Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is a serious bacterial infection, affecting lungs. It can also spread to different organs of our body through the lymph nodes and bloodstream.
It is a contagious disease. Bacteria, which cause tuberculosis, spread through tiny drops, spread into the air due to coughing and sneezing.
If a person is close quarters with someone who has active disease, might get infected. These people never develop symptoms because the bacteria live in an inactive form.
They may not show any signs of infection and won’t spread the disease to others unless their disease becomes active. The immune system may get weaken if the person is having HIV, or if he is an elderly adult. In this case, TB bacteria can become active.
Proper medication can help to get rid of both active and inactive bacteria.
Several tuberculosis resists drugs were used to uproot this disease. People with active tuberculosis had several types of medicines for a long period of time. These drugs are to uproot the infection and prevent from developing antibiotic resistance.
Evidences found from the Egyptian mummies proved that there is a long History behind the disease “Tuberculosis”.
During the 18th and 19th century, TB broke down to Europe and North America. A German microbiologist Robert Koch discovered the cause and treatment of tuberculosis in 1882.
TB began to rise and becomes a worldwide disease. The first time this disease was labeled by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO declared TB as a “global emergency disease”.
It’s fortunate, with proper research and proper treatment, it is the belief that the disease is almost defeated. Due to the strong control on tuberculosis, it began to decrease in 1993 but still remains a concern.
Your immune system usually can prevent you from falling sick even if your body may Pier bacteria causing tuberculosis.
So, doctors have made a clear division between:
Latent TB
Active TB
In this condition, active bacteria make a person fall sick and become contagious.
TB can also spread to different organs of our body, such as kidneys, spine or brain. signs and symptoms may differ according to the organ involved.
TB in the spine may give you backache or TB in the kidney may cause blood in the urine.
A person having a low immune system has increased risk of Tuberculosis. The low immune body cannot fight with the bacteria causing TB. The immune system may become weak due to many diseases.
Disease Control and Prevention centers recommend these people to screen for latent TB infection.
Anyone can have Tuberculosis. Certain factors can have more risk of having Tuberculosis.
Factors who have higher contamination risk:
Active TB patient release bacteria causing TB into the air while coughs, speaks, sneezes, spits, laughs or sings.
A person, when close quarters with someone who has active disease, might get infected.
TB can spread person to person but, it’s not easy to catch. So, always take proper precautions.
Connections between HIV and TB
Since 1980, due to the spread of HIV (AIDS), TB has also increased. HIV infected person suppressed the immune system. It makes the body difficult to fight against TB bacteria.
Hence, people affecting HIV have a higher risk to get TB as compared.
Rapid resistant to Drug
About 60 yrs ago, the first antibiotic came up uproot TB. TB bacteria developed the resistance to survive, which passed on to their heirs.
This became another major reason, TB still remains the major issues.
Areas having high rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis
There are countries having high rates of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis. While traveling or living in these countries may increase the higher risk of contamination. Areas affecting TB include:
How your Living environment affects Tuberculosis
Due to the lack of medical care, some people are having Tuberculosis.
Proper diagnosis helps to uproot Tuberculosis. First, your doctor perform physical examination.
Your doctor will examine your swelling lymph nodes. He will listen to the sounds of your lungs while you breathe with a stethoscope.
the Second examination can be a simple skin test, followed by a blood test, Imagine test or sputum test.
Skin Test
The result of a TB skin test may be wrong at times.
The report may indicate a false-positive test while you are not having TB. If a person is vaccinated with the bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine in a recent period of time, the report may indicate a false-positive.
It may also indicate a false-negative test while you really have.
This happens to the children, older people and the people having a low immune system. People don’t respond to the medicine injected if he is having AIDS.
The result may indicate negative to the people who are recently infected with TB.
Blood tests
A blood test is useful when you have a negative response to the skin test. Or if you have received BCG vaccine. A blood test is useful to confirm whether the patients are having Latent TB or Active TB bacteria. This test checks your immune system’s reaction to TB bacteria.
Imaging tests
Sputum tests
Hope this will bring a good information on “World Tuberculosis Day” (24th March) to frame the awareness regarding tuberculosis throughout the world.
“Win The Fight Before It Starts…..Test For TB”
Tuberculosis can be curable but without treatment, it can be dangerous too.
Proper treatment can cure a patients while lack of treatment can be fatal.
We celebrate “World Tuberculosis Day” on 24th March to frame awareness on tuberculosis throughout the world.
“Every Breath Counts – Stop TB Now!”