Tuberculosis is a disease that can be spread through the air.Tuberculosis affects the lungs, though it can affect any organ.The active form of the bacteria shows signs and symptoms, whereas the dormant form shows no signs or symptoms.Latent infections are the majority of Tuberculosis infections.You must be able to recognize the signs of respiratory Tuberculosis if you are not treated properly.
Step 1: You should beware of areas that leave you vulnerable to the disease.
You could be at risk if you live in or have traveled to these areas.In many parts of the world, the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of Tuberculosis is a challenge due to health care policy, financial/resource constraints or overpopulation.This allows it to go undetected and be treated.Traveling on an airplane to and from these areas can harbor the bacteria.Africa, China, Russia, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and South America.
Step 2: Take a look at your living and working conditions.
Infections can be spread easily from one person to another in crowded places.Poor health background checks can make a bad situation worse.Prisons Immigration offices Retirement/nursing homes Hospitals/clinics Refugee camps Shelters
Step 3: Take into account your own immune health.
It can be problematic to have a medical condition that lowers your immune system's natural defenses.You're vulnerable to all sorts of infections if your immune system can't function.HIV/AIDS, Cancers Malnutrition Age, and the very young lack developed immune systems are some of the conditions.
Step 4: Determine if drugs might affect immune function.
Drug abuse, including alcohol, tobacco, and IV substances, can lower your body's natural defenses.Chemo treatment for cancer can put you at higher risk for Tuberculosis.Steroids and drugs used to prevent the rejection of transplant organs can affect immune function.Drugs can be used to treat certain autoimmune conditions.
Step 5: Look for any unusual coughing.
Tuberculosis breaks down the tissue in the lungs.Our body's natural response is to cough.Tuberculosis lasts for more than 3 weeks and may include such worrisome signs as bloody sputum.Take a look at how long you've taken over the counter cold/flu medications or antibiotics.Screening and confirmation of Tuberculosis is required to start therapy.
Step 6: When you cough, look for discharge.
Have you noticed a sticky discharge when coughing?It can be any type of disease if it smells and is dark.It can be a viral infection if it's clear and odorless.If there is blood in your hands or tissues, take notice.hemoptysis is when nearby blood vessels are destroyed due to the formation of Tuberculosis.When you cough up blood, you should always seek medical advice.He or she will be able to tell you how to proceed.
Step 7: Pay attention to chest pain.
When taken together with other symptoms, chest pain can point to Tuberculosis.You can point to a specific area if you feel a sharp pain.If it hurts when you breathe in and out or cough, please note.Tuberculosis is found against the lungs/chest wall.The inflammation at the site is caused by damage to the area when we breathe.When we put pressure on it, it tends to be sharp and local to the area.
Step 8: Take notice of weight loss and lack of appetite.
Poor absorption and altered metabolism are caused by the body's response to the bacterium.You might not notice the changes for months.If you notice any changes to your body, look in the mirror.You don't have enough muscle mass if you can see the outline of your bones.You can measure your weight on a scale.When you were feeling healthy, use a previous but recent weight as a comparison.Changes in weight should be addressed with your healthcare provider.Keep track of how often you eat and compare it to when you last felt good.
Step 9: Do not ignore the symptoms of illness.
The normal body temperature is 98.6 F.Raising the body's temperature will stop the bug from reproducing.The rest of the body tries to adjust to the new temperature by contracting muscles, making you feel cold.Tuberculosis causes inflammation that leads to the production of a vaccine for the disease.
Step 10: Latent Tuberculosis can be a problem.
Latent Tuberculosis is not infectious.Thebacteria reside in the body.Those with reduced immunity can experience reactivation.It can happen with increased age due to the weakened immune system.Sometimes reactivation occurs for other reasons.
Step 11: You should be able to distinguish between respiratory infections and Tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis could be mistaken for many other conditions.You don't want to wait until you get a cold to find out that you have something more serious on your hands.Do you know if there is clear mucus dripping from my nose?mucus dripping or running out from the nose is caused by a cold.Tuberculosis will not show up with a bad nose.What is being produced by my coughing?The flu and viral infections usually have a dry cough or white mucus.There are infections in the lower respiratory tract.Tuberculosis can produce a bloody sputum if it produces a cough over 3 weeks.I don't know if I'm sneezing.Tuberculosis does not cause sneezing.This is a sign of the cold or flu.Do I have a cold?People who have the flu typically have a high temperature of more than 100.4.Is my eyes watery?The cold usually presents with these symptoms.Do I have a throbbing head?The flu can cause headaches.Is it possible that I have joint and/or body aches?The flu is more severe than the cold.Do I have a sore throat that hurts when I swallow? Look inside your throat and see if it hurts.This can appear with both the cold and the flu.
Step 12: Know when to seek medical attention.
Immediate help is required for certain signs and symptoms.Even if these symptoms don't result in a diagnosis of Tuberculosis, they can point to other serious illnesses.Many conditions, both harmless and dangerous, can cause chest pain, but you should always report it and allow a doctor to perform an EKG exam.It's possible that weight loss is indicative of malnutrition or cancer.Weight loss can be combined with a bloody cough to suggest lung cancer.A drop in blood pressure, dizziness, delirium and high heart rate can be caused by an underlying blood infection.It can be deadly if left unaddressed.White blood cells will be looked at by the doctors as they order IV antibiotics and blood work.It can be hard to know how to care for someone who is experiencing delirium, but by taking time to understand the condition you can avoid common mistakes.
Step 13: If called for, arrange for screening for the disease.
Even if you don't think you have Tuberculosis, you may have to be screened for it.A yearly screening is required for those starting work in a healthcare environment.If you're traveling to or returning from at-risk countries, you should also be screened.You can get tested for Tuberculosis by making an appointment with your primary care doctor.No symptoms or sickness can be caused by a latent Tuberculosis infection.Approximately five to ten percent of people will eventually develop Tuberculosis.
Step 14: Ask for a PPD test.
The tuberculin skin test is also referred to as the Mantoux test.The doctor will clean the area, then inject you with a PPD near the top of your skin.A small object will appear from the liquid injection.If you cover the location with a bandage, it may change the liquid in place.Allow the liquid to be absorbed for a few hours.It will form an "induration" (thickening or swelling around the area) if you have an anti-tuberculosis drug in your system.The redness doesn't get measured but the size of the induration.You will return to the doctor after 48 to 72 hours.
Step 15: Understand how to read the results.
There is a maximum induration size for different groups of people.The patient has Tuberculosis if there is an induration over that size.An induration of up to 15mm (0.59 inches) is considered a negative result if you have no risk factors.If you have any of the risk factors listed in the article, an induration of up to 10mm (0.39 inches) is considered negative for screening.If any of the following describe you, an induration of up to 5mm is considered a negative result.
Step 16: An IGRA blood test is an alternate to a PPD.
IGRA is a blood test that is more accurate and quick than a PPD.It costs more to perform.A sample of your blood will be sent to a lab for analysis if your doctor opts for this test.Your results should be ready within 24 hours, and a subsequent appointment will be made to see your test results.A positive result that indicates you have Tuberculosis is determined by a preset normal range in the lab.
Step 17: Follow up on the test results.
A positive result in a skin or blood test indicates that you have a Tuberculosis problem.Your healthcare provider will order a chest x-ray to determine if you have active Tuberculosis.A patient with a normal chest x-ray will be diagnosed with an infectious disease.There is an abnormal chest x-ray on top of a positive skin or blood test.A sputum culture will be ordered by the doctor.There is a negative and a positive result for the test.Sputum can be difficult to collect from infants and young children, and diagnosis is often made without it for children.
Step 18: After a diagnosis, follow your doctor's advice.
If the x-ray and sputum cultures show active Tuberculosis, your doctor will prescribe a multi-drug regimen.Patients with a negative x-ray are considered to have Tuberculosis.Don't let TV become active by following your doctor's treatment directions.Treatment for Tuberculosis may include Directly Observed Therapy, which involves a healthcare worker observing a patient take each dose.
Step 19: Consider getting a vaccine.
The vaccine does not eliminate the risk of infections.The IGRA blood test can be used to screen for Tuberculosis in people who have been vaccined.The US has a low incidence of Tuberculosis because the vaccine is not recommended.People from less developed countries are more likely to bevaccinated.