Write an article based on this "Seek care as soon as possible. Take care not to spread the disease to others. Have your doctor determine the form of leprosy you have. Take a multiple drug treatment (MDT) provided by your doctor."
Leprosy is treatable with medication, and most patients can continue their lives normally if they are treated. The disease is only mildly contagious when it is untreated, and once you are taking the medication, you are no longer contagious to others. However, if leprosy is left untreated it can cause severe problems with the limbs (hands and feet), eyes, skin, and nerves. Hansen's disease is moderately contagious when untreated. It can spread to others by air, such as when you sneeze or cough. Remember to cover your face when you cough or sneeze to prevent airborne droplets from spreading the disease to others until you can see a doctor and begin treatment. Sometimes leprosy manifests only as a skin lesions, and sometimes it takes more severe forms. The particular treatment plan you follow will depend on the form of leprosy you have. Your doctor can diagnose this. Leprosy can be diagnosed as paucibacillary or multibacillary (which is more severe). A case of leprosy is also classified as either tuberculoid or lepromatous (more severe, causing large lumps and nodules on the skin). A number of antibiotics (usually a combination of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine) are prescribed to treat leprosy. These drugs kill the bacteria that causes the disease (Mycobacterium leprae) and cure people infected by it. Your doctor will prescribe medications to take based on your particular case of leprosy. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the MDT free to patients around the world through the Ministry of Health. In the United States medication for leprosy is provided by the National Hansen's Disease Program. Once you start taking the medications, you can no longer spread the disease to others. You do not have to be quarantined. Daily and/or monthly doses of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine may be prescribed for 24 months in many cases of leprosy. If leprosy only shows as a skin lesion, patients may be recommended to take the medication treatment for six months. In the United States, multibacillary cases may be treated for one year and paucibacillary cases for two years. If leprosy only manifests as a single skin lesion, the patient may be able to treat it with just a single dose of dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine. Multibacillary cases may require multiple treatments to cure. Drug resistance to these medications is rare. Side effects of these drugs are generally mild. Talk to your physician if you have questions.