The condition of your hair tells a lot about your he alth. What diseases can be identified by problems with the hair and / or scalp? What is the lush hair and what is the loss of hair?
Hair conditioncan tell you a lot about your he alth. If your hair falls out, is dry or brittle, you may first suspect a lack of vitamins and trace elements. Usually, the poor condition of the hair is caused by the deficiencies of elements such as iron, sulfur, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins. It is also worth mentioning that the condition of the hair is aggravated by stress.
The causes of hair loss also include hormonal disorders, certain medications and genetic tendencies. But the bad condition of the hair may also be a sign of developing diseases. What?
Diabetes
The first symptom of diabetes may be hair loss or hair that is in a very bad condition. This is because sugar thickens the blood, which makes it difficult for it to flow. So the hair follicles cannot get the nutrients they need. It also damages the blood vessels that nourish the hair follicles. The symptom may also be a slowing down of hair growth.
Anemia
Anemia is manifested by brittle hair, falling out and very thin, and changes in the nails. Symptoms are also dry skin, pale skin, weakness, dizziness and palpitations. It's all because the iron level in the blood is too low, and therefore the reduced amount of red blood cells. You should see a doctor, change your diet to iron-rich, and iron supplementation will also be necessary.
Diseases of the thyroid gland
Very often a sick thyroid can be identified by the condition of the hair. In the case of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, the incorrect concentration of thyroxine causes the hair to stop growing and is very weak. A thyroid hormone test should be performed to confirm or rule out a condition.
In the case of a diseased thyroid, there is also a disturbance in the functioning of the sebaceous glands. If we suffer from hypothyroidism our hair will be dull, brittle and coarse due to a lack of sebum. If, on the other hand, we suffer from hyperthyroidism, there will be much more of this sebum - there will be overproduction and the hair will be shiny with sebum.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Or PCOS -Policystic Ovary Syndrome is a hormonal disorder that occurs only in women. The causes of the disease are not fully understood, but one of the symptoms of the disease is hair loss. Another symptom, on the contrary, may also appear, namely excessivemale hair . Other symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome include mood disorders, acne, obesity, sleep problems and infertility.
When talking about the diseases that heralds the bad condition of the hair, it is impossible not to mention the diseases that typically affect the scalp and hair. We include:
Seborrheic dermatitis
It is a disease caused by excessive activity of the sebaceous glands and infection with a yeast-like fungus - Malassezia furfur. Symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis are aggravated by stress and a poor diet. Symptoms include peeling of the epidermis and characteristic itchy erythema. Scabs that form on the scalp promote hair loss. The disease is chronic and is treated by a dermatologist.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a serious disease that can appear regardless of age. It is estimated that it appears very often before the age of 30. The symptom of alopecia areata are short, broken hair, the tip of which is thicker than the base.
Androgenetic alopecia
There are genetic determinants behind androgenetic alopecia, often called male pattern baldness. Androgenetic alopecia affects at least 50% of men aged 50 and 40% of women aged 70.