Patient's question:
What are the early symptoms of childhood vitiligo? Is it different from adult vitiligo?Doctor's answer:
Hello! The Baiyun White Spot Treatment Center of Qingdao Fifth People's Hospital is very happy to answer your questions: The proportion of children suffering from vitiligo is increasing. The onset age range for vitiligo is between 10 and 30 years old, with 50% concentrated between 10 and 20 years old. Currently, according to surveys of vitiligo patients, the proportion of children who first develop vitiligo at the age of 10 is almost one-third of all pediatric vitiligo patients. Therefore, the treatment of children with vitiligo is particularly important. In vitiligo treatment, the earlier the condition is detected, the more favorable it is for controlling and treating the white spots. This makes it clear that children with vitiligo are in the best and most critical period for treatment. The treatment of children with vitiligo is even more important. Children with vitiligo differ from adult vitiligo patients and require special attention and care during treatment. Blind treatment should not be undertaken. Since children are in a stage of growth and development, with their unique age and developmental characteristics, the problems encountered in treatment are more numerous than in adult patients. Therefore, some conventional treatments are not suitable for use in children. When treating children under the age of 10 with vitiligo, do not blindly adopt the same treatment methods as adults. Experts from Hebei Vitiligo Hospital have found that other hospitals often have a tendency to over-treat children with vitiligo, excessively using hormones and blindly treating them with the same methods as adults, which is very common in clinical practice. Oral, topical, or local injection of hormone drugs for treating vitiligo may produce quick results and are convenient to use, but they have significant side effects, especially for patients in the initial stage and children. The harm caused by these treatments is almost as noticeable as the therapeutic effects. In addition to causing adverse reactions such as nausea and vomiting, hormone drugs can suppress the function of the adrenal cortex, leading to dependency over time. Mild side effects may include acne, rosacea, glaucoma, skin ( and should be separated as means stripes and means atrophy), purpura, bacterial and fungal infections, etc. Severe cases may lead to adrenal atrophy, resulting in the loss of normal secretion of adrenal hormones. Moreover, once the medication is stopped, patients may experience severe rebound effects, making the condition even harder to treat. Timely and effective treatment for children with vitiligo, combined with psychological therapy and good nursing measures, often helps control and alleviate the condition, leading to recovery. You should promptly take your child to a formal vitiligo specialist hospital for examination and avoid blindly seeking medical treatment, which may delay the child's condition. We hope your child can recover soon!