Monika Kumar

 Tuberculosis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Tuberculosis or TB is one of the deadliest, highly contagiouslung conditionsprevailing in developing nations since a century. The infection may spread to other body parts such as stomach, brain, kidneys, bones, liver, heart, spine and uterus as the issues of these organs are destroyed by bacteria, the causal organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The pathogen spreads through air, thereby rendering the disease as severely contagious.Studies reveal that the bacterium attacks personwith weak/ compromised immune systemor life-threatening illnesses like AIDS and cancer. Tuberculosis is of two types- Latent TB- in this case the pathogen may be present in the body but the immune system is strong enough to protect the body, such individuals do not transmit the disease or they are non-contagious. However, if the immunity of such individual decreases, they may get the infection. Active TB- in this case the TB bacteria multiplies rapidly and attack different organs. The condition is contagious and patient need utmost attention since the patient transmits infection through air. Symptoms- Chest pain, cough (lasts for more than 3 weeks), weakness, tiredness, loss of appetite, phlegm, weight loss, chills, dizziness, fever and night sweats. Causes- Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads through droplets released in the air through cough, sneezing, speaking, laughing, spitting and singing.A person may get infection on prolonged exposure, those suffering from HIV or any other ailment with suppressed immune system, may combat TB. Drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis are reportedwhen antibiotics like rifampin and isoniazid fail to kill M. tuberculosis. Risk factors Any active TB patient in vicinity, either a family member, colleague or working partner, hospitals etc. can be a source of infection. HIV patients, diabetics, persons with severe kidney disease, smokers, alcoholic, cancer patient taking chemotherapy are highly vulnerable for TB infection.Moreover, conditions like poor nutrition and body weight, person on medication for organ transplant, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Diagnosis- Skin test, blood test, X-ray or CT scan, sputum examination for acid-fast bacteria. Treatment- Tuberculosis is a kind of infection where the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis develops drug-resistance much faster than any other species of pathogen. If medications like isoniazid, rifampin or rifapentine either alone or in combination are not taken appropriately, relapse occurs. Medications are recommended for nine months in latent TB patients, active TB patients are required to take isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin and pyrazinamide for 6 to 12 months, while resistant TB patients are given medication for 30 months. Complications- Damage to joints, lungs may be observed in TB patients, while damage to liver, kidney, bones, brain, spinal cord or lymph nodes may be seen in severe cases. Inflammation of myocardial tissues, meningitis of brain and spinal cord may be observed in severe conditions. Completion of drug regimen without gap or break in the dose schedule is imperative in treating tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis develops mutation at a rapid pace if the dose is missed, as a result drug resistant tuberculosis is becoming prevalent. Mutations enable pathogen to survive even in the presence of most powerful TB drugs, therefore it is recommended to give medication to TB patients under direct observation.The vaccine given to prevent TB is BCG (Bacillus Calumet-Guerin) which at times may provide false positive report and provide an impression that the person is suffering from tuberculosis, while acid-fast test is reported when the bacterial load becomes too high. Therefore, it is essential to take suitable measures such as wearing masks, keeping a distance and completing the drug regimen to prevent self and those in the vicinity to get infected. References Samaddar, S. (2020). TB (Tuberculosis) Causes, Types, Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved from- http://www.zotezo.com/connect/tuberculosis-causes-types-symptoms-prevention-and-treatment/