How to diagnose and treat Elephantiasis?

Elephantiasis is a rare disease which is characterized by thickening of skin and human body tissues. It thickened the skin of human legs and male and female genitals. Elephantiasis is also called Lymphatic Filariasis. This infection is at increasing rate in tropical and sub-tropical areas where lymphatic filriasis is deep-rooted.

Causes

Elephantiasis is atypical disease caused by parasitic worms which block body’s lymphatic system. These parasitic worms have three types: Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, and B. timori.

All these worms are transmitted by female mosquitoes, when a female infected mosquito bites off a person, this illness occurs because of the larva she injected in human blood.  The obstruction of blood circulation and lymph flow may also result this disease.

Symptoms

Elephantiasis is usually described by the swelling and extreme growth of a limb or male and female genitals. There is an abnormal increase of watery fluid in the tissues of human body which causing severe swelling and growth of lower body parts.

In this ailment, the skin usually develops a thickened and darkened appearance. Other symptoms of this disease are including: headaches, fever, pains in testicles, spleen enlargement, dizziness, chills and a general feeling of sickness. This disorder may also infect male and female genital organs.

Treatment

Elephantiasis can be cure with the help of chemotherapy to attack the adult worms. Smptomatic treatment can also be suggested to the patients of this disorder to repair the damaged tissues which caused by the body’s reaction to the presence of dead worms.

Doctors also prescribed the medicines including:  Metrifonate (Trichlorphon), Suramin, Ivermectin (Mectizan), Diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and Levamisole. These medicines are very much helpful for the cure of filarial infection.

Different surgeries are suggested by the doctors according to the patients’ health and ailment conditions. A single antibiotic course can also cure the elephantiasis.

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Posted by Zeeshan Gohar on Apr 23 2012. Filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.