H1N1 leaves survivors partially bald

AHMEDABAD: Nagesh Bhatt, 45, from Navrangpura, and Usha Shah, 31, from Chandkheda, have successfully battled the deadly swine flu, but the influenza jab has triggered another concern — bald patches on the head.
Warmth might have brought relief to Gujarat with fewer H1N1 cases, but patients like Bhatt, who have been treated of H1N1 virus, are now suffering from bald spots on scalp, a condition which was rarely seen till last year.
Both Bhatt and Shah had been on a rigorous weight loss regime and crash dieting for months that damaged their immune system, making them susceptible to swine flu and eventually hair loss as well.
According to experts, swine flu may trigger baldness and autoimmune disease like alopecia in some patients. In alopecia, hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. It occurs when immune system attacks a person’s hair follicles, causing the hair on their head to fall out. In some cases, it may result in a total baldness or even the loss of all hair on the body.
Dermatologist and cosmetologist Dr Smita Nagpal explained: “Since swine flu patient’s body goes through a lot of stress, overall hair quality goes for a toss. This can happen in other viral infections too.” On measures to manipulate hair loss, Dr Nagpal said that soon after recovery, patients should start a diet high on iron, vitamins and other nutrients.
Kuldeep Singh Rohria, consultant dermatologist and cosmetologist, said: “Hair fall is part and parcel of weakened immunity that causes flu. Whatever causes weakened immunity like heavy dieting eventually leads to serious hair fall. When you restrict yourself to small amounts of food in order to lose weight, you're at higher risk of developing flu and hair loss.”
Japanese dermatologists have also found a link between H1N1 and baldness, following their study on seven people who experienced hair fall within months of suffering from the flu.