5 minutes agoAuthor: Gaurav Tiwari
- copy link
India had set a target of eradicating TB (Tuberculosis) disease by the year 2025. The government had allocated Rs 3400 crore for this work in the financial year 2023. As of today, TB treatment is free in all government hospitals and patients also get Rs 1,000 every month for a healthy diet during treatment. However, after the recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO), the path to this goal seems difficult.
The World Health Organization has recently said in a report that more than 80 lakh TB cases have been found worldwide in the year 2023. The matter of concern is that WHO started keeping track of it from the year 1995 and since then till now this is the highest number of cases of TB recorded in any year.
These figures are a matter of great concern for India because despite the eradication campaign, 25% of the global TB cases are recorded in India alone. A total of 25 lakh 37 thousand cases of TB were registered in India in the year 2023. Whereas earlier in the year 2022, about 24 lakh 22 thousand cases were reported.
Around 12 lakh 50 thousand people are expected to die due to TB in the year 2023 across the world. Whereas in India, more than 3 lakh 20 thousand people have died due to TB in the year 2023.
so today ‘medical certificate‘I will talk about TB. You will also learn that-
- Why and how does this disease spread?
- Why is TB a fatal disease?
- What are the treatment and prevention measures for TB?
What is Tuberculosis or TB?
TB is an infectious disease. Its bacteria usually affect the lung tissues. However, sometimes it can also affect other organs like the spinal cord, brain or kidneys.
Why does TB occur?
TB is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria spread through the air and usually infect the lungs. TB is definitely an infectious disease, but it does not spread very easily. When a person spends a long time around an infected person, he or she can also be affected by this disease.
How is TB spread?
Germs released from the mouth of a person infected with TB when he coughs, sneezes, talks, sings or even laughs can infect people nearby. Only people who have active TB are contagious.
Its special thing is that if bacteria have entered the body through our breath, then most people’s body is capable of fighting these bacteria and preventing them from growing. The bacteria remain inactive in the body of these people. However, they remain alive in the body and can become active at any time later. This is called latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or latent TB. If the immune system of these people becomes weak later on, then these bacteria become active and attack.
What are the symptoms of TB?
People whose TB is not active do not show any symptoms. However, if these people are screened for TB, the disease can be detected.
People with active TB may show many symptoms. See the graphic:
These are common symptoms of TB, which usually appear when the lungs are infected. If other organs are also affected due to TB, then other symptoms may also appear due to this:
- If the kidneys are affected by TB, there may be blood in the urine and kidney functioning may get impaired.
- If TB affects the spinal cord, there may be back pain, stiffness and muscle spasms.
- If TB spreads to the brain, nausea and vomiting may occur. Confusion persists and loss of consciousness may occur.
What types of tests are done to diagnose TB?
There are two types of screening tests to detect TB. Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) and blood test. In these, skin and blood tests are done.
If a person is found positive in the screening, then the damage caused to the lungs due to TB is detected. Treatment depends on the level of lung damage and whether TB is active or not.
For this the following tests are done:
- Lab tests of sputum and lung fluid
- chest x-ray
- Computed Tomography Scan (CT-Scan)
What is the treatment for TB?
When active TB is diagnosed, a combination of medicines usually has to be taken for 6 to 9 months. If the treatment course is not completed, there is a high possibility that the TB infection may return. The biggest danger in this is that if the infection returns again, the medicines given in the previous course will become ineffective this time. Therefore, it is very important to complete the course of TB medicine.
What to do if you want to avoid TB infection?
Dr. Shivani Swami says that if you want to avoid TB infection, then keep your immunity strong and take a diet rich in nutrition. If the immune system is strong then our body deactivates the TB bacteria.
Immunity is also important because many people suffer from latent TB and when immunity is weak, TB bacteria can become active. If the immune system remains strong, these bacteria will not be able to become active.
What can you do to stop the spread of TB?
If you live around an infected person, wash your hands thoroughly frequently. Wear a mask and get yourself tested for TB from time to time.
If someone is suffering from TB then they can do the following:
- Cover your mouth with your elbow while coughing.
- Avoid very close contact with other people.
- Make sure you are taking all your medicines regularly.
- Do not go to office or school until the doctor gives permission.
- If it is necessary to go out or meet people, wear a mask.
- The most important measure to prevent TB infection is proper ventilation.
- Do not stay in a dark room and keep the windows of the room you are in open.
………………………… Also read this health related news Sehatnama – 74 crore Indians are at risk of filariasis: Know its symptoms from the doctor , how to protect
According to a report published in the Indian Journal of Public Health, about 74 crore people of India are at risk of filariasis, while 3.1 crore people are infected with it. Read the full news…
