Elephantiasis Research Paper

The name of the disease is Elephantiasis. The enlargement of the limbs and other areas of the bodies are caused by obstruction of lymph flow and possibly blood circulation. The blockage can be due to recurrent attacks of a bacterial infection which causes inflammation of the lymphatic vessels. This continues and causes swelling, then without medical help the problem gets worse and becomes extremely enlarged. The death of surrounding tissues may also occur from an obstructed blood supply. Elephantiasis is characterized by the gross enlargement of a limb. There is an abnormal accumulation of watery fluid in the tissues causing severe swelling. The skin develops a pebbly and thickened appearance, and it can also become darker. Elephantiasis may also affect the male and female genital organs.
Fever, pain in testicles, pain above testicles, white urinary discharge, swollen livers, and swollen spleen are some symptoms.
Most of the symptoms don’t come very fast; they don’t come on until the maturity of the disease. Most of the swelling of this disease is at the lower part of the body, usually in the legs. But swelling can also occur on the head, the face, the breasts, and other part of the bodies. Elephantiasis is also accompanied with acute pain in the area affected. This usually happens when the body fights against the parasites naturally. Fever is a common phenomenon in case of this disease which is just not associated with chill and shivers but also causes the body to perspire abnormally. This causes the person to get highly exhausted and become lethargic and the headache may also cause nausea and vomiting. This disease also causes the skin to suffer from hyper pigmentation. Elephantiasis is also characterized by the development or rashes and wrinkles all over the body. It can also produce skin ulcers and abscesses. Elephantiasis of the balls is one of the most dangerous symptoms of this disease that affects men. It physically deforms a man for his whole
life. There are two types of this disease, parasitic and non-parasitic elephantiasis. In parasitic elephantiasis, various microscopic parasitic worms such as B. timori, Wuchereria bancrofti, symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria and Brugia malayi are transmitted through mosquitoes which cause the elephantiasis. The worms live in the lymphatic system of the humans, which is responsible for maintaining body fluids and causing an obstruction of the vessels which leads to the swelling to the lower torso of the body, specifically affecting the limbs, breasts, and genitals. It is almost impossible to cover up the swollen area. In a case of non-parasitic elephantiasis there isn’t a parasitic infection. It occurs due to persistent contact with irritant soil such as red clays. It may also be caused due to the accumulation of fluids in the body, a condition known as Edema, which causes the swelling of body parts. Recovery from filariasis is possible and surgery sometimes helps, but any elephantiasis that develops during the disease cannot be cured.