Hansen’s disease
Friday, June 29th, 2007Hansen’s disease , commonly referred to as leprosy. was at one time considered to be a from curse or sinful ways. Leprosy or Hansen s Disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by the mycobacterium leprae bacteria. This disease can cause severe deformity of the feet, hands and face. The bacteria that cause leprosy thrive in cool areas of the body such as the skin, nerves near the skin surface and in oral and nasal mucus membranes. The infection leads to a loss of sensation in the affected areas.
Although leprosy was once wide spread it is now mostly consentrated in Brazil, India, Nigeria, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar. it is mostly found in tropical areas.
The immune system generally prevent the development of leprosy. However, it has been found that some people are naturally more susceptible to the infection, while others carry a natural immunity. When an individual does develop symptoms, they are usually mild. The disease is only fatal in rare cases or in cases where other complications have taken hold.
Hansens’s disease has two forms-tuberculoid (paucibacillary Hansen’s disease) and lepromatous (multibacillary Hansen’s disease).
Tuberculoid Hansens’s disease is the milder form of leprosy in which bacteria live in a few small, symmetrical skin lesions. Symptoms are caused by the body’s immune response to this particular bacteria. After exposure, it usually takes about four years for tuberculoid leprosy symptoms to appear.
Lepromatous Hansen’s disease is the severe form in which skin lesions are numerous and larger in size. There are more bacteria present in the lesions and the skin may become very thick. As this type of leprosy advances, nodules may form on both sides of the body. Thick skin folds form on the face and the entire nose may collapse. With lepromatous leprosy, it may take as long as eight years for symptoms to appear after exposure.
Both forms of Hansen’s disease may result in permanent nerve damage. Burns and injuries may go untreated and unnoticed because of the loss of sensation associated with leprosy. This can cause unnecessary injuries which may become infected with tissue-damaging bacteria. Damaged foot and hand nerves often cause fingers and toes to stiffen and curl inward, making grasping objects and walking difficult or impossible for some individuals. Fingers may also become shorter and stiff. Both types of leprosy may also result in blindness.
Not very contagious
Modern medicine knows that leprosy is spread when an untreated infected person coughs or sneezes (but not by sexual contact or pregnancy). However, leprosy is not very contagious; approximately 95% of people have natural immunity to the disease. People with leprosy who are treated with medication do not need to be isolated from society. (Historically, people with leprosy were sent to “lepers’ colonies” on remote islands or in special hospitals.)
Signs and symptoms
The earliest sign of leprosy is commonly a spot on the skin that may be slightly redder, darker, or lighter than the person’s normal skin.
The spot may lose feeling and hair. In some people the only sign is numbness in a finger or toe.
If left untreated, leprosy has serious effects on the body, including:
- Hands and feet - Leprosy bacteria attack the nerves in the hands and feet and cause them to become numb. A person may get cuts or burns on the numb parts and not know it, leading to infections which cause permanent damage. Fingers and toes may be lost to infection. Serious infections in the feet may require amputation. Paralysis may cause the fingers and toes to curl up permanently.
- Eyes - Leprosy bacteria attack the nerves around the eyes causing the loss of blinking reflex (which protects the eye from injury and moistens the surface). The eyes become dry and infected, and blindness may result. Because of numbness of the eye, the person cannot feel dirt or scratches in the eye.
- Face - Damage to the internal lining of the nose causes scarring and eventual collapse of the nose.
Treatment available
The good news is that leprosy is curable. In 1981, the World Health Organization recommended the use of a combination of three antibiotics–dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine–for treatment, which takes six months to a year or more.
During the course of treatment, the body may react to the dead bacteria with pain and swelling in the skin and nerves. This is treated with pain medication, prednisone, or thalidomide (under special conditions).