First Step Home Residential
(513) 961-4663
www.firststephome.org
2203 Fulton Avenue
Cincinnati OH 45206

Rehabilitation Services

Primary Focus: Substance abuse treatment services
Services Provided: Substance abuse treatment
Type of Care: Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days), Outpatient
Special Programs/Groups: Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Gays and Lesbians, Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, Residential beds for clients' children

Vitiligo

Vitiligo or leukoderma is a chronic skin disease that causes loss of pigment, resulting in irregular pale patches of skin. The precise cause of vitiligo is complex and not fully understood. There is some evidence that suggests a combination of autoimmune, genetic and environmental factors causes vitiligo. The incidence of vitiligo worldwide is between one and two percent. According to the Diseases Database, the disorder appears in of areas of macular depigmentation, commonly on extensor aspects of extremities, on the face or neck, and in skin folds. The age of onset is often in young adulthood and the condition tends to progress gradually with lesions enlarging and extending until a quiescent state is reached. Half of the people living with vitiligo develop patches of de-pigmented skin appearing on extremities before their 20s. The patches may grow, shrink or remain constant in size. Patches often occur symmetrically across both sides on the body. Occasionally small areas may re-pigment as they are recolonised by melanocytes. The location of vitiligo affected skin changes over time, with some patches re-pigmenting and de-pigmenting.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during the night. A person who has sleep apnea may suffer from daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating and even heart failure.
The risk for sleep apnea is higher for overweight people. An overweight person may have more fat stored around his or her neck. This may make the airway smaller. A smaller airway can make breathing difficult, loud, cause snoring or stop altogether. In addition, fat stored in the neck and throughout the body may produce substances that cause inflammation. Inflammation in the neck is a risk factor for sleep apnea.
Weight loss usually improves sleep apnea. Weight loss may help to decrease neck size and lessen inflammation.