Rare Disease Information: What are the Symptoms of Morgellons Disease?

What is Morgellons Disease?

A mysterious and rare condition has recently become wide spread, causing the CDC to begin study investigations on this never before seen disease. This rare disease is called Morgellons Disease. Multiple patients report symptoms of itchy skin lesions which have fibers growing from the inside, sometimes extending to the surface of the skin. They claim to experience crawling sensations coming from within the skin. Because the symptoms reported are unusual and rare, many people with this disease have been misdiagnosed with a psychiatric disorder.

The CDC decided to begin conducting study investigations regarding Morgellons Disease after numerous areas all over the world began reporting increased numbers of patients with this disease. All 50 states of the United States now report cases of this condition. Most of the reported cases occur in Texas and Florida. Besides the United States other countries have been reporting similar cases including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Not much is currently known about this rare medical condition, which leaves many people wondering what is Morgellons disease and what causes it? So far, studies indicate members of the same family are more likely to experience this medical condition than people who are not related.

Skin Conditions

What are the Symptoms of Morgellong Disease?

Patients that have reported symptoms of this rare disease are often told they have a psychiatric disorder because of the unusual symptoms produced. The most common symptoms of Morgellons Disease are skin lesions that cause pain and intense itching. Many report seeing red, white, blue, or black moving fibers in the skin sores. Patients have reported a sensation of insects stinging and biting them or insects crawling under their skin. In some cases patients of this disease experienced extreme fatigue and lack of concentration. Memory loss and disturbances of the vision have been reported as well. Some patients have noticed slight behavioral changes. The joints and muscles may become painful and there may also be gastrointestinal disturbances when a patient has Morgellons disease. In rare cases, the skin itself alters in color and texture.

Treatment for Morgellons Disease

Unfortunately, because this is such a new disease to be diagnosed with there is no cure or treatment regime. It’s not even know if Morgellons disease is infectious. The cause of this disease remains unknown because such little research has been conducted in this area. The recommended course of treatment is to find a good doctor that understands the symptoms and maintain a schedule of follow-up appointments to manage the condition. It is important to keep an open mind about the possibility of other medical conditions. Some patients with the disease symptoms choose to take alternative treatments because conventional medications have not shown to treat this disease.

References

“Morgellons Disease: Managing a mysterious skin condition.” November 22, 2008 mayoclinic.com

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