Morgellons Fiber Disease

Morgellons Disease remains misunderstood and a matter of great speculation. Many physicians deny the existence of the condition, while others believe the condition evolves from neurological sources. Regardless of the origins of the disease, it is easy to see why sufferers are so anxious to find a cure.

Defined

• Morgellons has been seen around the world, and thousands of cases are reported each year. The diagnosis of Morgellons is a difficult one, since no clear clinical diagnostic guidelines exist for the condition. Morgellons seems to be most prevalent in the southern part of the United States and is thought to be an infectious disease, though no method of transmission has ever been identified.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Morgellons Disease vary widely from one sufferer to the next. Some report open lesions, while others suffer joint pain and difficulty moving. These lesions may have thread-like filaments growing from them, the composition of which has yet to be determined. These fibers are typically white, but have been seen in blue and black colors as well. For patients who go undiagnosed for long periods, the most often reported symptoms are chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating, fibromyalgia and extreme joint pain. Many doctors do not recognize Morgellons as a viable condition, and the medical profession as a whole has never studied Morgellons in a laboratory setting. Many medical professionals who admit the existence of Morgellons have been ridiculed by their peers and even those who have written about the ailment in medical journals have been marginalized by their profession.

Prevalence

• Morgellons Disease is not tracked by the medical profession, but reports indicate that Morgellons often propagates within single families. Often, more than one person within a household has the disease, though proximity seems to play a bigger part than genetics. It is suspected that fewer than 1/3 of all Morgellons cases have been reported, since patients are often treated by physicians who are not familiar with the ailment.

Number of Cases

• The number of people with Morgellons Disease is difficult to determine. Because many physicians deny the existence of the condition, no defined diagnostic parameters have been established. Approximately 13,000 families report having symptoms similar to Morgellons Disease.

Cases

• While no official medical registry exists for Morgellons, there is a research society dedicated to the study and tracking of the disease. The Morgellons Research Foundation has recorded more than 2,000 cases in California, 800 in Texas, and 600 in Florida. Ohio, Oregon and Washington have also had a large number of cases. Every state in the United States has shown at least one case of Morgellons. More than 25 percent of all Morgellons cases diagnosed in the United States have been found in California, while additional clusters have been found around Daytona Beach and Tampa, Florida.

Diagnosis

• While no specific diagnostic guidelines exist for Morgellons diagnoses, most experts agree that the presence of filaments being reported in or on the skin, as well as the sensation of movement on or beneath the skin. Stinging or biting sensations are the most common report and can occur anywhere on the body. Skin lesions which appear seemingly without cause and are accompanied by extreme itching sensations. Difficulty breathing and elevated heart rate are seen in a large percentage of patients as well as decreased cognitive reasoning skills. Patients often report having to change their prescription eyeglasses several times a year. The diagnosis is similar to a scabies diagnosis at least in the initial stages, with extreme cases resembling the lesions caused by autoimmune disorders.