Leprosy – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Leprosy is an infectious disease that has been recognized since biblical times. It is also known as Hansen’s disease (HD). This chronic condition is characterized by severe disfiguring of skin ulcers, nerve damage and muscular weakness in both the extremities. This deadly infectious ailment created havoc in ancient times and was often surrounded by negative, terrifying stigmas among people. Epidemics of leprosy was prevalent that affected and frightened numerous people across the globe. Let’s learn about HD causes, symptoms and treatment.

In United States, approximately 100 cases are diagnosed per year, and most of the cases are seen in U.S. islands, South California and Hawaii. The oldest civilizations of India, Israel, China, and Egypt were dreaded that this infectious disease was incurable, contagious and mutilating. However, leprosy is not that contagious and it can be cured. You will acquire this condition only if you come into repeated and close contact through mouth and nose droplets from the infected or untreated leprosy patient. Children are more prone to HD than adults, as their immune system is not that strong as compared to adults.

What are the causes of Leprosy?

This infectious disease is caused by a pathogenic bacterium known as Mycobacterium leprae. This bacterium was discovered by G. H. Armauer Hansen in the year 1873 in Norway. Hence, it is known as Hansen’s disease. This causative agent is not very contagious and the incubation period (period before symptoms appear) is long, which makes the detection and sources of the infection hard to elicit. Mycobacterium leprae is a slow-growing pathogenic microbe.

There are two forms of this chronic disease viz. tuberculoid and lepromatous.

Tuberculoid – This type of leprosy is mild and less severe than lepromatous form, which is characterized by few flat skin eruptions with paleness (paucibacillary). Tuberculoid form is less contagious than other type of HD. The affected part of the skin becomes numb due to nerve damage.

Lepromatous – It is the most severe form of leprosy, which is characterized by large skin nodules and lumps, rashes (multibacillary), muscle weakness and numbness of the affected part. This form of disease is more contagious than tuberculoid form. Other organs such as nasal cavity, kidneys and male genitals are also affected in severe cases.

Other form of Hansen’s disease is borderline type, in which people suffer from both lepromatous and tuberculoid form of leprosy.

What are the symptoms of Hansen’s disease?

Mycobacterium leprae primarily affects the skin and peripheral nerves that are outside the brain and spinal cord. It also affects the eyes and tissue lining the nasal cavity.

• Skin ulcers –
• Disfiguring sores
• Lumps or bumps (nodules)
• Sores are pale-colored
• Nerve damage –
• Numbness of the arms and legs
• Muscle weakness

Skin sore and lumps do not go away for several weeks or months. Usually, it takes nearly 3 to 5 years for signs and symptoms to appear after the invasion Mycobacterium leprae in the body. Few people may develop symptoms after 10 or 20 years.

How leprosy is treated?

The good news is that leprosy can be cured. In last 20 years, approximately millions of people with this infectious disease have been cured successfully. The World Health Organization (WHO) gives free treatment to the people suffering from leprosy. Effective medicines are available, and isolating people with HD is not needed.

Your physician will give you the appropriate treatment after considering your type of leprosy. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are used in treating this infectious disease. Long-term treatment of various antibiotics in combinations is required to manage symptoms of HD, usually from 6 months to 1 year. People suffering from severe type HD may need to consume antibiotics for longer period of time. However, anti-bacterial medicines will not treat the nerve damage.

Anti-inflammatory medications are used to control the swelling associated with HD, which may be given in combination with corticosteroids. Patients suffering from this chronic condition may also be given medicinal drugs that suppress the immune system of the body, which helps in treating skin nodules. Immuno suppressive agents should not be given to pregnant women, as the fetus may suffer from congenital anomalies.

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