A reader asks: I am suffering from vitiligo (white patch) on my chest for the last four years. I have consulted skin specialists. The colour got reduced after few days and started spreading after couple of years, although I continued allopathic (modern medicine) treatment. Then, I tried Ayurveda and Homeopathy, both did not work. Now, new spots have started to appear on my hands and legs.
I heard Unani has excellent cure for vitiligo?
Dr Iftikhar Ahmad Saifi (Unani Medicine and Surgery and Doctor of Naturopathy) replies: Vitiligo is a disorder in which white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. This happens because the cells that make pigment (colour) in the skin are destroyed. These cells are called melanocytes. Vitiligo can also affect the mucous membranes (such as the tissue inside the mouth and nose) and the eye.
The cause is not known. Vitiligo may be an autoimmune disease. These diseases happen when your immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body. In vitiligo, the immune system may destroy the melanocytes in the skin. It is also possible that one or more genes may make a person more likely to get the disorder.
Some researchers think that the melanocytes destroy themselves. Others think that a single event such as sunburn or emotional distress can cause vitiligo. But these events have not been proven to cause vitiligo.
Most people with vitiligo develop it before the age of 40. The disorder affects all races and both sexes equally.
Treatments with Unani medicine includes:
- Safoof Bars: Mix 5 gms of herbal powder in ½ cup of plain water. Let it sit overnight. In morning drink the water. Apply the remaining herbs on patches.
- Black seeds (kalonji) and Fenugreek (methi) seeds: Soak 1 pinch of black seeds and 2 pinches of fenugreek seeds in 1 cup of water. Let it sit overnight. In morning drink the whole recipe i.e. drink water and eat the soaked seeds.
- Itrifal Shahtra: 5gms with water before bed
- Sharbat-e-Musaffi: 1 to 2 tablespoonful of herbal syrup mixed in water 2 times a day.
Note: These herbal medicines should be taken for at least four months or more.
Restricted Food Item In Unani Medicine
Banana, beef, dairy products, egg, fish, peanuts, cashew, most of citric fruits and vegetables e.g. lemon, orange, tamarind, processed foods, fast foods, sodas, alcohol...
Make sure to give sadaqah (charity) on a regular basis. This helps for sure.
Disclaimer: This blog is a conversation and is not an alternative for treatment. The recommendations and suggestions offered by our panel of doctors are their own and Gulf News will not take any responsibility for the advice they provide.
