With the arrival of Covid-19 we were able to realize the importance of the air we breathe. Sometimes, we could take this fact for granted, but the truth is that we cannot live without it, and that is more than proven.
Many people have died due to lack of oxygen and, in many countries where the health system is deficient and precarious, even anarchy took over the places where they sold and recharged oxygen cylinders, given the shortage of them., due to the number of people infected by the virus.
However, this is neither the first nor the only disease that affects the respiratory tract. There are many others that, if not treated correctly, could also lead to death.
Some of them are pneumonia, bronchitis and tuberculosis. In relation to the latter, it was considered that it had been eradicated, that is, that there were no longer people who suffered from it. However, reality hit hard when she appeared on the scene again.
Tuberculosis is a disease that has killed hundreds of people around the world. This is because it is not treated in time, given that, at first, it can be confused with the common flu or with another disease considered harmless.
Now, what is tuberculosis? What are your symptoms? How is it transmitted? What are your complications? And, more importantly, what kind of treatment must be administered to get out of risk and regain health?
If you are interested in this topic and want to know the answers to these and other questions, through this simple but explanatory post, I will be informing you about everything you need to know regarding tuberculosis and the way it acts in our body.
Instructions for making an early diagnosis of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that should not be taken lightly and mainly affects the respiratory tract. The bacteria that infect it are transmitted from one person to another through tiny droplets, which travel through the air, when coughing, sneezing and even speaking.
Although it is true that the body could host the bacteria that produce tuberculosis, in general, the immune system is responsible for preventing the disease from developing and ending up infected. For this reason, doctors make a distinction between:
- Latent tuberculosis: in this case, tuberculosis is present in the body. However, the bacteria are dormant and therefore do not produce symptoms. It is also known as inactive tuberculosis or tuberculosis infection and is not contagious. However, it can also transform into active tuberculosis. Hence the importance of implementing a treatment as soon as possible.
- Active TB – As the name suggests, the TB virus is active and therefore makes you sick and, in most cases, contagious. It should be noted that it can develop and manifest weeks or years after being infected by the bacteria.
What do you need to make an early diagnosis of tuberculosis?
You need to know some of the symptoms of active tuberculosis, these are:
- Prolonged cough, which can last three weeks and even longer.
- Coughing up blood or phlegm.
- Chest pain when coughing or simply breathing.
- Significant and involuntary weight loss.
- Fatigue.
- Fever.
- Loss of appetite.
- Night sweats.
- Chills etc.
It should be noted that this disease can also affect other organs or parts of the body, such as the kidneys, the spine and even the brain. This happens when tuberculosis develops outside the lungs. In such a case, the symptoms vary depending on the organ they affect.
For example, when tuberculosis lodges in the spine, it causes severe back pain. In the case of tuberculosis in the kidneys, this results in the presence of blood in the urine.
Although it is true that anyone could get tuberculosis, there are certain risk factors that significantly increase this possibility. For example:
- Having a weak immune system. When the immune system is healthy, it has the ability to fight the tuberculosis bacteria on its own. But there are many things that can weaken you, such as HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, cancer treatments, low body weight, being very young or old, etc.
- Travel or live in certain places, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, etc.
- The consumption of intravenous substances or alcohol.
- Tobacco use.
- Living with someone infected with tuberculosis.
- Working in health care areas, among other risk factors.
Tips for making an early diagnosis of tuberculosis
As I have mentioned before, only active tuberculosis is contagious. If your results are positive, you must undergo medical treatment for several weeks. This, in order to heal and stop spreading. Meanwhile, it is essential that you follow the following recommendations, to avoid infecting your family and friends:
- Do not leave your house. This means that you cannot go to school or work.
- Do not sleep with another person, at least during the first weeks of your treatment.
- Keep the room ventilated, since the germs of this disease can spread very easily in closed places, where there is no air circulation.
- Use a tissue every time you laugh, cough or sneeze. Once it’s dirty, you’ll need to dispose of it in a bag, close it very well, and then dispose of it.
- When you are in the presence of other people, wear a mask. At least during the first weeks of treatment, since this is when there is a greater risk of transmission.
- Eat and drink with personalized and properly identified plates, cutlery and glasses.
If you take these recommendations into account, you will be sure that those who live under your same roof will remain healthy, while your recovery process lasts. This is the only way that the disease does not spread and that the damage is worse.
