All you need to know about TUBERCULOSIS (TB)

\n\nTuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.\n\nOn March 24,1882 Dr Robert Koch of Germany first identified the bacteria which causes TB called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.\n\nMedications started to be used after World War two, prior to that there were no Antibiotics which could kill this bacteria.\n\nDaily 4100 people die due to TB world wide and about 30,000 get infected daily.\n\nTB is now fully Curable with Medications such as INH Rifampicin Ethambutol & few more. Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985, partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person’s immune system, so it can’t fight the TB germs. In the United States, because of stronger control programs, tuberculosis began to decrease again in 1993. But it remains a concern.\n\nSYMPTOMS \n\nAlthough your body can harbor the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, your immune system usually can prevent you from becoming sick. For this reason, doctors make a distinction between:\n

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• Latent TB. You have a TB infection, but the bacteria in your body are inactive and cause no symptoms. Latent TB, also called inactive TB or TB infection, isn’t contagious. Latent TB can turn into active TB, so treatment is important.
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• Active TB. Also called TB disease, this condition makes you sick and, in most cases, can spread to others. It can occur weeks or years after infection with the TB bacteria.
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\nSIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ACTIVE TB INCLUDE:\n

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• Coughing for three or more weeks
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• Coughing up blood or mucus
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• Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing 4Unintentional weight loss
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• Fatigue
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• Fever
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• Night sweats
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• Chills
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• Loss of appetite
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\nTuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including the kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine might cause back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.\n\nWHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR\n\nSee your doctor if you have a fever, unexplained weight loss, drenching night sweats or a persistent cough. These are often indications of TB but can also result from other conditions. Also, see your doctor if you think you’ve been exposed to TB.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who have an increased risk of tuberculosis be screened for latent TB infection. This recommendation includes people who:\n

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• Have HIV/AIDS
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• Use IV drugs
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• Are in contact with infected people
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• Are from a country where TB is common, such as several countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia
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• Live or work in areas where TB is common, such as prisons or nursing homes
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• Work in health care and treat people with a high risk of TB
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• Are children who are exposed to adults at risk of TB
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\nRISK FACTORS \n\nAnyone can get tuberculosis at any age but certain factors can increase your risk, including:\n\nWEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM\n\nA healthy immune system often successfully fights TB bacteria. However, several conditions and medications can weaken your immune system, including:\n

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• HIV/AIDS
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• Diabetes
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• Severe kidney disease
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• Certain cancers
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• Cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy
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• Drugs to prevent rejection of transplanted organs
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• Some drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis
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• Malnutrition or low body weight
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• Very young or advanced age
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\nOTHER FACTORS\n

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• Using substances. IV drugs or excessive alcohol use weakens your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to tuberculosis.
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• Using tobacco. Tobacco use greatly increases the risk of getting TB and dying of it.
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• Working in health care. Regular contact with people who are ill increases your chances of exposure to TB bacteria. Wearing a mask and frequent hand-washing greatly reduce your risk.
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• Living or working in a residential care facility. People who live or work in prisons, homeless shelters, psychiatric hospitals or nursing homes are all at a higher risk of tuberculosis due to overcrowding and poor ventilation.
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• Living with someone infected with TB. Close contact with someone who has TB increases your risk.
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\nCOMPLICATIONS \n\nWithout treatment, tuberculosis can be fatal. Untreated active disease typically affects your lungs, but it can affect other parts of your body, as well.\n\nTuberculosis complications include:\n

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• Spinal pain. Back pain and stiffness are common complications of tuberculosis.
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• Joint damage. Arthritis that results from tuberculosis (tuberculous arthritis) usually affects the hips and knees.
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• Swelling of the membranes that cover your brain (meningitis). This can cause a lasting or intermittent headache that occurs for weeks and possible mental changes.
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• Liver or kidney problems. Your liver and kidneys help filter waste and impurities from your bloodstream. Tuberculosis in these organs can impair their functions.
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• Heart disorders. Rarely, tuberculosis can infect the tissues that surround your heart, causing inflammation and fluid collections that might interfere with your heart’s ability to pump effectively. This condition, called cardiac tamponade, can be fatal
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\nVACCINATIONS \n\nIn countries where tuberculosis is more common, infants often are vaccinated with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine. The BCG vaccine isn’t recommended for general use in the Canada.\n\n Cont. in next edition\n\n