Leprosy is a skin infection caused by bacteria that damages the nerves, respiratory tract, and eyes. Its symptoms may appear after 1 year or may take as long as 20 years to appear on the body. It is a contagious disease that may be caused by close contact with an untreated leprosy patient. The bacteria enter through the nose or mouth via droplets. If this disease is left untreated then it may cause harmful and permanent damage to the skin and nerves. This disease is not limited to humans only but animals have also been suffered from this disease like chimpanzees have been found to have contracted this disease. 

It is definitely curable. Treatment in the early stages can prevent disability in patients. The disease only spreads through repeated contact with the untreated leprosy patient. When the patient sneezes or coughs then the bacterium may be easily transferred through droplets to the healthy person. The multiplicity process is slow in this disease. 

Symptoms

Multiple symptoms appear on the body in the early stages of this disease. 

  • Numbness in feet, hands, legs, and arms
  • Weak muscles
  • Skin lesions

The skin lesions lessen the sensation of touch, pain, and temperature. They may hurt and do not go away for as long as several weeks. The redness of skin lesions may be caused by inflammation. 

Diagnosis of leprosy

The symptoms of the disease may be identified by conducting a physical exam of the person by the doctor. A biopsy is done to take out the skin sample which is then sent to the lab for testing. A test called lepromin skin test is done to identify the type of leprosy. A small amount of leprosy-causing bacterium is injected into the skin to determine its reaction to the injection spot. 

Treatment of leprosy

A multi-drug therapy (MDT) has been developed by WHO to treat leprosy patients. The drugs included in this therapy are available worldwide free of charge. Some of the well-known antibiotics to treat leprosy are:

  • dapsone (Aczone)
  • rifampin (Rifadin)
  • clofazimine (Lamprene)
  • minocycline (Minocin)
  • ofloxacin (Ocuflux)

These antibiotics can be purchased from any online pharmacy service like 90daymeds which is a Canadian online pharmacy selling authentic medicines at affordable prices. The treatment of this disease lasts for 1 or 2 years after which it starts to fade away with time. Anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin may also be given to the patients to treat the pain.