Tropical ulcer is a skin disease that afflicts people living in conditions of poor hygiene and poor nutrition. In some countries it is also nicknamed the "poor man's disease" for this very reason. The first signs are ulcers or lesions that usually appear in the feet and legs. They can arise from a simple scratch and worsen to the upper extremities. In severe cases, the lesions reach the bones. Read on to find out if you or a loved one have this disease.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Recognizing the Symptoms
Early Symptoms
Step 1. Check if you have a rash on your hands or feet
It is a sign that the inflammation has begun. Infected skin becomes red, scaly and itchy: the infection is bacterial or fungal. The lesion could be as small as a dime.
The injury can originate from a simple scratch and then worsen over time. After several days, you will have the feeling that the skin is rotting from the inside. The injury becomes very painful as if something is eating the skin. If not treated right away, mycobacteria reach muscle tissue, tendons and bones
Step 2. Check for papules when the infection begins to blister
A papule is a raised, solid lesion less than one centimeter in size. It can be brown, red or pink and wrinkled to the touch. A blister is a bubble filled with fluid. Both are caused by the inflammatory process.
Check if your skin is dry and flaky. As the inflammation progresses, part of the skin is affected by an itchy rash and the formation of peeling scales
Late Symptoms
Step 1. The skin breaks down and begins to bleed as the disease progresses
The inflammation worsens leading to an open lesion on the body. If no action is taken in this case as well, an infection occurs. The skin is the first barrier of our body against infections, if it breaks it opens a passage for bacteria. The ulcer begins to ooze, becomes wet and pus forms.
In severe cases, it is impossible to walk and the disease becomes disabling. This happens if the infection affects the tendons, their sheath and bones
Step 2. Check for lesions that have formed a scab
They slowly turn purple, meaning they don't get enough blood supply (the medical term is gangrene). This is an alarming situation. It takes two weeks to reach this stage, the muscle tissue begins to break down and die.
Gangrene occurs in the advanced stages of the disease or when it is not treated for a long time with continuous exposure of the ulcer to external elements (heat and humidity). You understand that the gangrene started because the lesion is filled with foul-smelling pus, like putrid flesh. The area becomes green and finally black when there is no more circulation
Step 3. Check for a bad smell
In the advanced stages, usually within a couple of weeks, the lesion grows in size and penetrates deep into the skin to the bone. The smell of rot informs you that muscle tissues are dying and rotting.
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Don't wait until these symptoms appear.
Go to the nearest emergency room right away and see a dermatologist to treat the injury right away.
Step 4. Remember that excruciating pain in the limbs is a symptom
It is tested in the late stages, when the ulcer is infected and reaches the bones. Imagine being burned and stabbed in the area at the same time or having your limb amputated without anesthesia.
When mycobacterium reaches deep into the muscles, tendons and bones, this is the pain you feel. You will also know that the disease has affected the bone because the lesion becomes very white
Step 5. Check for fever
This is a very clear symptom that should alert you. The temperature exceeds 37 ° C, the infection is spreading and has begun to attack the immune system.
When the mycobacterium has spread, your body temperature rises, you experience a sense of generalized weakness, a rapid heartbeat: all symptoms that your body is trying to react to the attack. Once you get past the critical stage (fever and other immune response symptoms have resolved) then you will survive the disease
Part 2 of 3: Knowing the Risk Factors
Step 1. If you live in wetlands, you are at risk
Those who live near rivers and streams, farmers who work in rice fields and those who live in slums are more likely to contract tropical ulcers.
- All these factors ensure that the skin is constantly moist, facilitating aggression by the pathogen.
- Obviously forests and jungles are equally favorable habitats for this condition, as are swamps and marshes.
Step 2. An open wound is another risk factor
Those who have recently suffered a knee or ankle trauma can contract the infection because the area is exposed to external agents. Try to keep the wound clean and dry at all costs, especially if it is a burn.
Even those who walk barefoot can get sick. A fungus can spread from one person to another thanks to a contaminated floor and objects
Step 3. People on the fringes of society are at high risk
Those who are malnourished or have a weakened immune system (such as those who are terminally ill with cancer, HIV positive or with AIDS) can contract tropical ulcers. The microorganism that causes the disease can easily affect your extremities, especially if you are not in good health.
Poverty causes insufficient nutrition and less hygienic conditions, which in turn cause a weak immune system. If the natural defenses are low, obviously we are more exposed to disease
Step 4. Remember that this is a contagious disease
Sharing clothes transfers mycosis from one person to another: any garment, from shoes to shirt, is a possible vehicle for infection. Even touching the same object can endanger an individual's health.
This is especially true for sharing shoes that don't fit well or are inappropriate for the climate. In fact, they subject the legs to possible trauma: a neglected and uncovered wound increases in size and could lead to a tropical ulcer
Part 3 of 3: Take action
Step 1. Go to a doctor or dermatologist
They will give you a thorough examination and collect the medical history. You will be asked many questions regarding the symptoms. Based on your specific case, you will be given tests to understand if it is a tropical ulcer or another disease.
The tropical ulcer is very serious. If you suspect this may be what you are suffering from, don't wait a minute and go to the doctor immediately
Step 2. If you have been diagnosed with a tropical ulcer, undergo a skin biopsy
This is a test in which the doctor scrapes a portion of the lesion and examines it under a microscope. After the examination, you will be able to determine what type of treatment you will undergo.
Step 3. Start the cure right away
In the early stages there is nothing incurable and in the end you will be fine. Even in an advanced stage, there is hope. However, if you neglect yourself and don't get medical attention right away, you could risk losing a limb or even die. Start the treatment as soon as possible.
There are tons of solutions, from home remedies to medications to skin transplants. However, always follow your doctor's advice. He knows what's best for you
Advice
- The tropical ulcer does not have a specific cause. The medical literature indicates a huge amount of bacteria and microorganisms that can trigger it.
- In the worst cases, when the infection is out of control, the limb is amputated.
