo Treated?
While both vitiligo and AITD are long-term conditions with the same mechanisms, the treatment for both differs. For vitiligo, the treatment options are:
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Phototherapy
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Topical corticosteroids
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Topical immunosuppressants which suppresses the immune system activity in a small region
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Oral immunosuppressants which suppress the entire immune system
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Skin grafts for evening out pigmentation
The primary treatment for AITD is levothyroxine, which replaces lost thyroid hormones. In some situations, the doctor could also prescribe drugs that suppress the immune system for AITD. This usually happens if the thyroid disease affects a person’s eyes, usually in Graves’s disease.
If this is the situation, the doctor may prescribe high-dose steroids or immunomodulating drugs. Some may wonder if these drugs help in treating both conditions simultaneously. However, there is no specific evidence which supports this approach.
Final Takeaway
We hope you have understood the connection between vitiligo and thyroid. If one suffers from vitiligo and wants to get rid of ugly white patches, one can schedule a consultation with Dr. Shikha Aggarwal, the best skin specialist in Ludhiana at Bliss Laser Skin Clinic. The expert doctor can reduce the symptoms of vitiligo by offering the most effective treatment customized for each patient.
Visit the clinic Bliss Laser Skin Clinic for more details on vitiligo treatment.
