Tuberculosis.........causes and prevention

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Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that causes tuberculosis is transmitted from person to person through small drops released into the air by coughing and sneezing.

Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began to increase in 1985, in part due to the onset of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person's immune system and therefore can not fight the germs of tuberculosis. In the United States, the fight against tuberculosis began to fall in 1993 due to stricter control programs, but remains a concern.

Many drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis are most commonly used to treat the disease. People with active TB should take several types of medications for many months to eradicate the infection and prevent the development of antibiotic resistance.

Symptoms and Causes

symptom

Even though your body may harbor the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, your immune system can usually be prevented from getting sick. For this reason, doctors distinguish between:

Latent TB. In this condition, you have TB infection, but the bacteria remain in your body in an inactive state and do not cause symptoms. Latent tuberculosis, also known as TB or inactive TB, is not contagious. It can become an active tuberculosis, so treatment is important for the person with latent TB and to help control the spread of tuberculosis. It is estimated that 2 million people suffer from latent tuberculosis.
Active TB. This disease makes you sick and can spread to other people. It can occur in the first few weeks after infection with the tuberculosis bacteria, or it could occur years later.
Signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis include:

Cough that lasts three weeks or more
Coughing up blood
Chest pain or pain in breathing or coughing
Unintentional weight loss
fatigue
fever
Night sweats
Shaking chills
Loss of appetite
TB can also affect other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, or brain. When tuberculosis occurs outside of your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine can give back pain, and tuberculosis in the kidneys can cause blood in the urine.

When to see a doctor

Consult your doctor if you have a fever, unexplained weight loss, night sweats or a persistent cough. These are often signs of TB, but they can also be the result of other medical problems. The doctor can perform tests to help determine the cause.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people who are at increased risk for tuberculosis should be screened for latent TB infection. This recommendation includes:

People living with HIV / AIDS
Intravenous drug users
People who are in contact with infected people
Health workers who treat people at high risk for tuberculosis
Causes

Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released into the air. This can happen when someone with the active TB-free form coughs, talks, sneezes, spits, laughs or sings.

Although tuberculosis is contagious, it is not easy to catch. You are much more likely to have tuberculosis from a person with whom you live or work as a stranger. Most people with active tuberculosis who have had adequate drug treatment for at least two weeks are no longer contagious.

HIV and tuberculosis

Since the 1980s, the number of tuberculosis cases has increased dramatically due to the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Infection with HIV suppresses the immune system, making it difficult for the body to control the bacteria from tuberculosis. As a result, people living with HIV are much more likely to contract TB and move from a latent disease to active disease than people who are not HIV positive.

Drug Resistant Tuberculosis

Another reason why tuberculosis remains a major cause of death is the increase in drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Since the first antibiotics were used in the fight against tuberculosis no more than 60 years, some microbes of tuberculosis have developed the ability to survive and this ability is transmitted to their offspring.

Resistant strains of anti-tuberculosis drugs arise when an antibiotic fails to kill all the bacteria it targets. Surviving bacteria become resistant to that particular drug and often also other antibiotics. Some tuberculosis bacteria have developed resistance to commonly used treatments, such as isoniazid and rifampicin.

Some strains of tuberculosis have also developed drug resistance less commonly used in the treatment of tuberculosis, such as antibiotics known as fluoroquinolones, and injectables such as amikacin, kanamycin, and capreomycin. These medications are often used to treat infections that are resistant to the most commonly used drugs.

Risk Factors

Anyone can get TB, but some factors can increase their risk of disease. These factors include:

Weakened immune system

A healthy immune system is often able to fight off tuberculosis bacteria, but your body can not mount an effective defense if its resistance is low. A number of diseases and medications can weaken your immune system, including:

HIV AIDS
diabetes
Severe kidney disease
Some types of cancer
Cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy
Medications to prevent rejection of transplanted organs
Some medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and psoriasis
malnutrition
Very young or old age
Traveling or living in certain regions

Lack of medical care. If you receive a low or fixed income, live in an isolated area, have recently immigrated to the United States, or are homeless, you may lose access to the medical care needed to diagnose and treat MDR.
substance abuse. The use of intravenous drugs or alcohol abuse weakens your immune system and makes you more vulnerable to tuberculosis.
Use of tobacco. Tobacco use greatly increases the risk of contracting tuberculosis and dying from it.

Where you work or live

Work in health care. Regular contact with sick people increases your chances of being exposed to tuberculosis bacteria. Wearing a mask and washing your hands often greatly reduces your risk.
Living or working in a residential care center. People who live or work in prisons, immigration centers, or nursing homes are all at increased risk for TB. This is because the risk of illness is greatest anywhere there is overcrowding and poor ventilation.
Living in a refugee camp or shelter. Weakened by poor nutrition and ill health and living in overcrowded, unhealthy conditions, refugees are particularly at high risk for tuberculosis infection.
Complications

Without treatment, TB can be deadly. If left untreated the active disease usually affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of your body through the bloodstream. Examples of tuberculosis complications include:

Spinal pain Back pain and stiffness are common complications of tuberculosis.
Damage to joints. Tuberculous arthritis usually affects the hips and knees.
The inflammation of the membranes covering the brain (meningitis). This can cause lasting or intermittent headache that occurs per week. Mental changes are also possible.
Kidney or liver problems. The liver and kidneys help filter out wastes and impurities from the blood. These functions deteriorate if the liver or kidneys are affected by tuberculosis.
Cardiac disorders On rare occasions, tuberculosis can infect the tissues around your heart, causing inflammation and collection of fluids that can interfere with the heart's ability to pump efficiently. This condition, called cardiac tamponade, can be fatal.