Symptoms Of Leprosy!

The symptoms of leprosy are hard to identify at the initial stages. It usually takes 3–5 years for the symptoms to appear on the body, after getting infected by the bacteria of leprosy. In some cases reported by the medical anthropologists, onset followed only after 20 years. Leprosy thus has a long incubation period which makes it difficult for the patient as well as the doctor to determine the exact time when the person got infected.
According to the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the symptoms of leprosy can be mainly found on the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes.

(A) Symptoms found on the skin are:

• Nodules on the skin
• Dark patch on the skin or sometimes multiple dark patches on the skin area.
• Thick, faded, stiff, and dry skin area
• Painless ulcers on the soles of the feet on the face and on the earlobes, usually painless in natureSwelling•
• Loss of eyelashes and eyebrows

(B) Symptoms related to nerve damage are:

• Numbness in the affected areas
• Weak muscles
• Paralysis (mostly in the feet and hands)
• Enlarged nerves
• Eye problems which may lead to glaucoma and blindness
• Infertility in males

(C) Symptoms related to the mucous membranes are:

• Bleeding of the nose
• A stuffy nose

When leprosy affects the nerves, a loss of sensation can be noticed.
Due to the loss of sensation, injuries such as burns cannot be sensed by the affected person. In the absence of proper muscle coordination, the skin and bones of the body of patient tend to take the full weight of the patient’s body, that’s why feet are extremely vulnerable. If it is left untreated, the following signs and symptoms may be noticed:

• The crippling of hands and feet
• Shortening of fingers and toes due to reabsorption
• Paralysis
• Blindness
• Chronic ulcers on the sole of the feet
• Permanent loss of eyelashes and eyebrows
• Disfigurement of the nose.

Some other complications which may occur in rare cases are:

• Painful nerves
• Pain and redness all over or in the affected area
• Burning sensation on the skin

According to Talhari et al. (2015), the secondary infections (caused by bacterial and viral infections through injuries unnoticed) can cause tissue loss and shortage of the feet and toes due to cartilage absorption in the body. Around 30% of the people affected with leprosy experiencing nerve damage can be treated in the early stages, but, if treatment is delayed, this may become permanent, causing various body abnormalities