We have freed every village of our country from life-threatening diseases like polio, measles, rubella including others, similarly, in the coming years, our goal is to identify each and every leprosy patient and make the district leprosy-free, said Ravi Ranjan Mishra Deputy Development Commissioner Bokaro.
Leprosy is not a hereditary disease. It’s also known as Hansen’s disease is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae which mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract and the eyes.
This leprosy-causing bacteria enters the body through the respiratory system through infection and can take anywhere from a few weeks to 20 years to show its symptoms, he said. “Leprosy is known to occur at all ages ranging from early infancy to very old age. Leprosy is curable and early treatment averts most disabilities,” added Mishra. Leprosy is treated with multi-drug therapy. Free leprosy treatment is available in every government health center we are aalso providing financial assistance to the identified patients for better food and others, he said.
The symptoms of leprosy are Discolored patches of skin, usually flat, that may be numb and look faded (lighter than the skin around); Growths (nodules) on the skin; Thick, stiff or dry skin; Painless ulcers on the soles of feet; Painless swelling or lumps on the face or earlobes; Loss of eyebrows or eyelashes said a medical expert.
Meanwhile, the symptoms caused by damage to the nerves due to leprosy are: Numbness of affected areas of the skin; Muscle weakness or paralysis especially in the hands and feet; Enlarged nerves especially those around the elbow and knee and in the sides of the neck; Eye problems that may lead to blindness when facial nerves are affected, said the expert.
The symptoms caused by the disease in the mucous membranes are: A stuffy nose; Nosebleeds and others.
Since leprosy affects the nerves, loss of feeling or sensation can occur. When loss of sensation occurs, injuries such as burns may go unnoticed, he said.
“If left untreated, the signs of advanced leprosy can include Paralysis and crippling of hands and feet; Shortening of toes and fingers due to reabsorption; Chronic non-healing ulcers on the bottoms of the feet; Blindness; Loss of eyebrows; Nose disfigurement and other complications that may sometimes occurs are Painful or tender nerves; Redness and pain around the affected area and Burning sensation in the skin,” added the expert.
Addressing a meeting at Civil Surgeon office DDC said, our health workers will visit door-to-door to identify leprosy patients very shortly. On the other hand, it is also the responsibility of the common people if any such symptoms are seen on them, they should immediately inform to the health department officials and companions. “As any delay in care and treatment can leads to disability,” added Mishra.
Aiming to raise awareness among the mass about leprosy, we are going to begin ‘Sparsh Abhiyan’ on 30 January, on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, he said.
