Diseases That Cause Alopecia

Hair loss comes from many things ,diseases that cause Alopecia and the most common form of hair loss is genetic. However, hair loss can come from medications, illness, toxic substances and your own actions.

People that twist their hair, wear it tightly in a bun, ponytail or braids often pull the hair out by the root. This causes scar tissue and permanent hair loss. Malnutrition and improper diet also causes hair loss. Tracing the cause of hair loss is important as it may be a symptom of an underlying disease that needs treatment.

Some of the diseases that cause Alopecia or you to lose hair include the following:

Lupus

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints and most of the major organs its also one of the diseases that cause Alopecia. These include the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and brain. When you lose hair from lupus, your hair comes out in patches and is brittle. Since it breaks off easily, you’ll probably have short broken hairs on the forehead. If lupus affects the skin, it sometimes develops scars on the scalp that cause the hair to fall out. Other symptoms of lupus include swollen joints, fatigue, skin rash and a persistent low-grade fever. Hair lost during a flare up of lupus often grows back.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Certain Other Cancers

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is cancer of the lymph tissues of the lymph nodes, bone marrow, liver, spleen and elsewhere on the body. While the most recognizable symptoms are fatigue, itching, fever and chills, night sweats, weight loss and a swollen lymph notes in the groin, armpits and neck that are not painful, hair loss can also be another symptom of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Thyroid Disturbances

Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid that can cause weight loss, rapid heartbeat, increased appetite, nervousness, shaking fingers and hands, sweating, sensitivity to heat, changes in bowel habits, an enlarged thyroid, muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping and hair loss. It occurs due to several different conditions. Hair loss from hyperthyroidism is reversible.

Hypothyroidism

One of the Diseases That Cause Alopecia is Hypothyroidism is the opposite of hyperthyroidism. In this case, the thyroid is underactive. You’ll feel fatigued, sluggish, be sensitive to the cold, have pale skin, a puffy face, a hoarse voice, weight gain, stiff muscles, high blood cholesterol, muscle aches, brittle fingernails, depression, constipation and brittle hair. The brittleness of the hair causes it to break and that causes hair loss. The hair loss through hypothyroidism is reversible.

Muscular Dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy’s adult form, myotonic dystrophy, a genetic disease that causes wasting of the muscles, also can cause hair loss.

Pituitary Diseases

Since the pituitary gland controls six hormones, it also has an affect on many of the other organs and functions necessary for hair growth. The hormones are: thyroid stimulating hormone, growth hormone , Adrenocorticotropic hormone, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone, and Prolactin.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis is an infection of the hair follicles that leads to scarring and subsequent hair loss.

Diabetes does not allow the body to produce the amount of insulin necessary to metabolize carbohydrates. It affects healing and makes skin susceptible to fungus and bacterial infection. It also has a direct link to thinning hair since it slows the regrowth of hair.

Malnutrition

The body requires a number of different nutrients, particularly protein, to create hair shafts. Anemia, lack of iron, is included in this category. If the material isn’t available, you don’t have hair growth to replace the normally shed hairs.

Alopecia Areata

This immune system disease causes the body to attack it’s own hair follicles and cease their functioning.

Androgenetic Alopecia

This is genetic hair loss that causes male balding pattern and hair loss in women also.

Fungus Infections of the Scalp

Ringworm is one fungus infection of several that affects the scalp causing sores and subsequent hair loss.

Heavy Metal Poisoning

Heavy metal poisoning from substances like thallium and arsenic can have hair loss as one of the symptoms.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Late stage syphilis and HIV, two diseases that come from sexual contact as the primary method of infection, but by no means the only way, cause compromise to the immune system and body in general causing hair loss.

Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis causes scar tissue from inflammation throughout the body. This blocks the growth of hair when it’s on the scalp.

Stress

One of the more common causes of hair loss is stress. It may come from the stress a severe illness causes on the body or mental stress.The best with hair loss is knowing the root cause ,types ,drugs and diseases that cause Alopecia.

Return to page of Alopecia hair loss in women from Diseases That Cause Alopecia