Leprosy, also known as leprosy, or more scientifically known as Hansen’s disease, is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae (M.leaprae), which causes the appearance of whitish plaques on the skin and an alteration of peripheral nerves, which decreases a person’s sensitivity to pain, touch and heat. Like what.
The parts of the body most affected are the eyes, hands and feet, but injuries can also affect the face, ears, buttocks, arms, legs and back, and transmission is through contact with the secretions of the infected person.
- Leprosy is curable when treatment is followed in accordance with the doctor’s advice.
- Respecting the dose and duration of treatment.
- And is performed with the use of antibiotics.
- Learn about daily care and doses of leprosy medications.
The first and main symptom of leprosy is the appearance of flat or raised patches, rounded, lighter in color than the skin, which can spread throughout the body. These spots can affect the eyebrows and eyelashes and can sometimes turn reddish. In each place, there is a loss of sensitivity, that is, they do not hurt, it is the biggest differential for other skin diseases, because the person no longer feels the differences in temperature and pressure at the wound site and can be seriously injured, without perceiving.
Skin imperfections and loss of sensation occur due to inflammation of the nerves in this area and other symptoms may occur, such as:
Symptoms of leprosy may take years to appear depending on the person’s immune response and the incubation period varies from 6 months to 5 years.
The diagnosis of leprosy is made by looking at the spots on the skin and the symptoms that the person presents. Some sensitivity tests are usually performed in the area, in addition to checking for any deformity of the eyes, hands, feet and face, as this can occur from thickening of the skin in certain types of leprosy, especially in the case of treatment. not done correctly.
In addition, a small scratch can be made on the wounds and sent to the lab for analysis to identify the bacteria responsible for leprosy.
Leprosy is a highly contagious disease that can be transmitted from person to person through the airways, with contact with saliva being the main form of transmission. Therefore, patients with leprosy are advised to avoid talking, kissing, coughing or sneezing too close to other people until treatment begins.
The individual may be infected with leprosy bacillus and show no symptoms until several years later. Contact through the patient’s touch does not represent a high risk of transmission and about 90% of the population has a natural defense against this disease, so the way the disease develops also depends on the genetics of each person.
Treatment of leprosy is done with the use of antibiotics, which should be started as soon as the first symptoms appear and maintained for a few months. Thus, treatment should always be well oriented, so it is advisable to go to a health center or a reference treatment center, usually once a month, or according to the doctor’s instructions regarding medication and dosage.
Antibiotics can stop the progression of leprosy and completely eliminate the disease, but to cure it, it may be necessary to maintain treatment for extended periods, ranging from 6 months to 2 years, as the complete elimination of the bacillus responsible for leprosy can be difficult to achieve.
In some cases, complications and deformities can occur that cause difficulty working, harm social life, and therefore affect the psychological side of the person.
Treatment ends when healing is achieved, which usually occurs when the individual takes at least 12 times the drug prescribed by the doctor. However, in the most severe cases, where there are complications from the onset of deformities, physiotherapy and/or surgery may be necessary.
Learn more about leprosy/leprosy treatment options
As pregnancy decreases a woman’s immunity, it is sometimes during pregnancy that the first signs of leprosy appear. Treatment of leprosy during pregnancy can be done with the same antibiotics, as they do not harm the baby and can also be used during lactation. The newborn may have slightly darker skin in the first few days of life, but the complexion tends to lighten naturally.