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Disease or illness Cause Hair Loss
Follicle is a very sensitive it does respond to imbalances in the body. Most hair loss causes by disease or illness is temporary and resolves itself after the body has returned to a healthy condition.
High fever, severe infection, severe flu
Sometimes
one to three months after a high fever, severe infection or flu, a
person may experience hair loss, this is usually temporary and corrects
itself.
Thyroid disease
Both an overactive thyroid and
an underactive thyroid can cause hair loss. Thyroid disease can be
diagnosed by your physician with laboratory tests. Hair loss associated
with thyroid disease can be reversed with proper treatment.
Deficient diet
Some people who go on low protein
diets, or have severely abnormal eating habits, may develop protein
malnutrition. To help save protein the body shifts growing hair into
the resting phase. If this happens massive amounts of hair shedding can
occur two to three months later. A sign of this is if the hair can be
pulled out by the roots fairly easily. This condition can be reversed
and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein. Its very
important when dieting to maintain an adequate protein intake.
Medications
Some prescription drugs may cause
temporary hair shedding in a small percentage of people. Examples of
such drugs include some of the medicines used for the following: gout,
arthritis, depression, heart problems, high blood pressure, or blood
thinner. High doses of vitamin A may also cause hair shedding.
Cancer treatments
Chemotherapy and radiation
treatment will cause hair loss because it stops hair cells from
dividing. Hairs become thin and break off as they exit the scalp. This
occurs one to three weeks after the treatment. Patients can lose up to
90 percent of their scalp hair. The hair will regrow after treatment
ends and patients may want to get wigs before treatment. There are some
drugs in development to help prevent this hair loss from occurring.
Low serum iron
Iron deficiency occasionally
produces hair loss. Some people don't have enough iron in their diets
or may not fully absorb iron in their diets. Women who have heavy
menstrual periods may develop iron deficiency. Low iron can be detected
by laboratory tests and can be corrected by taking iron pills.
Major surgery/chronic illness
Anyone who has a
major operation - a tremendous shock to the system - may notice
increased hair shedding within one to three months afterwards. The
condition reverses itself within a few months but people who have a
severe chronic illness may shed hair indefinitely. A relatively unknown
fact is that hair transplantation surgery can actually cause additional
hair loss or "shock fallout". Hairs lost from shock fallout usually
don't regrow.
Alopecia Areata
This type of hair loss is
believed to be caused by the immune system reacting to hair follicles
as if they were antibodies and shutting them down. The hair loss is
usually limited to a coin sized area and all the hair in the area is
lost leaving a totally smooth round patch. In a more severe rarer
condition called Alopecia Totalis, all hair on the entire body is lost,
including the eyelashes. Treatments include topical medications, a
special kind of light treatment, or in some cases drugs.
Fungus Infection (Ringworm) of the scalp
Caused
by a fungus infection, ringworm (which has nothing to do with worms)
begins with small patches of scaling that can spread and result in
broken hair, redness, swelling, and even oozing. This contagious
disease is most common in children and oral medication will cure it.
Stress
Stress can cause hair loss is some
people. Usually it occurs 3 months after the stressful event has
occured and it may take 3 months after the stress period has ended for
the hair growth to resume. In most cases it is temporary if the person
is not predisposed to genetic or Androgenic Alopecia, if they are
stress may trigger the onset of genetic hair loss or may worsen
existing Androgenic hair loss.
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