Thinking to maintain your health?
Check out some blogs that can help you to learn something new!
Photo credit: by sparklestroke via Canva.com, by Mete-X from Mete-X via Canva.com
Tuberculosis
By GPT Admin 4January, 28, 2019
Tuberculosis is a highly contagious infectious disease that essentially attacks the lungs, spreading further in the brain, spine or another part of the body. Tuberculosis abbreviated as (TB) was once called as consumption. This disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Prevalence Of Disease
The disease is in the list of top ten worlds most death-defying disease and has killed more than 1.6 million people in 2016. The disease is commonly found in developing countries like India, Pakistan, Mexico, China, Micronesia, parts of Russia, and Bangladesh, and the U.S. Under some conditions and antibiotic treatment the disease is preventable as well as curable. Lets now discuss the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of this death-defying disease.
Causes of tuberculosis
TB is caused due to a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Variety of strains of TB are available out of which some of them have become resistant to medication. The bacteria of TB is transmitted through infected droplets in the air. When a person breathes, this infected air is inhaled into the lungs that can infect him too. Bacteria that cause TB can be transmitted from one person to another through coughing, sneezing, speaking, and singing. Many people have properly working-immune system and they don’t experience any symptom of the disease.
Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) has a type known as latent TB. In this type of tuberculosis, the victim is surely infected with the disease but he or she does not feel any symptom. The disease can ly and stay sluggish for many years until it is converted into active TB disease. When you get involved in active TB disease, you will feel the symptoms that will be helpful for curing the disease. Symptoms are most commonly related to the respiratory system that include coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm). The coughing can last for at least two to three weeks including pain too. Some other symptoms that show TB are listed below:
Unexplained Fatigueness
Fever
Night Sweats
Appetite loss
Weight loss
Chills
Urinate blood due to effects of TB on the kidney.
Including the destroying effects of tuberculosis on the lungs, the disease can also affect the other organs of the body like kidney, spine, bone marrow, and brain.
(Woman with Flu Illustration by HtcHnm from pixabay via Cava.com)
Risk Factors
Tobacco users, drug users, and alcohol drinkers are more likely to get active TB. Other people that can become the victim of tuberculosis include people diagnosed with HIV and other immune system issues. Research of WHO says that people who are HIV-positive, are mostly killed due to TB. Other risk factors that can infect tuberculosis is diabetes, end-stage kidney disease, malnourishment, and certain cancers. In addition to all these, medication of different diseases like Cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, Psoriasis, and lupus etc. can also cause active TB which may prove fatal.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis
In order to diagnose tuberculosis, PPD skin test, blood test, Chest X-ray, and other tests are performed. After diagnosing, the next step is to find out the best possible treatment of the disease which is normally prescribed by doctors or advisors. To treat active tuberculosis, a combination of medications is made and taken for at least 6-9 months. Commonly used medications for the treatment of tuberculosis are as follows:
Isoniazid
Ethambutol
Pyrazinamide
Rifampin
Rifapentine
These medications can affect your liver and might cause appetite loss, dark urine, fever lasting longer than three days, unexplained nausea or vomiting, jaundice, and abdominal pain. So with treatment, you should also be cautious about other risk factors associated with medicine.
