Morgellons Disease: A Rare and Creepy Skin Disorder
On January 21, 2008
Categories: Disease Information, Research, Skin Problems, Social Issues
WebMD reports about a mysterious skin problem is erupting all over the US — and it’s caught the CDC’s attention. It’s been called Morgellons disease, and health officials don’t know what to make of it. Currently, the CDC is making investigations about this rare skin disorder.
How big this problem is?
It was said that more than 11,000 people in the U.S. and elsewhere have reported to have this disease.
How do you know you have the disease?
Patients complaints of disturbing sensations of insect-like crawling, stinging or biting on or under the skin, skin rashes and lesions that do not heal, fiber-like filaments, granules or crystals that appear on or under the skin or that can be extracted from lesions.
Other manifestations include joint, muscle and connective tissue pain, including fibromyalgia, debilitating fatigue and cognitive dysfunction, including difficulty with concentration, short-term memory, and attention.
Image courtesy of Morgellons Research Foundation
How about the treatment?
Many dermatologists treat Morgellons as delusional parasitosis. Currently, there has been no preferred treatments but most often patients are prescribed with atypical antipsychotics such as olanzapine or risperidone as the first line treatment. It is advised that you consult a dermatologist to know what’s best for you.
Where can I get more information about Morgellons?
You can go to the Morgellons Research Foundation website, a non-profit organization, dedicated to raising awareness and research funding to this skin disease. You can also go to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website to learn more about updates of this disease and about the investigation they are currently doing.
