How To Prevent And Treat Disease Leprosy / Hansen's Disease

 How To Prevent And Treat Disease Leprosy / Hansen's Disease.

How ill if there is disease in our bodies. How ill, if we had leprosy disease / hansen's disease. Activities we will definitely disturbed and uncomfortable. Leprosy (Hansen disease) is a chronic infection which is mainly characterized by the presence of damage to peripheral nerves (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord), skin, mucous membranes of the nose, testicles and eyes.

Hansen's disease or Morbus Hansen's disease formerly known as leprosy or leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that previously, only known to be caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, the bacterium Mycobacterium lepromatosis until found by the University of Texas in 2008, which led to a kind of leprosy is endemic in Mexico and Caribbean, more specifically known as diffuse lepromatous leprosy. While the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae was discovered by a Norwegian scientist named Gerhard Henrik Hansen Armauer in 1873 as a pathogen that causes a disease that has long been known as leprosy.

Nowadays leprosy is more known as Hansen's disease, not only to reward inventors toil, but also because the word leprosy and was so shallow that have negative connotations, so naming a more neutral applied to reduce the social stigma should not be suffered by leprosy patients.

Modes of transmission of leprosy is not known with certainty. If a leper severe and untreated, the bacteria will spread into the air. Approximately 50% of patients the possibility of contracting due to close contact with an infected person.

Several hypotheses have been advanced as they are in close contact and transmission from the air. Besides humans, animals can be affected by leprosy are the armadillo, chimpanzee, and the crab-eating monkeys. There is evidence that not all people infected by the bacteria M. leprae suffering from leprosy, and presumed genetic factors also come into play, after a through research and observation in family groups of leprosy in particular. Also not known why it can happen that different types of leprosy in each individual. Insufficient nutritional factors are also suspected to be the causative factor.

About 95% of people exposed to the bacteria do not suffer from leprosy leprosy because their immune systems successfully fight the infection. Diseases that occur can be mild (tuberculoid leprosy) or severe (lepromatous leprosy). Lepers light can not transmit the disease to others.

More than 5 million people worldwide are infected by this germ. Leprosy most numerous in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Ocean islands. Infection can occur at any age, most often ranging from 20s and 30s. Lepromatous form 2 times more often found in men.

Bacteria that cause leprosy multiply very slowly, so that new symptoms appeared at least 1 year after infection (average appeared in year 5-7). Symptoms and signs that appear depend on the patient's immune response.

Type of leprosy determines the long-term prognosis, complications that may occur and the need for antibiotics.

Tuberculoid leprosy is characterized by skin rash or some form of a flat white areas. The area is immune to the touch due to mycobacteria has damaged her nerves.

In lepromatous leprosy small lumps or rashes appear greater prominence of various sizes and shapes. Occurred body hair loss, including eyebrows and eyelashes.

Leprosy border, is an unstable state, which has a picture of the two forms of leprosy. If the situation improves, it will resemble tuberculoid leprosy; if kaeadaannya deteriorate, it will resemble lepromatous leprosy.

During the course of their illness, whether treated or untreated, may develop a specific immune response, which sometimes arise as fever and inflammation of the skin, peripheral nerves and lymph nodes, joints, testicles, kidneys, liver and eyes. Treatment given depends on the type and severity of reaction, can be given corticosteroids or thalidomide.

Mycobacterium leprae is the only bacterium that infects the nervous edge and almost all of its complications is a direct result of the entry of bacteria into the peripheral nerve. These bacteria do not invade the brain and spinal cord. The ability to sense touch, pain, heat and cool down, so that patients who have peripheral nerve damage are not aware of burns, cuts, or they hurt themselves. Peripheral nerve damage also causes muscle weakness that causes the fingers like he was scratching and leg limp. Since it became a leper looks awful.

Patients also had wounds on her feet. Damage to the airways in the nose can cause nasal congestion. Damage to the eyes can cause blindness. Lepromatous leprosy patient can become impotent and sterile, because these infections can lower testosterone levels and the amount of sperm produced by the testes.

Treatment of Leprosy Disease

Antibiotics can withstand disease progression or even cure it. Some mycobacteria may be resistant to certain drugs, because it should be given more than one drug, especially in patients with lepromatous leprosy.

The most widely used antibiotics to treat leprosy is dapsone, relatively inexpensive and generally safe. Sometimes these drugs cause an allergic reaction to a skin rash and anemia.

Rifampicin is a drug that is more expensive and more powerful than dapsone. The most serious side effect is liver damage and the symptoms resemble the flu.

Other antibiotics can be given is klofazimin, ethionamide, minocycline, clarithromycin, and ofloxacin.

Antibiotic therapy should be continued for some time because the bacteria that causes leprosy is difficult eliminated. Treatment can be continued up to 6 months or more, depending on the severity of infection and assessment of doctors. Many leprosy sufferers who take dapsone lepromatosi lifetime.

Leprosy Disease Prevention

Once limb shape changes due to leprosy sufferers shunned and isolated causes. Early treatment can prevent or correct deformities, but sufferers tend to experience psychological and social problems.

No need to do isolation. Leprosy is only contagious when present in untreated lepromatous form and that too is not easily transmitted to others. In addition, most naturally have immunity against leprosy and the only people who live together in a long time who are at risk of contracting. Doctors and nurses who treat people with leprosy seems to have no risk of contracting.