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Shot from a senior woman who suffers from chest pain while sitting on the couch at home.
Although it is often considered a disease of the past, tuberculosis is still found on a large scale around the world, killing around 1.25 million people every year.
The US usually see thousands of tuberculosis diseases every year. Kansas is currently in the middle of a large outbreak that has infected hundreds of people and unfortunately killed two.
So what causes tuberculosis and how can you prevent the spread?
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is usually caused by infection with a bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mainly influences the lungs, but can also harm the kidneys, brain and spine, according to the Centers for disease control and prevention.
The situation comes in two forms: latent and active. In latent TB cases, the germs hang in the body, but do not cause any symptoms or spread to others. In active cases, people develop symptoms and can pass on the disease.
Without treatment, a latent tuberculosis infection can still become active if the immune system of a person fails to keep the levels of the bacteria low. This is done with about 10% of people with latent tuberculosis in the US
In total, the CDC estimates that around 13 million people have latent tuberculosis nationwide. Treating inactive tuberculosis is important to prevent the risk of developing symptoms and to reduce the chance of transferring the disease to others.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
Active tuberculosis causes symptoms, including a prolonged cough, weakness, tiredness, chest pain, coughing up blood, fever, cold shivers, nocturnal sweating and a lack of appetite. People with the disease can also notice that they lose weight.
If the other parts of the body influence the lungs, other symptoms may appear, According to the CDC. Tuberculosis can lead to red or purple swelling under the skin when the lymph nodes are infected, headache or confusion if the brain is infected or blood in urging people with infected kidneys.
Tuberculosis can also lead to vocal hoarseness if it infects the larynx or back pain when it affects the spine.
How is tuberculosis treated?
Doctors usually give people with tuberculosis medicine for a few months, whether it is active or late tent. Many people take a combination of medicines, including antibiotics, between three and nine months. They can experience side effects such as skin rash and stomach complaints. Occasionally the drugs can cause more serious side effects, such as liver damage.
Some cases of tuberculosis are drug resistant, making them more difficult to treat. Patients with drug -resistant tuberculosis can take stronger drugs in an attempt to kill the disease. This type of medicine regime can be complicated and cause various side effects. Patients with drug -resistant tuberculosis can use medication for years.
Although there is a vaccine against tuberculosis, this is usually not given in the US, where the speed of the disease is relatively low.
How does tuberculosis spread?
Tuberculosis spreads through germs that are released when a person with tuberculosis in their lungs coughs, speaks or sings. These bacteria can stay in the air for a longer period of time and are more likely to spread to other people indoors and in poorly ventilated spaces.
People who breathe these germs can become infected, with those who spend more time in the vicinity of someone with tuberculosis with a greater risk. For this reason, the disease often spreads between people who live together, such as family members, or who see each other at work or social activities every day.
Only people with active tuberculosis can pass on the disease.
Tuberculosis bacteria are not spread by other common infection routes, such as shaking hands, kissing or touching sheets.
Who is vulnerable to tuberculosis?
Some people develop active disease rather when they catch tuberculosis. This includes people with health problems that weaken the immune system, such as HIV infection, diabetes and severe kidney disease.
Some people are often catching tuberculosis in the first place, including those who often travel to countries where the disease is more common, and those who live or work in places such as healthcare institutions, prisons or homeless shelters.