Hansen's disease--commonly known as leprosy--is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacteriumleprae. According to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, symptoms of Hansen's disease don't usually begin to develop until at least a...
Many conditions can cause foot numbness. According to the MedlinePlus website, numbness is an abnormal sensation that can manifest anywhere in a person's body. One of the most common locations for numbness is the feet. In some cases, foot numbness...
B-12 is a vitamin that is important for brain and nerve health. Scientific studies show that supplementation with vitamin B-12 may help reduce the risk for some medical conditions, most notably where deficiencies are present. However, seek the...
Most bacteria coexist with humans without harm. However, some bacterial species cause severe infection with potentially disabling or life-threatening consequences. Disease-causing bacteria are termed pathogens. The bacteria Neisseria meningitidis,...
The facial nerve, cranial nerve VII, serves many vital functions. It supports motor function of the facial muscles that allow expressions such as smiling and frowning. It facilitates the detection of flavors through its special sensory fibers in...
The Pen Tsao Ching, a Chinese herbal manual written in about 3500 B.C.E., lists ginger root as a remedy for leprosy, according to Michael Castleman, author of "The New Healing Herbs." Although ginger does not cure leprosy, it may offer other...
Finger numbness or tingling is caused by local abnormalities in the nerves responsible for the perception of touch. The medical term for a nerve abnormality is neuropathy. Many different types of neuropathy can lead to finger numbness. Infections,...
Karela, a ridged or warty cucumber-like vegetable, grows on vines in tropical and subtropical areas of East Africa, South America, Asia and the Caribbean. Its common names include bitter gourd, bitter melon, balsam pear, wild cucumber, margose and...
Aczone (dapsone) is a medication used to treat acne, skin infections and leprosy, a crippling condition in which you develop unusual sores and nerve damage. According to Drugs.com, Aczone is an anti-infective medication that fights various...
The neem tree is a tropical evergreen native to India that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. A mainstay in aryuvedic medicine, parts of the neem tree are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-septic and anti-viral. Aryuvedic...
Eyebrow loss, also known as superciliary madarosis, can occur with a variety of medical conditions. Madarosis can affect one or both eyebrows with partial or complete hair loss. Infections, chronic skin disorders, hormone disturbances, autoimmune...
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, occurs when the thyroid doesn't produce enough thyroxine, or T4, and triiodothyronine, or T3, the thyroid hormones that regulate the body's metabolism. Fatigue may be an early symptom of the disease,...
Acacia gum is the resin of the thorny African acacia tree. This hardened sap is used to make ink, watercolors, pottery pigments and wax polishes and to give a shine to fabrics such as crepe and silk. Most importantly, it is used extensively as a...
Azadirachta indica, commonly referred to as neem, is a large evergreen tree native to India. Almost every part of the neem tree is used in folk medicine, with the bark, leaf, seed, seed oil, root, flower and fruit all containing medicinal...
Graviola, or soursop, is the common name of a tropical fruit tree known botanically as Annona muricata. The 30-foot-tall bushy plant has had many traditional uses. The seeds have been used to kill head lice and the fruit juice to treat leprosy....
The ancient Egyptians used to shave their eyebrows in mourning for their cats. Today, however, eyebrow loss is a symptom that something is wrong. Once you have determined the reason for the hair loss, you can begin to regrow eyebrows using...
Sulfa antibiotics are anti-inflammatory drugs used for treating maladies such as Crohn's Disease, an inflammation of the colon and bowel which can cause severe pain and diarrhea, and lead to malnutrition. Sulfa antibiotics can cause a number of...
According to Steve Van Vleet of Washington State University, Bryonia alba, also known as white bryony, is a perennial native to Europe and parts of Northern Iran. Used as a treatment for leprosy since before the start of the 14th century, modern...
Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that can erupt anywhere on the body. Symptoms of eczema include itchy patches of scaly or blistered skin. Western medical practitioners suspect a malfunctioning immune...
Lotus leaf is a perennial aquatic plant native to the Middle East and Asia that is used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called He Ye, as a supplement for the digestive and circulatory systems. There is no known contraindication for...
The neem tree is an evergreen tree, related to the mahogany tree, found in India, Burma and Pakistan. Neem flowers have a variety of uses, including aromatherapy, cosmetics, health remedies and cooking. The neem tree is known in India as the...
Atrophic rhinitis is a disease of the nose in which there is atrophy or thinning of the mucosa of the nose. This results in wide nasal passages and results in nose block, crusting in the nose and loss of smell. This disease is commonly seen in...
Acne vulgaris, the most common dermatologic disorder in the United States occurs primarily in young adults, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine." A bacterium, Proprionobacterium acnes causes comedones, also known as...
Everyone's feet swell during a workout. The brain increases blood flow to all parts of the body in response to the stress of elevated activity. If your feet become numb in your tennis shoes while working out, it usually is a sign of an improperly...
Weight loss is an important goal for many people in the Western world. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 72 million people in the United States are obese. Although dozens of diets are available for people interested in weight loss, some...
Charcot joint--neurogenic arthropathy--is a condition that occurs when nerve injury leads to destruction of a joint. There is bilateral involvement in between 9 percent and 35 percent of cases according to the "AAOS Comprehensive Orthopaedic...
Yohimbe bark comes from trees that normally grow in West Africa. The active constituent in the bark is yohimbine, an alkaloid used for centuries in African folk medicine to treat fevers, leprosy and coughs; and for about seventy-five years it has...
Liver spots, commonly called age spots, are known medically as lentigines, and are flat brown oval spots on the skin. Liver spots are caused by sun exposure and appear on the hands and face. As we age, our skin loses protecting melatonin and age...
Red clover is a wild perennial, which means that its life span exceeds two years. Red clover grows wild in meadows throughout Europe, Asia and Northern America. Farmers use it for grazing and as a tool in soil rotation. Perhaps more significant,...