Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, is characterized by nerve damage to the arms, legs, and skin around the body. Disfiguring sores are a common symptom. The condition affects many around the globe. It isn’t usually contagious, and one gets affected only if they repeatedly come into contact with the nose and mouse droplets of someone with the disease. Here’s all you need to know about the condition and how to treat it.

Causes
The disease is caused due to a slow-growing bacterium called Mycobacterium leprae. How this bacterium spreads remains undetermined; however, experts suggest frequent and close contact with an infected person must occur. Shaking hands, hugging the patient, standing beside them, or sharing a meal does not cause the disease to spread. Moreover, pregnant women infected by the disease cannot transmit it to their unborn babies.

Signs and symptoms
Hansen’s disease affects a person’s skin and peripheral nerves (the nerves outside the spinal cord and brain). The nerve damage can cause symptoms like numbness in the arms and legs and muscle weakness. It may also thin the tissue lining inside the nose and affects one’s eyes.

Disfiguring skin sores, bumps, and lumps are the most common symptom. The sores appear pale and do not go away for weeks or months. They develop three to five years after coming in contact with the bacterium. However, some do not develop them until 20 years after initial contact. Since the symptoms develop slowly over the years, it becomes difficult for doctors to catch the disease early and work on a treatment. Healthcare experts diagnose the condition with the help of a nerve or skin biopsy in most cases.

Risks and complications
If the condition is not treated, it can lead to severe risks and complications. Some complications to be aware of include:

Blindness or glaucoma
Hair loss
Iritis
Disfiguration of the face, which includes permanent swelling, bumps, and lumps
Erectile dysfunction with infertility in men
Kidney failure
Muscle weakness that leads to claw-like hands
Permanent damage to the nose’s interior, leading to nosebleeds and chronic stuffy nose
Permanent nerve damage outside the brain and spinal cord, affecting the legs, arms, and the feet

Treatment and management options
The treatment can vary depending on the type of leprosy, such as paucibacillary or multibacillary leprosy. The former is a milder form of the condition characterized by fewer sores on the body. Doctors recommend a shorter course for this type, which can cure the disease completely. People with multibacillary leprosy develop widespread sores and more severe symptoms. Doctors prescribe treatments for one to two years to cure this type of the condition.

Those who develop the symptoms of leprosy should visit a healthcare expert immediately. The earlier the disease is detected, the better it can be managed. Patients should follow the recommended treatment course as instructed by the doctor. If a treatment causes side effects, the doctor must be informed about the same. One should not experiment with treatments and dosages as it can lead to complications.