preview

Symptoms and Treatment: Alopecia Areata

Good Essays

Introduction In basic terms, alopecia is a term used in medical circles to refer to baldness. With that in mind, it can be noted that alopecia areata is just one of the many conditions associated with hair loss. In most cases, the condition is occasioned by some round patches of bald spots in the affected individual's head. In some cases, affected individuals can experience total hair loss. In this text, I will discuss the condition and amongst other things highlight its causes, symptoms and treatment. Alopecia Areata The Causes According to Gaspari and Tyring, "alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease of the hair follicle and nail matrix" (699). Alopecia areata is believed to be triggered by an immune system abnormality. It is this abnormality that eventually brings about or occasions autoimmunity. In a normal individual's body, various germs entering the body including but not limited to viruses and bacteria are attacked by antibodies as well as lymphocytes made by the body's own immune system (Marshall Cavendish Corporation 40). However, for those individuals with an autoimmune condition like alopecia areata, some parts of their body are identified as being foreign by the immune system. Most particularly; for those with alopecia areata, the immune system identifies some hair roots as being foreign. In such a case, quite a number of lymphocytes end up congregating/gathering around the hair follicles affected. The inflammation that results in this case, though

Get Access