Leprosy

General description of the disease

This is a chronic pathology of infectious origin, which is provoked by bacteria. Mycobacterium leprae… This disease has been known for a long time. Leprosy usually affects the skin, the peripheral nervous system, and in some cases the feet, hands, eyes, and testicles.

Leprosy or leprosy is most common in countries with tropical climates. In the past 50 years, the number of patients with leprosy has dropped significantly. However, from 3 to 15 million patients with leprosy are diagnosed annually in the world. The first place in the number of registered cases is shared by Nepal and India, Brazil is second and Burma is third. Residents of countries with poor living conditions are at risk: with poor nutrition, dirty water, as well as those suffering from diseases that deplete the immune system – AIDS and hepatitis.

Leprosy has a long incubation period, which can range from 5-6 months to several decades, it is asymptomatic, on average, its duration is about 5 years. The source of the disease is a person sick with leprosy. In children who come into contact with a sick person, infection occurs faster than in adults.

Types and symptoms of leprosy

• lepromatous form leprosy is considered the most severe. On the skin of the face, legs, buttocks, forearms, rounded erythematous spots with a smooth surface are formed, as a rule, red in color, however, over time they become yellow-brown. Over time, the skin on the affected areas becomes denser, and leprosy or infiltrates form at the site of the spots. With the course of the disease in the area of ​​leprosy, sweating stops completely, there is increased greasiness and the skin becomes bluish in color. Infiltrative transformations form folds on the skin, the nose and eyebrows thicken, and facial features change. Perforation of the nasal septum can change the shape of the nose. If the larynx is infected, the patient’s voice may change;
• tuberculoid form does not affect internal organs. This type of leprosy affects the skin and the peripheral nervous system. Purple papules appear on the patient’s trunk, upper limbs or on the face of the patient. Over time, the papules merge and form plaques, on which vellus hair falls out and develops dryness and flaking. With this type of leprosy, the nails of the hands can be affected, they are deformed, thickened and become grayish. The affected areas of the skin lose sensitivity, therefore they are prone to injuries and burns, which do not heal well and fester. The branches of the facial nerve, parotid, and radial nerves thicken, possibly a violation of the motor activity of the fingers and toes;
• undifferentiated form affects the lower extremities. Dermatological lesions appear as nodules, plaques, or asymmetric red patches. Nerve damage manifests itself in the form of asymmetric neuritis or polyneuritis with paralysis. The borderline form of pathology can turn into tuberculoid or lepromatous.

Causes of leprosy

Infection occurs through discharge from the nose and mouth, breast milk, semen, urine, during close contact with patients with leprosy. Infection with Mycobacterium leprae usually occurs through airborne droplets. A patient with leprosy secretes about a million bacteria per day. Infection is possible if the integrity of the skin is violated by insect bites or when applying tattoos.

People with healthy immunity have a high resistance to the presented pathology. When leprosy bacteria enter the body, only about 10-20% of people get sick. Infection requires long-term and close contact with an infected person. It should be noted that men are more susceptible to leprosy than women.

Complications of leprosy

In the case of untimely therapy with lepromatous form, the eyes may be affected, iridocyclitis and conjunctivitis develop, in some cases blindness may occur. The occurrence of leprosy on the nasal mucosa provokes nosebleeds, perforation of the septum, up to deformity of the nose. Changes in the skin on the face lead to deformity. The defeat of internal organs leads to nephritis, prostatitis, orchitis, chronic hepatitis.

The tuberculoid form can lead to serious lesions of the feet and hands, muscle atrophy, paresis and paralysis. If granulomas form in the bones, fractures are possible.

Prevention of leprosy

The main point in the prevention of the disease is considered to be strict observance of hygiene rules, improvement of living conditions and quality of life. A leprosy patient should have individual dishes, a towel, bed linen. It is extremely rare, but still, cases of the return of leprosy have been confirmed. Therefore, people who have had this disease are not allowed to work in the kitchen, in medical and childcare facilities.

If someone in the family has had leprosy, then all family members must undergo a medical examination every year. Children born to mothers with leprosy are immediately isolated and artificially fed.

In preventive measures, people should be examined in the foci of the epidemic for early detection of cases of infection and timely therapy.

Treatment of leprosy in mainstream medicine

When treating leprosy, consultations of several specialists are necessary: ​​an infectious disease specialist, an orthopedist, an ophthalmologist and a neuropathologist. With timely diagnosis, leprosy is completely curable.

Leprosy therapy should be long-term and comprehensive. First of all, the infectious disease specialist prescribes at least 3 antileprotic agents of the sulfone series. The course of treatment for leprosy can be up to several years, the patient undergoes several courses of treatment, between which a break is required. In order to avoid addiction, combinations of antileprosy drugs are changed every 2 courses of therapy. In the treatment of leprosy, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, immunomodulators, hepatoprotectors, agents with iron, adaptogens and vitamin complexes are required.

Physiotherapists for leprosy recommend massage sessions, mechanotherapy, and exercise therapy.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!