Tuberculosis

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is caused by the tuberculosis bacillus (mycobacterium tuberculosis).
An infection caused by this bacillus can lead to serious damage of the lungs.
Lung TB is the most frequent form, but the disease can also occur in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, joints or lymph glands.

Only those with open lung TB can pass on the infection.
Patients with lung TB often cough and sneeze.
This causes the TB bacilli to be released into the atmosphere.
Whoever inhales these bacilli runs the risk of becoming infected.
Risk is highest in small, dark, badly ventilated areas.

Not everyone who comes into contact with the bacilli, and who is therefore infected, actually develops TB. Someone who is infected only will not be aware of this, and has no symptoms.
In this way the bacilli can nestle in the body for years.
The anti-bodies produced by the body are often strong enough to prevent the disease from breaking out. Somebody with normal resistance has around a ten-percent chance of developing TB.
This can happen as a result of normal resistance becoming reduced, for example, due to a particular disease.

The most frequent complaints at the onset of TB are coughing, fatigue, fever and lack of appetite.
Without proper treatment, however, the patient may steadily deteriorate and eventually even die.
Early diagnosis and treatment of TB is therefore essential.
Fortunately TB is easy to cure with a course of various antibiotics.
This course of treatment lasts a minimum of six months.
It is of crucial importance that the patient takes the appropriate combination of medicines and exactly according to instructions.
The results are very positive: almost all patients are cured.

Redactie: info(at)rijskamp.com
Cagayan de Oro September 28, 2005

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