How to treat leprosy at home. Causes of the disease

One of the terrible legacies of past centuries - leprosy, also known as the disease of St. Lazarus, and today poses a very serious danger to the inhabitants of the Earth's population. At risk are millions of residents of the African continent, India and South America. And even in our relatively safe days from an epidemiological point of view, leprosy remains extremely dangerous for those who do not have stable immunity to it. So why was this scourge of the Middle Ages never completely defeated?

From the first mentions to the development of epidemics

Already in the earliest documents, known to mankind, leprosy is mentioned as one of the most dangerous diseases symptoms that are difficult to confuse with other manifestations skin lesions. Ancient Indian healers and the best doctors ancient egypt unsuccessfully fought this disease, not finding effective means to cure him or at least to alleviate the condition of the patient. And even in biblical parables there was a place to describe the torment of a leper, for whom this disease became a kind of test of the strength of his spirit.

However, attempts to fight the manifestations of leprosy have been made at all times. True, the uniforms they wore were sometimes quite shocking. For example, from the 6th to the 15th centuries in enlightened Europe, lepers were simply declared dead, carrying out a symbolic rite of their burial and forever separating sick people from their relatives.

People who did not receive any help, forced to go through all the stages of the development of their illness, as the disease developed, became real sources of infection, capable of spreading dangerous bacteria in your surroundings. And even isolation could not fix the situation. In the Middle Ages, leprosy escaped from the control of physicians and turned into a real epidemic that claimed the lives of thousands of people and turned almost every sick person into disabled people.

From the Middle Ages to the present day

Identification of the causative agent of the disease (and Mycobacterium leprae was the first of the identified sources of bacterial damage to the body) made scientific breakthrough, but did not bring tangible changes to those who were already carriers of the disease. And only with the active development of pharmacology, leprosy began to respond to treatment, thanks to the improvement of the compositions used in antibiotic therapy. The increased level of sanitation and hygiene has also ensured a reduction in the incidence of disease. Today, foci of this infection are raging only in countries such as Brazil, India, Burma and a number of African countries (from Madagascar to Mozambique). And separate foci of infection are observed in more than 90 countries of the world.

A disease with an incredibly long incubation period and extremely high level disability. All this is leprosy, the causative agent of which can autonomously exist in the human body for several decades without any visible manifestations.

However, usually visible signs of the disease make themselves felt 3-7 years after infection. That, with timely diagnosis, gives patients a good chance for a full recovery. But in the later stages, it is no longer possible to achieve a cure. But doctors can significantly alleviate the condition of patients and bring leprosy into remission.

Today leprosy is under control in Russia. Identified cases of acute and chronic course diseases are under control, patients receive specific medical assistance and treatment. And in the four leper colonies operating in the country, all conditions have been created for emergency and planned hospitalization of patients who need specialist supervision.

Is this disease contagious?

The widespread opinion that leprosy is a disease with a high level of epidemiological danger can be called erroneous. The disease is most active in tropical and subtropical climates. And its pathogens demonstrate the active growth of bacterial colonies only in the absence of specific treatment. It should be noted that one of the reasons for the late detection of leprosy is the lack of conditions for the necessary diagnostic procedures. A skin biopsy is usually sufficient to detect bacteria on the skin. And the reason for it may be:

• the formation of lesions on the surface of the skin in the form of compacted spots, ulcers and pineal neoplasms;
• decreased sensitivity of the peripheral nervous system;
• tremor, joint pain, decreased sensitivity of the extremities;
• headache, nausea, other manifestations of intoxication;
• dry mucous membranes, nosebleeds;
• hair loss in the eyebrow area, deformation of the auricle.

However, on early stages identifying the disease is not always possible. And here lies one of its main dangers. It has been proven that, by analogy with tuberculosis, this disease is transmitted by airborne droplets through secretions from the mucous membranes of infected patients.

Moreover, with a single or short-term contact, the risk of infection will be minimal, especially if the leprosy is not in the acute phase. And those who are in regular contact with carriers of the disease are most at risk. In this case, people whose immunity is weakened and unable to cope with the attack of pathogenic bacteria can become a carrier of the infection.

Modes of transmission and risk of infection

Physicians are well aware that the disease called leprosy is frequent companion poverty. The lack of opportunities to provide basic hygiene is a factor that increases the risk of developing the disease. However, according to immunologists, 95% of the world's population today have a natural immune defense against leprosy. But for the remaining 5%, the forecasts are not so optimistic.

Moreover, more and more often genetic mutations that make the human immune system vulnerable to the effects of the causative agent of this dangerous infection. And even just a long stay in regions with an unfavorable epidemiological situation can pose a danger to tourists or people going to them on a long business trip.

Leprosy is dangerous not only for people. Representatives of exotic fauna also suffer from this disease, in particular, armadillos and chimpanzees can be its carriers. Moreover, the existence natural sources the spread of this infection - in almost 100% of cases, the sick are rural residents, not city dwellers.

How is this dangerous disease transmitted to human health? There are several ways to get infected:

• through the blood when using non-sterile instruments when providing medical care, as well as in cosmetology and tattooing;
• by airborne droplets upon contact with a carrier of infection;
• through the soil in places with a high level of bacteriological hazard;
• through the bites of blood-sucking insects, such as mosquitoes.

Neither shaking hands, nor hugs, nor the use of shared utensils are a source of danger. Accordingly, following standard sanitary and hygienic measures, you can not be afraid of infection. Travelers can additionally use sterile face coverings to avoid infection when visiting countries and regions where leprosy is especially common.

Prevention measures

Leprosy is an infection that is not inherited. True, scientists have already proven that people who have a high susceptibility to its pathogen at the gene level have a high chance of reproducing offspring with the same characteristics. immune system. There are also frequent cases of transmission of the disease from mother to infant during the period prenatal development. But children of the first year of life are not susceptible to leprosy and rarely get sick.

Unfortunately, effective immunoprophylaxis in the case of this disease does not exist. A vaccine against leprosy has not yet been invented, but there are special developments with killed microbacteria based on anti-tuberculosis vaccinations. In this case, the usual BCG injection supplemented and becomes combined, but its use is allowed only in areas of foci of active development of infection. And the effectiveness of such vaccination does not yet look too encouraging.

Employees of zoos and nature reserves who come into contact with animals that are carriers of leprosy are also at risk. wild nature. True, for tourists here the risks are minimal. But still, it is better to abandon the idea of ​​​​stroking exotic primates and not trying to make contact with representatives of the local fauna during a trip to distant countries.

As for living in the same room with a carrier of such a disease as leprosy, the risk of getting an infection here is quite high (on average, 8 times higher than in ordinary people).
However, patients receiving necessary treatment, do not pose a particular danger and may well be on outpatient treatment resorting to hospitalization only in the most extreme cases.

What else do you need to know?

Leprosy today is not a sentence, but a disease that is quite amenable to specific treatment. And the sooner the diagnosis is made, the higher the chances of complete healing from leprosy. Moreover, its course largely depends on general condition human immune system. After all, most complications as a result of the disease are a consequence of the development of secondary infections, and not at all the leprosy itself.

That is why the complex of measures taken for treatment always includes the intake of vitamins and minerals. And for successful healing, patients are created conditions to ensure the necessary level of sanitation and hygiene, enhanced nutrition and other restorative measures are prescribed, which makes the struggle for a full recovery more effective. And this practice has already proven its worth, allowing you to achieve rapid relief even in patients with chronic form leprosy.

Leprosy (leprosy) is infection striking skin and peripheral nervous system person. The disease of leprosy is considered one of the oldest diseases, mention of which is found in the Old Testament. In those days, those with leprosy were considered "unclean." Healthy people shied away from them, they were persecuted and deprived of the right to normal life. The peak incidence of leprosy falls on the 12th-14th centuries, when the infection affected the population of almost all European countries.

To combat leprosy, medieval Aesculapius used numerous leper colonies - institutions that were engaged in the identification and treatment of lepers. Initially, patients with leprosy were located on the territory of monasteries, where they were allocated houses and plots for agricultural activities. In fact, unfortunate people lived in a kind of reservations and did not have the opportunity to communicate with the rest of the world. However, then the isolation of patients with leprosy was fully justified and bore fruit. Already by the 16th century, leprosy had left Europe. Isolated cases of the disease were recorded for some time on the territory of the Mediterranean coast and Scandinavia, but it never came to large-scale epidemics.

Today we know almost everything about leprosy. Contrary to popular belief, the infection is not transmitted by simply touching the patient and does not always lead to death. It is known that the disease leprosy threatens only 5-7% of people, and the rest of the inhabitants of the Earth have stable immunological protection against the pathogen. As for the mode of transmission of infection. In most cases, prolonged direct skin contact is necessary for infection. There is also a theory that leprosy, the symptoms of which can manifest up to 10 years after the defeat, enters the body by inhalation of bacteria secreted from the mouth or nasal cavity of a sick person. Perhaps this assumption partly explains the fact that today there are about 11 million leprosy patients in the world and many of them have not had any skin contact with infected people.

What causes leprosy?

Leprosy is caused by rod-shaped microorganisms - Mycobacterium leprae. They were discovered in 1874 by the scientist G. Hansen. These microorganisms have properties close to tuberculosis, but do not have the ability to multiply in nutrient media and often do not manifest themselves for many years. Suffice it to say that the incubation period of the disease is often 15-20 years, due to characteristic features leprosy. By itself, it is not capable of causing tissue necrosis. This means that the activity of microorganisms must be activated by some external factors e.g. secondary bacterial infection, malnutrition, polluted water or poor living conditions.

A long incubation period and an equally long latent period often lead to the fact that, at the time of diagnosis, treatment of leprosy begins too late, because doctors experience objective problems with early diagnosis diseases.

Currently, experts know two forms of leprosy:

• lepromatous - the pathogen affects mainly the skin;
• tuberculoid - for the most part, the disease affects the peripheral nervous system.

Allocate and border form leprosy, which tends to develop into one of the two main types of disease.

Symptoms of leprosy

The tuberculoid form has the following characteristic symptoms leprosy:

• the appearance of a clearly defined spot, which gradually increases in size;
• absence hair follicle and sweat glands on the affected surface of the skin;
• thickened nerves are clearly felt near the spot;
• amyotrophy;
• the formation of neurotrophic ulcers on the soles;
• contractures of the hands and feet.

As the disease of leprosy progresses, the symptoms of the disease also increase. Over time, patients develop mutilation of the phalanges, corneal ulcers and other lesions. facial nerve leading to blindness.

Lepromatous leprosy manifests itself as extensive skin lesions in the form of plaques, papules, spots and nodes. As a rule, such formations occur on the face, auricles, elbows, wrists and buttocks. Very often leprosy is accompanied by loss of eyebrows. For late stages the disease is characterized by a distortion of facial features, proliferation of earlobes, nosebleeds, shortness of breath. Also, patients with leprosy suffer from laryngitis, hoarseness and keratitis. Infiltration of pathogens into the testicular tissue leads to infertility in men.

Treatment of leprosy

For several centuries, chaulmugrove oil has been used against the disease of leprosy, however, modern medicine has much more effective means, in particular - sulfonic preparations. They are not specific medicinal products, but can stop the development of infection and have a general strengthening effect on the body.

In mild forms of the disease, the cure occurs within 2-3 years. Severe course leprosy increases this period to 7-8 years. We also add that strains of lepta bacteria resistant to dapsone (the main drug used in modern medicine), so in last years sulfa drugs are used in combination with other drugs. For example, in the lepromatous type of infection, clofamysin is widely used.

Of course, researchers are not going to stop there and are looking for more effective ways control of leprosy, which will reduce the duration of treatment and reduce the severity of symptoms in severely ill patients.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Leprosy is an outdated name for the disease, today the term "leprosy" is more relevant, or Hansen's disease, hansenosis, hanseniaz. This infectious disease that affects the skin and peripheral nervous system of a person has been known to mankind since ancient times.

"Cursed" outcasts

Leprosy has already been sufficiently studied, and it is known that the disease is not transmitted by a simple touch of the patient and does not always lead to death. But in Medieval Europe leprosy feared more than modern people afraid of AIDS or cancer.

Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The first mention of the disease is found in written monuments dating back to the 15th-10th centuries BC. e. It is likely that in ancient times leprosy was confused with other skin diseases such as psoriasis.

Leprosy inspired fear and disgust, as for a long time was incurable, leading to inevitable disability and death. This is what became the basis of prejudices, leprophobia and discriminatory attitudes towards patients.

The treatments of the time, such as stomach cleansing and bloodletting, were powerless.

The peak incidence of leprosy falls on the period from the 12th to the 14th centuries, when the infection affected the population of almost all European countries.

The fate of the sick was unambiguous - they inevitably became outcasts, the leper was considered "damned". The patients lost all social rights, they were forbidden to enter the church, attend markets and fairs, bathe in running water or drink it, touch other people's things, eat near or even talk with uninfected people while standing against the wind.

Leprosy in one of the spouses was considered a legitimate reason for divorce, when the first signs of leprosy appeared, a person was buried in church as if dead, and a symbolic funeral was held, after which the patient was given special clothes - a heavy hooded hoodie. Lepers were obliged to warn of their appearance with the help of a horn, a rattle, a bell or shouts: “Unclean, unclean!”.

With the advent of the first leper colonies, the life of leprosy patients acquired a more civilized appearance. The places where the sick lived became leper colonies, usually they were located near monasteries.
To late XVI century leprosy disappeared in most European countries. Why exactly leprosy receded is not completely clear, but many see the reason in the plague epidemic, which first of all struck the weakened organisms of people already suffering from leprosy.

Gerhard Hansen and Raoul Follero

Two people in the history of this disease played a prominent role. Gerhard Hansen, a Norwegian physician, is famous for discovering the causative agent of leprosy in 1873. He announced the discovery of Mycobacterium leprae in the tissues of all patients, but he did not recognize them as bacteria and received little support from his colleagues. Later it turned out that mycobacteria of leprosy are similar in their properties to tuberculosis, but are not capable of growing on artificial nutrient media, which made it difficult to study leprosy.

“Saint Francis of the 20th century” was the name given to Raoul Follero, a French poet, writer and journalist who devoted his life to fighting leprosy and discriminating against those who suffer from it. In 1948 he founded the Order of Mercy, and in 1966 the Federation of European Antileprosy Associations.

It is thanks to him that since 1953, January 30 is celebrated as World Leprosy Day. In another way, this date is called "Day of the rights of patients with leprosy."

In addition, there are cases when doctors infected themselves in order to find out the patterns of development of this disease. terrible disease. So, in the middle of the 19th century, the doctor Daniel Cornelius Danielsen experimented for 15 years, injecting himself with the blood and pus of lepers, but he did not succeed in becoming a leper.

Contrary to prejudice

Leprosy is not transmitted by a simple touch of the patient and is not always fatal. Only about 10% of people exposed to the risk of infection actually get sick with it. Most people have the necessary level of immunological protection against the pathogen.

Basically, infection occurs due to prolonged direct skin contact, less often - by inhalation of bacteria that enter the air from the nasal cavity or mouth of the patient. There are versions that only 30% of people are clinically susceptible to leprosy and that the disease itself is genetically determined. But, despite the fact that some features of the disease are still the subject of a dispute among scientists, two main types of leprosy are known:

The face of a 24-year-old patient with leprosy. 1886 Photo: wikipedia.org

Lepromatous- affects the skin where mycobacteria multiply, causing the formation of nodes called leprosy. Gradually, large folds form, and the patient develops a "lion's face". With the collapse of the leprosy, the nose is deformed, the phalanges of the fingers begin to fall off. This is the most severe and malignant form of the disease.

Tuberculoid- mainly skin, peripheral nerves are affected, sometimes - internal organs. Lesions on the skin are insensitive, asymmetrical, reddish-brown in color. Tuberculoid leprosy is 40 times less infectious than leprosy.

There is also a borderline form of the disease, which usually develops into one of two main types. The juvenile form of leprosy occurs in children and is expressed in many subtle spots on the skin. The indefinite form is the most favorable - a few spots appear on the skin, but after a few months the spots disappear, as if the disease goes away by itself.

For staging accurate diagnosis on the background clinical signs bacterioscopic and histological studies are always carried out.

Treatment and personal prevention

Prevention of leprosy is the careful observance of the rules of personal hygiene. According to Gerhard Hansen himself, cleanliness and soap are the main enemies of leprosy.

Today, leprosy does not belong to mass diseases, but, according to WHO, about 11 million people suffer from it in the world. On the one hand, the problem of mortality and the spread of leprosy has been solved, on the other hand, it is important to remember the existence of this disease. And today the problem is late diagnosis due to the fact that doctors began to forget about the possibility of the appearance of individual cases of leprosy. At the same time, the disease in 42% of cases leads to severe disability, and in the absence of treatment, patients severe form diseases die in 5-10 years.

How do you imagine a person suffering from such an ailment as leprosy? What kind of disease is this? It is also called leprosy. Few people know about her now. Most likely, this is because the disease is not particularly common in our time. However, everyone should have an idea about it, remember that it will help us to protect ourselves from it.

A bit of history

Since ancient times, leprosy has been known to mankind. "What kind of disease is this?" - guessed the ancient healers. Hippocrates wrote about this disease. However, he confused it with psoriasis. AT medieval times leprosy has become the "plague of the century." Leprosariums began to appear everywhere, where they tried to treat the affected people. As a rule, these ancient medical institutions were near the monasteries. Patients with this terrible disease were encouraged to live in them. This gave a good preventive effect, made it possible to restrain the rapid spread of leprosy. In medieval France, there was even such a custom when a patient with leprosy was taken to a church, where they were placed in a coffin and covered with a lid. After that, his relatives went to the cemetery, lowered the coffin into the grave and threw a few lumps of earth on top, as if saying goodbye to the "deceased". Then the patient was taken out and taken to the leper colony, where he was to live the rest of his life. People did not know how to treat this disease. And only in 1873 in Norway G. Hansen discovered the causative agent of leprosy - Mycobacterium leprae. The situation with treatment immediately changed.

How can you get infected

Today, outbreaks of leprosy are observed mainly in tropical hot countries. The good news is that the number of patients continues to fall every year. However, in our time there are people who do not know what leprosy is. The disease, the photo of the sufferers of which can be seen here, is very common, as a rule, during close contact of people with each other, as well as through discharge from the mouth and nose.

Manifestations of the disease

Despite the fact that in our country the number of people suffering from the disease we are considering is small, there is still a risk of catching it. Leprosy is very insidious. What is the disease? How to recognize it? These questions are of interest to many of us. An infected person may initially experience weakness, lethargy, and drowsiness. He then notes that his arms and legs have bumps on his skin. it initial stage leprosy. Then deep damage to the skin and soft tissues occurs, ulcers form.

How to protect yourself

Speaking about such an ailment as leprosy, a photo of the diseased of which is presented here, it is worth mentioning that it has a rather long incubation period - 15-20 years. This means that the causative agent of it is able to stay in your body for years and you may not even be aware of it. In order to activate it, certain conditions must be met, for example, such as severe hypothermia, poor nutrition, poor personal hygiene, secondary infection. Therefore, it is important from childhood to strengthen your immunity and take care of the cleanliness around you. Treatment of the disease is long and requires the recommendations of many specialists. Typically, this is used antimicrobials. Haulmugro oil is a remedy used by ancient healers for several centuries.

In this article, we have told you in an accessible way about such an ailment as leprosy. What kind of disease is leprosy? How to protect yourself from it? Now you know the answer to all these questions.