eczema

ˈɛksɪmə,ˈɛkzɪmə/

noun

noun: eczema

a medical condition in which patches of skin become rough and inflamed with blisters which cause itching and bleeding.

 

 

Eczema

There is no cure for eczema, but, in most cases, it is manageable. The word eczema comes from a Greek word that means to effervesce or bubble or boil over. This website will help you answer the question “What Is Eczema?” and help you understand it. It’s important to remember that many people have eczema. Over 30 million American may have it. There is no need to be embarrassed by your eczema. You are not alone.  Atopic Dermatitis (which is often called eczema) is an itchy, red rash. It can appear all over the body. Many people have it on their elbows or behind their knees. Babies often have eczema on the face, especially the cheeks and chin. They can also have it on the scalp, trunk (chest and back), and outer arms and legs. Children and adults tend to have eczema on the neck, wrists, and ankles, and in areas that bend, like the inner elbow and knee. People with eczema are usually diagnosed with it when they are babies or young children. Eczema symptoms often become less severe as children grow into adults. For some people, eczema continues into adulthood. Less often, it can start in adulthood. The rash of eczema is different for each person. It may even look different or affect different parts of your body from time to time. It can be mild, moderate, or severe. Generally, people with eczema suffer from dry, sensitive skin. Eczema is also known for its intense itch. The itch may be so bad that you scratch your skin until it bleeds, which can make your rash even worse, leading to even more inflammation and itching. This is called the itch-scratch cycle.

 

 

Common

• Atopic dermatitis is an allergic disease believed to have a hereditary component, and often runs in families whose members also have asthma. Itchy rash is particularly noticeable on head and scalp, neck, inside of elbows, behind knees, and buttocks. It is very common in developed countries, and rising. Irritant contact dermatitis is sometimes misdiagnosed as atopic dermatitis.

• Contact dermatitis is of two types: allergic (resulting from a delayed reaction to an allergen, such as poison ivy, nickel, or Balsam of Peru), and irritant (resulting from direct reaction to a detergent, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, for example).

Some substances act both as allergen and irritant (wet cement, for example). Other substances cause a problem after sunlight exposure, bringing on phototoxic dermatitis. About three quarters of cases of contact eczema are of the irritant type, which is the most common occupational skin disease. Contact eczema is curable, provided the offending substance can be avoided and its traces removed from one's environment. (ICD-10 L23; L24; L56.1; L56.0)

• Xerotic eczema (aka asteatotic e., e. craquele or craquelatum, winter itch, pruritus hiemalis) is dry skin that becomes so serious it turns into eczema. It worsens in dry winter weather, and limbs and trunk are most often affected. The itchy, tender skin resembles a dry, cracked, river bed. This disorder is very common among the older population. Ichthyosis is a related disorder. (ICD-10 L30.8A; L85.0)
• Seborrhoeic dermatitis or Seborrheic dermatitis ("cradle cap" in infants) is a condition sometimes classified as a form of eczema that is closely related to dandruff. It causes dry or greasy peeling of the scalp, eyebrows, and face, and sometimes trunk. The condition is harmless except in severe cases of cradle cap. In newborns it causes a thick, yellow, crusty scalp rash called cradle cap, which seems related to lack of biotin and is often curable.

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Dermatitis symptoms vary with all different forms of the condition. They range from skin rashes to bumpy rashes or including blisters. Although every type of dermatitis has different symptoms, there are certain signs that are common for all of them, including redness of the skin, swelling, itching and skin lesions with sometimes oozing and scarring. Also, the area of the skin on which the symptoms appear tends to be different with every type of dermatitis, whether on the neck, wrist, forearm, thigh or ankle. Although the location may vary, the primary symptom of this condition is itchy skin. More rarely, it may appear on the genital area, such as the vulva or scrotum. Symptoms of this type of dermatitis may be very intense and may come and go. Irritant contact dermatitis is usually more painful than itchy.

Although the symptoms of atopic dermatitis vary from person to person, the most common symptoms are dry, itchy, red skin. Typical affected skin areas include the folds of the arms, the back of the knees, wrists, face and hands.

Dermatitis herpetiformis symptoms include itching, stinging and a burning sensation. Papules and vesicles are commonly present. The small red bumps experienced in this type of dermatitis are usually about 1 cm in size, red in color and may be found symmetrically grouped or distributed on the upper or lower back, buttocks, elbows, knees, neck, shoulders, and scalp. Less frequently, the rash may appear inside the mouth or near the hairline.
The symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis on the other hand, tend to appear gradually, from dry or greasy scaling of the scalp (dandruff) to hair loss. In severe cases, pimples may appear along the hairline, behind the ears, on the eyebrows, on the bridge of the nose, around the nose, on the chest, and on the upper back.^[19] In newborns, the condition causes a thick and yellowish scalp rash, often accompanied by a diaper rash.

Perioral dermatitis refers to a red bumpy rash around the mouth.

Immunosuppressants

 

Topical immunosuppressants like pimecrolimus and tacrolimus may be better in the short term and appear equal to steroids after a year of use. Their use is reasonable in those who do not respond to or are not tolerant of steroids. Treatments are typically recommended for short or fixed periods of time rather than indefinitely. Tacrolimus 0.1% has generally proved more effective than picrolimus, and equal in effect to mid-potency topical steroids.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a health advisory a possible risk of lymph node or skin cancer from these products, however subsequent research has not supported these concerns. A major debate, in the UK, has been about the cost of these medications and, given only finite NHS resources, when they are most appropriate to use.

When eczema is severe and does not respond to other forms of treatment, systemic immunosuppressants are sometimes used. Immunosuppressants can cause significant side effects and some require regular blood tests. The most commonly used are ciclosporin, azathioprine, and methotrexate.

Light therapy

Light therapy using ultraviolet light has tentative support but the quality of the evidence is not very good. A number of different types of light may be used including UVA and UVB; in some forms of treatment, light sensitive chemicals such as psoralen are also used. Overexposure to ultraviolet light carries its own risks, particularly that of skin cancer.

Alternative medicine

There is currently no scientific evidence for the claim that sulfur treatment relieves eczema. It is unclear whether Chinese herbs help or harm. Dietary supplements are commonly used by people with eczema. Neither evening primrose oil nor borage seed oil taken orally have been shown to be effective. Both are associated with gastrointestinal upset. Probiotics do not appear to be effective. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of zinc, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), sea buckthorn oil, hempseed oil, sunflower oil, or fish oil as dietary supplements.


Other remedies lacking evidential support include chiropractic spinal manipulation and acupuncture. There is little evidence supporting the use of psychological treatments. While dilute bleach baths have been used for infected dermatitis there is little evidence for this practice.




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How to Cure Panic Attacks

panic attack

noun

noun: panic attack; plural noun: panic attacks

a sudden overwhelming feeling of acute and disabling anxiety.

 

Symptoms

A panic attack is the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes and includes at least four of the following symptoms:

• Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• Feelings of choking
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint
• Chills or heat sensations
• Paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensations)
• Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
• Fear of dying

 

 

Causes

• Long-term, predisposing causes – The onset of panic disorder usually occurs in early adulthood, although it may appear at any age. It occurs more frequently in women and often in people with above average intelligence. Various twin studies where one identical twin has an anxiety disorder have reported a 31–88% incidence of the other twin also having an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Environmental factors such as an overcautious view of the world expressed by parents and cumulative stress over time have been found to be correlated with panic attacks
• Biological causes – obsessive compulsive disorder, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, post traumatic stress disorder, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, Wilson's disease, mitral valve prolapse, pheochromocytoma, and inner ear disturbances (labyrinthitis). Dysregulation of the norepinephrine system in the locus ceruleus, an area of the brain stem, has been linked to panic attacks
• Phobias – People will often experience panic attacks as a direct result of exposure to a phobic object or situation.
• Short-term triggering causes – Significant personal loss, including an emotional attachment to a romantic partner, life transitions, significant life change.
• Maintaining causes – Avoidance of panic-provoking situations or environments, anxious/negative self-talk ("what-if" thinking), mistaken beliefs ("these symptoms are harmful and/or dangerous"), withheld feelings.
• Hyperventilation syndrome – Breathing from the chest may cause overbreathing, exhaling excessive carbon dioxide in relation to the amount of oxygen in one's bloodstream. Hyperventilation syndrome can cause respiratory alkalosis and hypocapnia. This syndrome often involves prominent mouth breathing as well. This causes a cluster of symptoms, including rapid heart beat, dizziness, and lightheadedness, which can trigger panic attacks.
• Situationally bound panic attacks – Associating certain situations with panic attacks, due to experiencing one in that particular situation, can create a cognitive or behavioral predisposition to having panic attacks in certain situations (situationally bound panic attacks).
• Chronic and/or serious illness – Cardiac conditions that can cause sudden death – such as long QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome – can also result in panic attacks. This is particularly difficult to manage, since the anxiety relates to events that may occur, such as cardiac arrest, or, if an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is in situ, the possibility of having a shock delivered; it can be difficult for someone with a cardiac condition to distinguish between symptoms of cardiac dysfunction and anxiety. In CPVT, anxiety itself can and does trigger arrythmia. Current management of panic attacks secondary to cardiac conditions appears to rely heavily on benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, people in this group often experience multiple and unavoidable hospitalisations, because in people with these types of diagnoses, without an electrocardiogram it can be difficult to differentiate between symptoms of a panic attack versus cardiac symptoms.
• Discontinuation or marked reduction in the dose of a substance such as a drug (drug withdrawal), for example an antidepressant (antidepressant discontinuation syndrome), can cause a panic attack. 

Treatment

Medication is useful for alleviating the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and is often prescribed in conjunction with other therapies. Some types of anxiety drugs can be habit-forming and are usually prescribed on a short-term or as-needed basis.

Different anxiety disorders have different medication regimens. Some are preventive and some are designed to cure the problem.

 

Antidepressants, particularly the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are widely used to treat and prevent a variety of anxiety disorders. Examples of SSRIs that are commonly used to treat chronic anxiety include Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Paxil, and Lexapro. The antidepressants Effexor and Cymbalta, which act on the brain chemicals serotonin and norephinephrine, and some of the tricyclic antidepressants, like Tofranil, may also help. Finally, antihistamines (such as hydroxyzine) and beta-blockers (such as propranolol) can help mild cases of anxiety as well as performance anxiety, a type of social anxiety disorder. These medicines need to be taken daily whether you have anxiety on that particular day or not, as prescribed by your health care provider.

 

If you have acute anxiety (panic attack), you will likely need to take an anti-anxiety medicine as well. The most prominent of anti-anxiety drugs for the purpose of immediate relief are those known as benzodiazepines; among them are Ativan, Valium, Librium, Xanax, and Klonopin. They have drawbacks: Benzodiazepines sometimes cause drowsiness, irritability, dizziness, memory and attention problems, and physical dependence. Nonetheless, in recent decades they have largely replaced barbiturates because they tend to be safer if taken in large doses.

 

 

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Natural Cure for Vertigo

Most Common Causes and Remedies for Vertigo

 

Vertigo is a very normal balance disorder found commonly in people, which causes dizziness and weakness. It can be a very irritating and frustrating problem for the person who faces it again and again.

Medical experts don't consider vertigo as a disease. A person suffering from vertigo may feel dizziness, weakness, unusual sensation in ears and the most prone symptom is nausea. Sometimes the attack of vertigo is so sudden that the victim can't see anything properly and fall down. Problem of vertigo can arise when a person goes to some height. Vertigo causes nausea and vomiting.

 

Causes for Vertigo: Following are the major cause of Vertigo:

 

1. Problem in brain and ear imbalance: Imbalance in ear causes benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. It creates unusual sensation of movement even when you are stationary.

2. Lower blood pressure: Vertigo can be caused by low blood pressure.

Actually when the flow of blood to the brain decreases, you may feel unusual sensation which is the main symptom of vertigo.

3. Migraine: Migraine is another major cause of vertigo. Migraine cause serious headache which gives birth to vertigo.

4. Ear Infection: This causes the most serious type of vertigo and if left untreated it may lead to hearing loss. Inflammation within the ears causes imbalance thus giving birth to vertigo.

5. Neck Injury and head injury: Neck injury and head injury may also cause vertigo. But it gets cured with time as the injury heals.

 

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Remedies to Treat Vertigo:

 

1. Water: Water can be used to cure dizziness which is the main symptom of vertigo. Mainly water can be used to treat any disorder.

Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day.

2. Healthy Diet: Healthy diet is also required to treat vertigo effectively. Have a well balanced diet with lots of fruits and green vegetables. Avoid high cholesterol diet.

3. Ginger: Ginger is a very good home remedy for the treatment of vertigo. Ginger keeps the level of cholesterol in control thus controlling the level of blood pressure. So use ginger in your diet if you are suffering from vertigo.

4. Mixture of black pepper and lemon: Make a mixture of black pepper, lemon and salt. Take this 3-4 times a day with water. It helps in fighting dizziness and thus vertigo. This mixture is a very good home remedy. 5. Amla powder and coriander seeds: Mix one tablespoon of amla powder with one tablespoon of coriander seeds. Keep it for 12 hours.

Then drink it with water. This is another very effective home remedy for vertigo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Exercise: Exercise regularly to keep yourself fit both mentally and physically. Regular exercise keeps your blood pressure under control thus helping to fight vertigo.

7. Strawberries: Strawberries are also considered as one of the best remedy for vertigo. Strawberries have ample amount of Vitamin C in them which helps in curing vertigo.

8. Ginkgo Balboa: It is another herb which is most commonly used as a remedy for vertigo. Actually it increases the blood flow to the brain thus fighting the causes of vertigo. This herb gives slow results but the results are long-lasting.

 

With the help of these home remedies you can easily treat vertigo at home.

 

 

 

  

 

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What is the Cure for Hair Loss?

PCOS and Hair Loss - Natural Therapies Can Restore Scalp Hair

 

Excessive scalp hair loss is a severe challenge to a woman's self image and her standing in business and society. Although we usually think of balding as a man's problem, women actually make up forty percent of the people in North America experiencing the distress of excessive hair loss. Many women losing significant scalp hair have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Safe, effective, natural therapies that treat the hormone imbalances related to PCOS will also restore your hair to optimal health. I am delighted to offer you these indispensable tools to help you restore your hair and your health.

 

Women experiencing hair loss lose ground fast in today's world. At work and in her personal life a woman's appearance has much to do with her financial and social success. Men may also prefer not to go bald.

But since balding is known to be caused by high levels of testosterone, a bald man may be credited with extra virility. There is no such happy story for balding women. The appearance of thinning scalp hair translates to a significant loss of personal power for women.

 

The medical community in general treats women's hair loss as a minor health issue. Most physicians have little inclination to address the emotional distress you feel. In many cases physicians treat balding as if it were "only" a vanity issue; they may not recognize hair loss as a red flag pointing to serious metabolic conditions, including PCOS.

 

The psychological pain of hair loss and its effect on our sense of empowerment is as devastating as any disfiguring disease. If you are a balding woman, your hair loss is a life altering condition with profound consequences for your health. Getting your hands on the wheel and driving yourself toward a solution for hair loss is the first step toward reviving your sense of personal strength and power. If hair loss is part of PCOS, the effort you make to restore your physical health will also renew scalp hair growth.

 

You need expert help to properly diagnose the cause of your hair loss.

Hair loss that could have been merely temporary may become permanent if you have a delayed or incorrect diagnosis. Misdiagnoses is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of hair loss for women. The information I present here will help you identify the cause of your hair loss and ideally lead you and your doctors to proper treatments for your kind of hair loss, sooner rather than later.

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Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss.

There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hair loss has in common, whether it's in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that's gone wrong. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness.

Or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Hair loss may be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, or a side effect of certain medications. In these situations, hair grows back when the event has passed. Substances including hormones and medication can cause a change in the hair growth patterns. When this happens, growth and shedding occur at the same time. Once the cause is dealt with, hairs go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and balding stops.

 

Alopecia: A Common Problem

 

Today more women than ever are experiencing hair loss -- and the causes are typically quite different that what causes balding in men.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, some 30 million women in the United States are experiencing some degree of distressing scalp hair loss. The most common causes of scalp hair loss in women can include:

 

Mineral or vitamin deficiency - zinc, manganese, iron, vitamin B6, biotin

 

Essential fatty acid deficiency from a low calorie diet or eating disorders

 

Protein deficiency, as is common with vegetarian diets

 

Anemia from a low iron diet, poor digestion or any excess blood loss

 

Eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, even 'yo-yo' dieting; also compulsive or excessive physical exercise

 

Drug toxicity, for instance anesthesia with surgery or chemotherapy for cancer

 

Many prescription medications have hair loss as a potential 'side'

effect, including bromocriptine, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, amphetamines, anti-cholesterol agents

 

Severe infections, either viral or bacterial

 

Severe stress, either a sudden extreme event or persistent, long term challenges

 

Any hypothalamic or pituitary disorder

 

Any liver, thyroid gland, adrenal gland or ovarian disorder, including PCOS

 

Any sex steroid imbalance such as low progesterone, estrogen dominance, excess testosterone or insulin

 

Starting or stopping any hormone therapy, including birth control pills, menopausal hormone replacement treatment or thyroid hormone replacement

 

Any natural event that causes big hormone changes, like child birth, breastfeeding and weaning or menopause

 

Perms, hair color, bleach, improper brushing/combing, pulling on the hair

 

Autoimmune disease such as lupus or multiple sclerosis

 

Allergies to foods, medicines, environmental chemicals or topical drugs

 

Recent hepatitis B shot. If you had a Hep B vaccine since this hair loss started, there may be a connection.  An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (278:117-8, 1997) links the Hep B vaccine to increased incidence of alopecia in women.

 

How does an individual woman figure out why she is losing too much of her hair? To understand that, it's important to understand how hair grows.

 

 

 

 

 

Hair Grows in Cycles

 

Scalp hair grows about one-half inch per month. An individual strand of hair will grow for two to six years. Eventually each hair "rests"

for a while, and then falls out. Soon after, that follicle will start growing a new strand. A healthy scalp will let about 100 of these cycling hairs fall out every day.

 

In folks with a genetic predisposition to hair loss, and for women with PCOS, hormones called androgens drive this process. Androgen hormones include testosterone, androsteinedione, and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Men make and use relatively large amounts of androgens. Appropriate, smaller amounts of androgens are essential to women's health as well.

 

In those who are genetically susceptible, testosterone activates enzymes produced in the hair cell, which then cause it to be converted into the more potent androgen DHT.  DHT then binds with receptors deep within the hair follicle. Eventually, so much DHT builds up that the follicle begins shrinking. It can't produce new hair reliably. Some of the follicles permanently stop producing new hairs. The end result is significant hair loss. The medical term for this condition is androgenic alopecia. Testosterone converts to DHT with the aid of the enzyme Type II 5-alpha reductase, which is held in a hair follicle's oil glands. Actually, it's not the amount of circulating testosterone that is the problem but the amount of DHT clogging up and shrinking scalp follicles, making it impossible for healthy hair to survive.

 

The process of testosterone converting to DHT, which then harms hair follicles, happens in both men and women. Usually women have a tiny fraction of the amount of testosterone that men make. It seems that for women with hair loss, the actual level of testosterone is not as crucial as are changes in the amount of testosterone she has. A shift in hormone levels triggered by lifestyle or other factors, will cause

DHT- triggered hair loss in women. Even when hormone blood levels remain within what doctors consider "normal", they can become high enough to cause a problem for an individual woman. The levels may not rise at all and still be a problem if you are very sensitive to even normal levels of chemicals, including hormones.

 

Because our hormones operate through a delicately balanced feedback system, with signals sent via the blood between the brain and body tissue, androgens do not need to be raised to trigger a problem. If the so-called female hormones, (which also are essential to men's

health) are for any reason shifting in relation to androgens, the resulting imbalance can also cause problems, including hair loss.

 

Hormones are always changing. Testosterone levels in men drop by as much as 10 percent each decade after age thirty. Women's hormone levels shift with each menstrual cycle, or due to a lack of regular menses, in pregnancies and menopause. Eating disorders, excessive exercise, drugs and environmental toxins can also impact hormone levels.

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  Keys To Successful Treatment

 

Treatment of thinning scalp hair must be grounded in changing the habits you may have that support elevated androgens. Diet and exercise are key to maintaining optimal hormone balance. In fact, for women with PCOS, research is clear- there is no drug therapy more effective than proper diet and regular exercise. First, you get your foundational health habits in order; then, specific targeted therapies have the best chance of being effective for you.

 

Women with PCOS may also have excess coarse dark hair on their face and body. The only way to address the dark, coarse hair that grows out of follicles that have already been altered by excess androgens, is to destroy the follicle with laser or similar therapy. Once a follicle has changed the type of hair it produces, it will not change back. It is crucial to tame the excess androgens and prevent conversion of additional follicles, before investing in a therapy to permanently destroy facial or body hair follicles.

 

What Causes Women to Lose Too Much Scalp Hair?

 

For a long time doctors believed that androgenic alopecia was the main cause of balding in both men and women. Now we know that the process that leads to excessive hair loss in women is different. It is called female pattern hair loss.

 

An important difference between male and female balding is the pattern in which the hair loss occurs. Female pattern hair loss tends to happen as an overall thinning across all areas of the scalp, including the sides and back. Men lose hair from specific spots, like the temple, the crown, that bald spot in the back of the head. Male and female hormone and enzyme receptor sites are also in different areas of the scalp, causing the different gender related loss patterns of hair loss.

 

A second major difference is that balding in men is usually caused by a man's genetics and his age, but for women, balding can happen at any age.

 

Lifestyle Choices, Illness and Medical Treatments Cause Hair Loss

 

Most women with hair loss have multiple features of their lifestyle, diet and health-related events that contribute. Sex hormone fluctuations are responsible for most female hair loss, including those who have PCOS, a recent pregnancy, menopause, hormone replacement therapy or birth control drug side effects. Chemotherapy for cancer, anti-coagulant drugs, iron- deficiency anemia, autoimmune disease can cause hair loss. Any disease involving hormone producing glands, including the thyroid, the adrenal and pituitary glands can trigger balding in women. It is essential for all women to learn the true cause of their hair loss before engaging any particular treatment.

 

The complex hormonal changes that accompany polycystic ovary syndrome

(PCOS) often result in scalp hair loss. Sometimes hair loss is the first sign that a woman is suffering the metabolic disorder that also causes problems with acne, facial and body hair growth, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. PCOS is associated with increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

 

Thyroid disorders, anemia, chronic illness or the use of certain medications, particularly any form of hormone replacement therapy or contraceptive prescriptions- should be considered a possible cause of hair loss in women. Autoimmune disorders will result in somewhat different, often less dramatic hair loss known as alopecia areata -- an inflammatory condition in which hair comes out in clumps or patches.

 

Any drop in estrogen levels, as happens after pregnancy, with menopause, or when changing your hormone therapy including birth control pill use, will cause what is called estrogenic alopecia. In contrast to testosterone, estrogen helps scalp hair grow faster and stay on the head longer, resulting in thicker hair. This is the reason women's hair gets fuller during pregnancy when estrogen levels are quite high, then sheds several weeks after the baby is born.

 

For women who do not have fertility-related hormone changes, estrogen-deficiency scalp hair loss generally starts around menopause.

This form of female hair loss can be the first sign of approaching menopause. Sometimes the alopecia won't begin until a few months or even years after menstruation has ended. Not all women get noticeable alopecia after menopause but most have a little thinning.

 

 

 

 

 

It's not uncommon to have multiple factors involved in female hair loss. Many women with PCOS have thyroid problems, usually hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). Not only does hypothyroidism contribute to weight problems, it can also contribute to hair thinning. Some women with PCOS have both an excessively high level of testosterone and an under active thyroid.

 

If your hair is thinning, you may have heavy metals like lead, mercury or cadmium in your tissues. These poisonous residues saturate our environment. If you have lived near what is, or ever was an industrial or mining site, or lived with someone who works in a polluting industry, you may be contaminated. If you have ever smoked tobacco, you have a lot of cadmium in your body.

 

The majority of women with androgenic alopecia have diffuse thinning on all areas of the scalp. Some women may have a combination of two pattern types. Androgenic alopecia is caused by a variety of factors tied to the actions of hormones including PCOS, using contraceptives, pregnancy, and menopause. Any blood sugar and insulin hormone imbalance will lead to excess androgens. Women with insulin resistance, from chronic over-eating of refined carbohydrate food, will see more impact from androgens. Insulin resistance is associated with PCOS as well as Type 2 diabetes. Chronic stress that depletes adrenal glands can change the levels of androgens a woman produces as well. This is often the source of problems like infertility, acne and hair thinning in lean, athletic women with PCOS. Heredity may play a role in androgenic alopecia.

 

Any big event like childbirth or breastfeeding, malnutrition from an alteration in your diet, a severe infection, major surgery, or any extreme stress, can suddenly shift much of the 90 percent or so of your hairs that are in the growing phase or resting phase into the shedding phase. You will see this shift in the rate of hair loss 6 weeks to three month after the stressful event. This is called telogen effluvium. It is possible to lose great bunches of hair daily with full-blown telogen effluvium. Usually this type of hair loss is reversible, if major stressors are avoided. For some women however, telogen effluvium is a mysterious chronic disorder and can persist for months or years, without ever completely identifying all of the triggering factors.

 

Anagen effluvium happens when the hair follicle cells are so damaged they can not recover or reproduce. This is usually due to toxicity of chemotherapy for cancer. Chemotherapy is meant to destroy rapidly dividing cancer cells. Hair follicles in the growing (anagen) phase, are therefore vulnerable. Anagen effluvium means the hair shaft narrows as a result of damage to the follicle. The shaft breaks off at the narrowing and causes the loss of hair.

 

Traction alopecia is damage from hairstyles that pull at hair over time (braiding, cornrows, ponytails, extensions). If the condition is detected early enough, you can change your styling practice to be gentler on the follicles, and your hair will regrow.

 

Hormone contraceptives are a leading cause of distressing hair loss and other symptoms in women. Since the birth control pill first began being used in 1960, oral contraceptives, injections, implants, skin patches and vaginal rings have become the most commonly prescribed forms of birth control.

 

Unfortunately, many young women are given contraceptive hormones even when they are not sexually active, as a 'treatment' for irregular menses or acne. This is a mistake. This is not a treatment that addresses the underlying cause of problem periods or pimples.

Contraceptive hormones will severely complicate a woman's hormone balance and can lead to many health problems, including significant hair loss and worsening acne.

 

 

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All contraceptive drugs use synthetic hormones to suppress ovulation.

These drugs cause your ovaries to stop working; they are in a kind of 'sleep' state. Instead of having your natural cycles result from a dance of signals between your body and your brain, your tissues are subject to synthetic hormones in amounts much larger than your body normally makes.  There are many long and short -term consequences to ovarian suppression. Most women experience side effects using contraceptive drugs, including hair loss either during or several weeks or months after stopping the drug.

 

An article appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (278:117-8, 1997) linking the Hepatitis B vaccine to increased incidence of balding in women.

 

Diagnostic Testing

 

In order to successfully treat hair loss, it is essential to understand why your hair follicles are not healthy. There are diagnostic tests that may help identify the underlying biochemistry that is contributing to your excess hair loss. However, many women with significant chemical imbalances related to their hair loss will find that these test results are within the "normal" range. That's because in many cases hair loss represents a stage of ill-health that is an early phase of a disease that will eventually fully develop. The lifestyle and dietary habits that eventually cause Type 2 diabetes and heart disease will also cause scalp hair thinning and facial hair coarsening in young women. It is usually many years before these same women have diagnostic tests that reveal they are diabetic or have coronary artery disease. Many of these women have undiagnosed PCOS.

 

Selective Sensitivity is the underlying problem

 

Another reason why diagnostic tests may be confusing is because of something called 'selective sensitivity' or 'selective resistance'. It turns out that some body cells are more sensitive than others to the same amounts of hormone. A major complicating factor for some women is that while her muscle and fat may be insulin resistant, other types of organ cells are not.  The pituitary, ovaries, and adrenal glands of an insulin resistant woman are stimulated by higher levels of insulin than is desirable, which causes for instance elevated testosterone.

The high levels of androgens in turn increase risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

 

Despite these possible difficulties, it is important to do our best to determine what is and isn't the cause of a major symptom like persistent excessive hair loss. Diagnostic tests that can help identify the source of your metabolic imbalance are:

 

The hair pull test is a simple diagnostic test in which the physician lightly pulls a small amount of hair (approx. 100 simultaneously) in order to determine if there is excessive loss. Normal range is zero to three hairs per pull.

 

Hormone levels: Dehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, androstenedione, prolactin, sex hormone binding globulin, follicular stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. It is ideal to sample for FSH and LH on day 19 to 21 of your menstrual cycle, if those days can be identified.

 

Fasting blood glucose and insulin levels as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels

 

A complete blood count plus serum iron, ferritin and total iron binding capacity

 

Thyroid stimulating hormone plus a thyroid function panel including T3, T4, and T3 % uptake

 

VDRL to screen for syphilis

 

A scalp biopsy should be done before choosing surgical transplant

 

Densitometry, a magnification device, used check for shrinking of the hair shaft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conventional Medical Treatments For Hair Loss

 

You may be very interested in drug therapies of surgery to address the profound distress of excessive hair loss. It is simply human nature to hope for a simple pill or procedure that will permanently free us from our problems. Unfortunately drugs never actually provide a simple solution. Once you swallow a chemical, it is delivered all over your body; it affects your whole body. We cannot control drugs so they have only the effects we want- there are always side effects that are more or less problematic. Using drug therapy means trading one problem for some others. Sometimes this is exactly the right thing to do. Other times it is a personal disaster. Most drugs will act on all your tissues there is a danger of side effects that further damage your health. Topical treatments applied directly to the scalp use the lowest doses, and are the least harmful drug choices.

 

You will enjoy the best results when you begin any treatment as soon as possible after hair loss begins. Stopping the adverse effects of androgens means you can prevent further hair loss. And you can support regrowth from the follicles that were dormant still healthy. Depending on how the agent you choose works, stopping treatment will result in the hair loss resuming, unless you have also made other changes in your lifestyle that keep androgens at a level that is healthy and not harmful to you.

 

Below you will find a list of treatments currently being used to treat hair loss in women. Some of these drugs have not been approved by the FDA for this particular application, however they have all been approved for other applications and are used "off label" to treat hair loss. Currently 2% topical Minoxidil is the only FDA approved treatment specifically for female pattern hair loss.

 

The effectiveness of these agents and methods will vary from woman to woman, but many women have found that using these treatments has made a positive difference in the character of their hair and their positive self-esteem. As always, treatments have the best chance of being effective if they are geared to the cause of the hair loss as well as to triggering hair growth.

 

Estrogen and progesterone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), typically prescribed for women undergoing menopause for any reason, is probably the most common systemic form of treatment for androgenic alopecia in women.

 

Oral contraceptives will decrease the production of ovarian androgens, and thus can be used to treat women's androgenic alopecia. There are substantial reasons to avoid the use of either synthetic or bio-identical hormone treatments for your hair loss. Some birth control pills actually contribute to hair loss by triggering it or increasing it once it's been triggered by something else. Any individual woman may have a selective sensitivity to any hormone

combination- what is a low androgen effect formula for one woman may be a high androgen effect for another.

 

I am no longer able to recommend the use of birth control pills or other hormone-based contraception to young women. Decades of evidence suggest there are plenty of known, and possibly as yet unknown health risks associated with the use of ANY from of reproductive hormones, either prescription or over-the-counter forms. It is clear that the benefits of hormonal contraceptives are accompanied by significant risks, including making it much more likely that a woman will experience hormone imbalances that lead to a long list of negative effects. Hormone replacement puts you are risk for:

 

Depression or other mood disorders; decreased libido

 

Migraines and headaches

 

Breast lumps, tenderness and enlargement

 

Vaginal bleeding between periods

 

High blood pressure (hypertension)

 

High cholesterol

 

Blood clot in the leg, felt as: pain in the calf; leg cramps; leg or foot swelling

 

Blood clot in the lung, felt as: shortness of breath; sharp chest pain; coughing up blood

 

Heart attack, felt as: chest pain or heaviness

 

Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye

 

Cerebral vascular accident (a stroke): impaired vision or speech; weakness or numbness in a limb; severe headache

 

Liver damage, seen as: yellow eyes or skin; dark urine; abdominal pain

 

Allergic reaction: rash; hives; itching; swelling; difficulty breathing or swallowing

 

Acne

 

Bloating, nausea and vomiting

 

Changes in your eyes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses

 

If you chose a hormone prescription for any reason, you should be sure to use only low-androgen content methods. If you have a strong predisposition for genetic hair loss, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease or any female organ cancer in your family I strongly recommend the use of another non-hormonal form of birth control.

 

Below is a list of birth control pills ranging from lowest androgen index to highest:

 

Desogen, Ortho-Cept, Ortho-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Micronor, Nor-Q D, Ovcon-35, Brevicon/Modicon, Ortho Norvum 7/7/7, Ortho Novum 10-11, Tri-Norinyl, Norinyl and Ortho 1/35, Demulen 1/35, Triphasil/Tri-Levien, Nordette, Lo/Ovral, Ovrette, Ovral, Loestrin1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30.

 

The following hormonal contraceptives have a significant potential of causing hair loss or making it worse:

 

Progestin implants, such as Norplant, are small rods surgically implanted under your skin. The rods release a continuous dose of progestin to prevent ovarian function.

 

Progestin injections, such as Depo-Provera, are given into the muscles of the upper arm or buttocks.

 

 

 

 

Recommended for Hair Loss:
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The skin patch (Ortho Evra) is pasted onto your shoulder, buttocks, or other location. It releases progestin and estrogen continuously to prevent your ovaries from producing normal cycles.

 

The vaginal ring (NuvaRing) is a flexible ring that is inserted into the vagina. This method releases the  lowest amounts of progestin and estrogen.

 

Minoxidil 2% Topical Treatment - Minoxidil seems to be more effective for women than men, for increasing scalp hair growth. The manufacturers of minoxidil recommend women use 2% minoxidil. There is a 5% solution available that has been tested and found safe enough for men. Because the makers of minoxidil have not invested in the expense of gaining FDA approval for promoting 5% minoxidil for use by women, it must be prescribed and used under a physician's supervision. Small clinical trials on 5% minoxidil for women show that the 5% solution is in fact more effective in both retaining and regrowing hair than the 2 % solution.

 

Spironolactone (Aldactone) is a potassium-sparing diuretic used to treat high blood pressure and swelling. Spironolactone slows the production of androgens in the adrenal glands and ovaries. It prevents DHT from binding to receptor sites in the hair follicles.

 

Cimetidine (Tagamet) is a histamine blocker, approved to treat digestive tract ulcers. It prevents the stomach from producing digestive enzymes. Cimetidine also has been shown to block DHT from binding to hair follicle receptor sites.

 

Cyproterone acetate is used to reduce sexual aggression in men.

Cyproterone acetate blocks DHT at hair follicle receptors. It has significant toxicity and long term side effects and is not available in the US.

 

Ketoconazole is a prescription topical treatment. It is primarily used as an antimicrobial for treating skin fungus. It suppresses production of androgens by adrenal glands, testicles and ovaries. Nizoral shampoo contains 2% ketoconazole. There is an over-the-counter version available. It has 1% active ingredient and is not as effective as prescription strength.

 

Finasteride is a drug that inhibits the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that deactivates DHT. It is sold as Proscar to treat prostate enlargement in men. Sold as Propecia it is approved by the FDA for male balding. Women should not take it if they are pregnant or might become pregnant because of the risk of feminization effects on a male fetus.

 

Surgical Implants

 

Since hair restoration surgery is an option for the vast majority of the balding men, women may want to consider it. However, the type of hair loss most women suffer from makes hair transplants a bad idea.

 

Few women have the type of hair loss that make them good candidates for a surgical solution. Most men lose hair in well-defined areas, for instance the receding forehead or the classic round spot on the top of the skull. Little clumps or plugs of hair are removed from areas where healthy follicles are stable and plentiful, and these are transplanted to other areas of the head. Women more often experience an overall thinning across their whole scalp, including the sides and back. Most women have few reliably stable donor sites. Offering to transplant hair from unstable donor sites is medically unethical and women must not allow their distress about balding to get in the way of a cool- eyed look at the rationale behind treatment options offered.

 

Are any women good candidates for hair transplant? Yes, some.  A small percentage, 2% to 5% of women will have the type of hair loss that will benefit from this type of procedure. They are:

 

Women who have suffered hair loss due to non-hormonal causes, like traction alopecia.

 

Women who have scalp scars from some kind of wound or cosmetic surgery and want to repair hair loss around the incision or injury sites.

 

Women who have healthy and stable donor sites along with balding in a distinct pattern, like a receding hairline or thinning on the very top of the head.

 

Natural Remedies for Women's Hair Loss

 

Safe, effective natural therapies are available to help you restore scalp health and increase hair growth. Like all natural therapies, in order to be maximally effective, it is essential to work with you as an individual. Some remedies will be more useful to you than others, depending on your unique, personal physical, mental and emotional health status. It is always important to spend your health care dollars well. I offer a consultation service to help you choose and make best use of the available options for treatment. Please visit your local ND to find out how to benefit from a personal consultation.

You will receive recommendations for specific natural therapies, designed for your unique health status, to help you restore your health, and your scalp hair to it's fullest and most enjoyable beauty.

 

 

 

Recommended for Hair Loss:
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