Leprosy: description of disease and symptoms

Leprosy is a disease much better known under the name "leprosy", a skin disease, which in rare cases can have a striking effect on the internal organs (do not confuse the disease with the development of the symptoms many doctors are associated with certain genetic predispositions that can occur in a patient. However, patients always after infection can be diagnosed a lesion of cell-mediated immunity.

However, the lesion in leprosy is confined to the skin, peripheral nerves, upper and lower limbs, sometimes the affected scrotum.

If we are talking about an acute form of leprosy, the microbe can be found in the internal organs such as the bone marrow, liver, kidney or spleen.

Symptoms and course of the disease

As already mentioned, in mild disease the defeat exposed skin of the limbs, the nerves, however, is practically not altered. But a complex form of leprosy on the contrary, affects the nerve trunks.

With such a long incubation period of leprosy is always evident slowly and gradually. It is noted that while leprosy can be observed:

• the increase in body temperature,
• the appearance of weakness,
• discomfort in the joints.

However, this is not universal symptoms, and some patients they are completely absent.

In addition, the appearance of drowsiness and fatigue sometimes there is anemia, some patients have diagnosed a malfunction in the sweat glands.

The main symptom of leprosy at an early stage may be the appearance of certain, specific changes on the skin. And in the field the appearance of spots or plaques completely lacking sensitivity. However, if the lesion localized on the face, the sensitivity of the affected areas is fully preserved.

At the tuberculoid form of leprosy the first symptoms are spots marked by hypopigmentation of the skin, which is partially lost sensitivity.

After a while the spots become completely annular shape which continues to extend peripherally, and in the center to heal. After the lesion ceases to spread, it completely loses its sensitivity.

In this form of the disease the nerves involved in the process early enough, and one can observe their increase, especially if we are talking about the peroneal or ulnar nerve, the increase is so obvious that it can be seen with the naked eye and to palpate.

It is against the background of nerve damage occurs atrophy of the hand or the feet, can begin to develop plantar ulcers, which is enough to get a small injury, keratitis, vision loss.

Treatment

Initially, the leprosyit was considered a fatal disease, but today it is completely curable. The main time to start the treatment that will be aimed at the destruction of microbe and treatment of complications related to leprosy.

Leprosy patients are placed in a leper colony, a special medical institution that are more similar to individual settlements. Here the patients live in houses, work, seeing a doctor.

All patients receive certain antibiotics, mostly ofloxacin, rifampicin. In addition antibiotics can be used acetylsalicylic acid and sometimes prednisone.