TUBERCULOSIS (TB): AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

Tuberculosis may sound like a disease of old times, but it’s still a prevalent disease in developing countries. A weak immune system is the most significant factor that triggers the infection of tuberculosis.

To know more about this contagious disease and its preventive measures, read this article till the end.

Tuberculosis, also known as TB, is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. A pathogenic bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, causes TB infection which, if left untreated, complicates with time. Besides the lungs, this disease can spread to other organs, such as the kidney, brain, and spine, and cause damage.

As TB is a contagious disease, an infected individual can transmit the infection to others. The transmission of the virus occurs through droplets while coughing and sneezing.

Types of Tuberculosis 

The disease becomes serious as it progresses, and based upon the severity of the infection, there are two types of disease:

1- Latent Tuberculosis 

In latent tuberculosis, the bacteria remain inactive, and no disease symptoms appear. Thus, the patient can’t transmit the infection from one person to another in this type of tuberculosis.

2- Active Tuberculosis 

In active tuberculosis, the bacterium is active and causes diseases. When the person becomes sick, he can transmit the infection to another person through saliva or mucus droplets.

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria known as Mycobacteria tuberculosis. This infectious disease can easily spread to others from the diseased person. Staying in contact with a tuberculosis patient for a long time can also make you sick.

People with weak immune systems are at a greater risk. Their natural immune system is not strong enough to fight against TB infection. In contrast, people with a strong immune system don’t experience the disease’s symptoms even if they are infected.

Latent tuberculosis is an inactive form of the disease; therefore, it has no symptoms. Active tuberculosis has the following symptoms:

• A continuous cough that lasts for weeks
• Chest pain
• Breathing problems
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Blood while coughing

TB isn’t a novel disease, but still, many people are not aware of its symptoms or complications that can be overcome by early diagnosis. TB awareness includes educating people about preventive measures and the best practices to stop disease spread.

Awareness helps people to take wise steps. When people are aware of the disease and its consequences, then early diagnosis and treatment are possible. Surveys reveal that a tuberculosis patient can spread the infection to about 10-15 people per year. But, if diagnosed early and proper treatment and care are given, most people recover from the infection with two weeks of medication. Therefore, awareness is vital to prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis awareness helps people to take preventive measures to avoid this contagious disease. It’s an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care. Then why shouldn’t you start taking preventive measures against a condition that you can prevent or stop progressing to a deadly condition?

Here are some of the preventive measures of tuberculosis that you can follow:

1.  Get Vaccinated 

The vaccination for Tuberculosis is BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin). It’s a live vaccine containing a strain of weekend bovine tuberculosis bacillus, Mycobacterium bovis.

At present, BCG is the only approved vaccine against tuberculosis and can help prevent the disease. You may wonder if there is a tuberculosis vaccine, then why every year many TB cases are reported worldwide? The reason for this is the limited effectiveness of the BCG vaccine. BCG vaccination:

• Shows 80% effectiveness in preventing tuberculosis for 15 years.
• Considered more effective in combating the severe forms of tuberculosis in children.
• Not entirely effective for people over the age of 35.
• Less effective for people residing in equatorial regions (Equatorial regions have high concentrations of naturally occurring environmental mycobacterium).

2. Strengthen your immune system 

A strong immune system is your defense against many ailments, including tuberculosis. Studies reveal that 60% of adults can fight against tuberculosis bacteria with a healthy immune system.

3. Manage your environment 

Environment plays a significant role in the infection and spread of Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria. It’s an airborne infectious disease. The tuberculosis bacteria are released into the air when a tuberculosis patient coughs or sneezes. The risk of getting the infection from the environment can be decreased by:

Good ventilation: It removes the TB bacteria from the air, which will otherwise remain suspended in the air for hours.

Natural light: UV light kills the harmful tuberculosis bacteria.

Good hygiene: Covering the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing stops the spread of tuberculosis bacteria.

4. Avoid contact with TB patients 

TB is a contagious disease and can spread from person to person. Therefore, avoiding contact with TB patients is the primary preventive measure to prevent disease.

Now you know why prevention and awareness of tuberculosis are vital. It’s better to make a change today than repent over a severe condition in the future. So, make sure that you follow the preventive measures for tuberculosis and spread awareness among the people around you.

Moreover, if you have any queries in your mind, feel free to ask in the comment section below.