Disorders Archives - MyMedicPlus

Complete Guide to Pigmentation Disorders & Their Treatment

mymedicplus — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:07:42 +0000

What Are Pigmentation Disorders?

Pigmentation disorders are conditions that affect the color (pigment) of your skin, hair, or eyes, primarily caused by an imbalance of melanin — the natural pigment produced by specialized skin cells called melanocytes.

These disorders result in either too much melanin (hyperpigmentation) or too little (hypopigmentation or depigmentation), leading to uneven skin tone or discolored patches.

Causes of Pigmentation Disorders

Cause	Explanation
Genetic mutations	Inherited disorders like albinism
Sun exposure	Triggers excess melanin (especially UV rays)
Hormonal changes	Pregnancy, birth control pills (melasma)
Inflammation or injury	Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
Autoimmune diseases	Like vitiligo, where the immune system attacks melanocytes
Medications or chemicals	Certain antibiotics, cancer drugs, or cosmetics

Common Pigmentation Disorders

1. Hyperpigmentation (Too Much Pigment)

This results in dark spots or patches on the skin.

Melasma

Brown or gray-brown patches
Common on cheeks, forehead, upper lip
Triggered by hormones and sunlight

Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH)

Dark spots after acne, burns, cuts, or rashes
More common in darker skin tones

Sunspots (Solar Lentigines)

Also called age spots or liver spots
Caused by years of UV exposure

2. Hypopigmentation (Too Little Pigment)

This leads to light or white patches of skin.

Vitiligo

Autoimmune disorder where melanocytes are destroyed
Appears as white patches that can spread
Can affect skin, hair, and mucous membranes

Albinism

Genetic condition — complete or partial lack of melanin
Affects skin, hair, and eyes
Increased risk of sunburn and vision problems

Tinea Versicolor

Fungal infection that disrupts pigment
Causes light or dark patches, often on back or chest

Pityriasis Alba

Affects children and teens
Light, scaly patches on face, arms, neck
Usually resolves on its own

Diagnosis

A dermatologist may:

Use a Wood’s lamp (UV light tool) to examine skin changes
Conduct a biopsy if needed
Review medical history and medication use
Perform blood tests (for autoimmune diseases or hormone imbalances)

Treatment Options by Condition

A. Treatments for Hyperpigmentation

Treatment Type	Details
Topical creams	– Hydroquinone: Gold standard skin lightener (used short-term) – Retinoids (tretinoin) – Azelaic acid – Vitamin C: Antioxidant that brightens skin – Kojic acid, niacinamide
Chemical peels	Mild to moderate acids (glycolic, salicylic) exfoliate the skin and fade dark spots
Laser therapy	Targets deeper pigmentation, e.g. Q-switched laser, IPL (intense pulsed light)
Microneedling	Encourages skin renewal and helps with post-acne marks
Sun protection	Daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30+) is mandatory

Avoid skin-lightening products with mercury or illegal steroids — especially common in unregulated creams.

B. Treatments for Hypopigmentation

Condition	Treatment Options
Vitiligo	– Topical corticosteroids or calcineurin inhibitors (tacrolimus) – Phototherapy (UVB) – Depigmentation therapy for widespread cases – Skin grafting or micropigmentation (tattooing) in stubborn areas
Albinism	– No cure – Protect from sun (SPF 50, sunglasses, clothing) – Regular eye checks
Tinea Versicolor	– Antifungal creams or shampoos (selenium sulfide, ketoconazole) – Recurrence is common — maintain dry, clean skin
Pityriasis Alba	– Mild moisturizers – Low-dose steroid creams – Often self-resolves in time

Importance of Sun Protection in All Cases

UV radiation worsens both hyper- and hypopigmentation. Regardless of your skin condition:

Always wear SPF 30 or higher
Choose mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide)
Reapply every 2–3 hours, especially outdoors
Wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing

Natural Remedies: Are They Effective?

Natural ingredients like licorice root, green tea extract, aloe vera, and turmeric may have mild pigment-regulating effects — but they work slowly and results vary.

Use only dermatologist-approved natural products to avoid irritation or worsening pigmentation.

Psychological Impact and Support

Pigmentation disorders — especially vitiligo, melasma, and albinism — can affect self-esteem and mental health.

What Helps:

Support groups and counseling
Camouflage cosmetics (color-correcting makeup)
Talking to a dermatologist about realistic treatment goals

Summary Table: Common Conditions & Treatments

Disorder	Type	Treatment Highlights
Melasma	Hyper	Hydroquinone, sunscreen, peels
PIH (acne scars)	Hyper	Retinoids, azelaic acid, microneedling
Sunspots	Hyper	Laser therapy, vitamin C, sunscreen
Vitiligo	Hypo	Steroids, UV therapy, micropigmentation
Tinea Versicolor	Hypo	Antifungals (topical/oral)
Albinism	Genetic	No cure – strict sun & eye protection

Final Tips for Managing Pigmentation

Consistency is key — even the best creams take 8–12 weeks.
Sun protection is non-negotiable.
See a dermatologist early — avoid self-medication.
Track your triggers (sun, stress, hormones).
Focus on skin health over perfection.

The post Complete Guide to Pigmentation Disorders & Their Treatment appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Study shows children with diabetes have high rates of mood disorders – What could possibly be the link?

mymedicplus — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 09:19:06 +0000

Source – https://www.timesnownews.com/

According to new research from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, first nations children are experiencing a double burden of physical and mental illness.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Diabetes is one of the most common conditions that affects millions of people around the world

According to a study, children who suffer from diabetes are likely to have a high rate of mood disorders such as depression or anxiety

Here is all you need to know about the link between the two

New Delhi: Diabetes – be it type 1 diabetes, or type 2 diabetes, is increasing manifold around the world, every year, so much so that it has been labelled an epidemic by some. While type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disorder, type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune disorder that affects the pancreas, thereby causing the disease. The incidence of children born with type 1 diabetes, or those who develop it soon after birth, is on a rise, globally, especially in the first world countries.

Diabetes, however, is not just about physical health, as previously believed. According to new research from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, first nations children are experiencing a double burden of physical and mental illness.

Here is what the study says

According to the study, the rate of type 2 diabetes among young people is rising dramatically, and the majority of these children are of the First Nations heritage.

These children were also 25 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, as compared to other kids, one of the authors of the study said.

Another study, conducted in Ontario, and published in February in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that between 1995 and 2014, both the prevalence and incidence of all types of diabetes were “substantially higher” among the First Nations people than among other people in Ontario.

“The kids we see with diabetes have high rates of other co-morbidities — liver disease, kidney disease, they have high rates of obesity,” Sellers, one of the authors of the study, said. “They don’t just have Type 2 diabetes.”

Beyond the physical ailments, the Manitoba research also discovered that young First Nations people with Type 2 diabetes have high rates of mental health disorders, “and in particularly high rates of mood and anxiety disorders and high rates of suicide and suicide attempts,” she said.

Sellers, a pediatric diabetes specialist, treats children from Manitoba and from First Nations in the Sioux Lookout zone in northwestern Ontario, where she said many of the health concerns are the same, as families are connected across the provincial boundary.

What could possibly be the link between type 2 diabetes, and mental health issues?

According to the researchers of the study, more data will have to be found on this to establish a causal link. While people are aware that physical ailments can cause stress and anxiety among people, to understand if there exists a direct link is something that needs to be looked into.

Researchers will also have to see which of the two is the cause, and which is the effect of the former – if living with a mental health issue can trigger type 2 diabetes, or vice versa.

Researchers also believe that this may have link with racial or communal discrimination which not only has an effect on the living conditions of people, but also on their psychological health.

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Diabetes, Severe Obesity Increases Risk of Offspring Psychiatric Disorders

mymedicplus — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 06:17:52 +0000

Source: mdmag.com

Severely obese mothers with diabetes had an increased overall risk for their offspring to have psychiatric disorders, according to new research.

If a mother had severe obesity and insulin-treated pregestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes, their offspring was at an estimated 128%, 54%, or 18% increased risk to be diagnosed with an ICD-10 F code.

Ida A. K. Nilsson, PhD, and a team of investigators examined more than 647,000 births to learn the associations of different types of maternal diabetes—with and without obesity—with psychiatric disorders in their offspring. The investigators found that the risk was highest for women exposed to insulin-treated pregestational diabetes.

Nilsson, from the molecular medicine and surgery department at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and colleagues included all pregnancies which ended in live births in Finland between January 2004-December 2014. Data were collected from the Drugs and Pregnancy database. Primary and secondary diagnoses of psychiatric disorders for offspring and mothers were obtained from the Finnish Care Registers for Health Care (HILMO).

The investigators categorized maternal body mass index (BMI) as severely obese (>35); moderately obese (>30 to <35); overweight (>25 to <30); and normal weight (>18.5 to <25). Pregestational BMI for mothers was severely obese for 3.7%; moderately obese for 7.7%; overweight for 20.7%; and normal weight for 59.2% of births.

Among the 647,099 births studied, 105,966 fetuses (16.3%) were exposed in utero to maternal diabetes, 4000 (.62%) to insulin-treated pregestational diabetes—3880 with insulin purchase also during pregnancy— 3724 (.57%) to type 2 diabetes without insulin, and 98,242 to gestational diabetes not treated with insulin.

There were statistically significant interactions between maternal prepregnancy BMI and maternal diabetes with offspring have any psychiatric diagnosis (insulin-treated pregestational diabetes, P <.001; type 2 diabetes, P <.001; gestational diabetes, P = .007). Maternal diabetes, in addition to obesity, added an increased risk for offspring to receive a psychiatric diagnosis—effect size larger in the insulin-treated pregestational diabetes first, then type 2, and then gestational diabetes.

Insulin-treated pregestational diabetes (HR, 2.71; 95% CI, 2.03-3.61), type 2 diabetes (HR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.61-2.37), and gestational diabetes (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.50-1.72) were associated with an estimated 128%, 54%, and 18% increased risk for their offspring to receive any ICD-10 F code diagnosis for mothers with severe obesity compared to mothers with only severe obesity (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.33-1.54).

If a mother had severe obesity and insulin-treated pregestational diabetes it was associated with offspring mood disorders (HR, 8.03; 95% CI, 3.32-19.43) and intellectual disability (HR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.63-8.14). There was no association with offspring anxiety disorders.

The children of severely obese mothers with type 2 diabetes had higher risks of mood disorders (HR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.09-6.25), anxiety disorders (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.35-3.42) and intellectual disabilities (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.03-3.85) than the offspring of normal-weight mothers without diabetes. Those born to mothers with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes were also at increased risk of specific developmental disorders (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.81-2.91), ASD (HR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.18-4.41), ADHD or conduct disorders (HR, 3.21; 95% CI, 2.20-4.70), and other behavioral and emotional disorders (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.10-2.46) compared to children born to healthy mothers.

Overall, 34,892 offspring (5.39%) had a psychiatric disorder diagnosed during the study period (before the age of 11 years old). Psychiatric disorders included mood disorders (.31%); anxiety disorders (.73%); specific development disorders (2.77%); ADHD or conduct disorders (.81%); or other behavioral and emotional disorders.

Of the mothers without diabetes, higher prepregnancy BMI (moderate and severe obesity) was linked to an increased risk of any ICD-10 F code diagnosis among their offspring (moderate obesity, HR, 1.3 [95% CI, 1.24-1.36]; severe obesity, HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.33-1.54]), compared to those with BMI < 25. Specifically, the offspring had an increased risk of anxiety disorders (moderate obesity, HR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.16-1.49]; severe obesity, HR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.15-1.72]), intellectual disabilities (moderate obesity, HR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.32-1.84]; severe obesity, HR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.06-1.86], and ADHD or conduct disorders (moderate obesity, HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.26-1.61]; severe obesity, HR, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.58-2.23]).

Those offspring were also at an increased risk to being diagnosed with specific developmental disorders (moderate obesity, HR, 1.46 [95% CI, 1.37-1.55]; severe obesity, HR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.26-1.61]).

Nearly 13,500 children (2.07%) purchased psychotropic medication, including antipsychotics and hypnotics or anxiolytics, antidepressants, and stimulants.

Additional research with longer follow-up on offspring and exploration of biological mechanisms are needed, the investigators concluded.

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