Tuberculosis : causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, care
Tuberculosis:-
Tuberculosis is one of important communicable disease caused by the bacteria mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects lungs and then spread to other parts of body. Previously it was very difficult to treat the tuberculosis. Now due to the effective use of antibiotics it can be treated successfully.
It spreads with breath:-
When the person infected with tuberculosis bacteria coughs, sneezes, shouts, spits the minute particles spread to the air. If we breathe that infected air droplet we will get infected with tuberculosis. If we touch the affected person or shake hand with him we won’t get infected tuberculosis bacteria. When we breath the infected air droplets, the
Bacteria enter our lungs and establish an infection in aerobic environment.
Mycobacterium bovis is the bacteria found in unpasteurized milk, which also causes tuberculosis in the individual who drinks unpasteurized milk. Previously children were much affected with these bacteria. Now the rate is markedly reduced because of drinking pasteurized milk.
Process of establishing tuberculosis infection:-
When the tuberculosis bacteria enter the lungs the bacteria multiplies in the aerobic environment. An effective infection is established. The lymph nodes associated with lungs also get infected and inflammatory process starts and get enlarged. The tuberculosis infection can also spread to other parts of body. The immune system of host fight against the bacteria and the scar tissue or tubercle is formed around the bacteria which prevents spreading to other parts of body.
While the body’s immune system forms scar the bacteria become inactivated and the person does not show any symptoms and also is not infectious.
Tuberculosis infection becomes active when the immune system becomes weak. The bacteria break the scar and inflammation is established. The immune system in old persons, immune suppressed persons, cancer patients is weak and they are highly susceptible of tuberculosis.
Risk factors:-
-old age are at high risk for tuberculosis as immune system becomes weak.
-Corticosteroid therapy suppresses the body immune power.
-children can get tuberculosis infection easily as the immature immune system.
-people living in highly crowded area have a chance of getting infected with tuberculosis bacteria in air droplet.
-prisoners at risk as hygiene is very poor
Signs and symptoms of tuberculosis:-
Cough with sputum: is due inflammatory process which secretes the mucus.
Fever – raised temperature because of inflammation caused by tuberculosis bacteria.
Fatigue – the loss or break down of mucoproteins, leads to fatigue.
Weight loss – as the loss of body protein is high in tuberculosis infection.
Blood stained sputum – due to necrosis of lung tissue.
Diagnosis of tuberculosis:-
Physical examination of tuberculosis person confirms the signs and symptoms of infection.
Sputum test reveals the presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in the sputum.
Chest x –ray shows the formation of tubercle in the lung tissue.
Tuberculin test – in this the tuberculin protein is injected intradermally and watched for inflammatory reaction with swelling of area in given time.
Treatment of tuberculosis:-
The tuberculosis bacteria become resistant to the single drug. So the multi drug therapy is given.
The combination of antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomicin and ethambutol is given.
Bed rests place an important role in conserving energy of the patient.
Protein rich diet should be taken.
The affected person needs to take precautions not to spread the infection.
