TB is an abbreviation for Tuberculosis, formerly known as consumption. It is an infectious lung disease and the world's 13th largest cause of mortality. Tuberculosis is usually treatable and preventive but can be fatal if not treated on time. Tuberculosis bacteria travel from person to person in tiny droplets sprayed into the air by coughs and sneezes. Once uncommon in wealthy nations, TB infections began to rise by around 1985, owing in part to the advent of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV impairs a person's immune system, making it incapable of fighting TB bacteria. When individuals exhibit tuberculosis symptoms, they have active tuberculosis or tuberculosis illness. TB has three stages: (a) primary infection, (b) latent tuberculosis infection, and (c) active tuberculosis sickness.
An Overview of Tuberculosis
TB can be traced back to early Egypt, more than 5,000 years ago, although the bacteria that causes TB called mycobacterium tuberculosis may have been around for as long as 3 million years. TB is also mentioned in the biblical books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus under the Hebrew term "schachepheth", and Hippocrates refers to it as "phthisis" in his writings. M. tuberculosis has the potential to kill more people than any other germ. It was an epidemic in industrialised Europe and North America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Streptomycin is considered to be the first antibiotic to effectively cure tuberculosis. It was developed in the 1940s and helped drastically reduce the number of cases of tuberculosis cases found in industrialised countries, like the United States. On 24 March 1882, Dr. Robert Koch reported the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the germ that causes tuberculosis. The disease killed one out of every seven people in the United States and Europe during this time. Dr. Koch's discovery was the most critical step in managing and eventually eliminating the disease. A century later, 24 March was designated as World Tuberculosis Day.Quick Facts About Tuberculosis
In 2020, over 10 million were infected with tuberculosis, and approximately 1.5 million died from the disease. According to WHO, the incidences of TB cases in India in 2021 is 2,590,000 million cases. Last year, with almost 534 cases per 100,000 persons, Delhi was reported to have the highest number of TB cases reported in India. Also, TB is the primary cause of death among HIV-positive patients.TB can be mistaken for lung cancer
Tuberculosis is characterised as a diagnostic chameleon because it can mimic a malignancy. TB is frequently misdiagnosed in low-incidence nations with a high prevalence of lung cancer and varied clinical presentations due to delayed treatment. Cough, expectoration, fever, haemoptysis, weight loss, and dyspnea are all indications of pulmonary TB and lung cancer. However, a thorough history and examination can clarify the presence of TB.Causes of Tuberculosis
The bacteria that cause TB is called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Some who get mycobacterium TB do not develop symptoms. The bacteria primarily affect the lungs, but depending on where the germs develop, they can attack any part of the body, including organs or the spine. Not everyone who contracts TB becomes sick. There are two types of illnesses: latent tuberculosis infection and TB illness. TB illness can be lethal if not treated appropriately. Tuberculosis can remain latent for years before becoming active.Symptoms of Tuberculosis
You may encounter additional tuberculosis symptoms due to a malfunctioning organ or system if you have tuberculosis. Coughing up blood or mucus (sputum) is a pulmonary TB symptom, but bone discomfort may suggest that the bacteria have penetrated your bones. Tuberculosis symptoms like weight loss and weakness may coexist with other conditions. Active tuberculosis patients may have any of the following symptoms: • Fits of coughing (for over two weeks) • You are having chest pains • Coughing up blood or sputum (mucus) • Weakness or exhaustion • No appetite • Chills & fever • Night-time sweatingHow you can get infected?
When a person with active tuberculosis coughs, sneezes or talks or spits, germs are released into the air, and you might get infected. Only people with lung infections are infectious. Most people who breathe in the TB bacteria are immune. In others, the germs become dormant, resulting in a latent TB infection. If a patient who has never been exposed to tuberculosis inhales the bacterium, they develop a first TB infection, also known as a primary infection. Some people have no TB symptoms at this stage, while others may have fever or pulmonary problems. The immune system instantly kicks in in most people who have breathed the germs, and you recover with no additional symptoms of the sickness. Or the bacteria may become latent or inactive in your system, remaining there but not causing illness. However, in certain circumstances, the bacteria reawaken and grow, resulting in active tuberculosis–when the individual becomes sick and infectious. It is essential that you should not overlook latent tuberculosis because the illness might become active at any time if your immune system is compromised. Experts say that around 5-10% of persons infected with latent TB will acquire active TB in the future if they are not treated in time.TB-Poverty link
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that requires long-term TB treatment and care and carries a social stigma. The frequency of TB varies according to living conditions and social and economic variables. Tuberculosis has always been more frequent among the economically disadvantaged. Studies have found a link between TB and poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment. Some causes of TB spread include poor access to health care, poor diet and living conditions. Furthermore, food scarcity, inadequate food quality, overcrowding, and homelessness contribute to TB transmission. Potential TB carriers are often travellers who have flown to densely populated countries like Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Asia, India, Russia, and China. How you can be at risk:•If a friend, coworker, or family member has active tuberculosis, you are more likely to get it. • You reside in or have gone to a TB-endemic region, such as Russia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, or the Caribbean. • You work or live with someone who has TB–this includes persons who are homeless, have HIV, are in jail or prison, and inject narcotics into their veins. • You work in a hospital or a nursing home. • You work as a doctor or nurse for patients who are at substantial risk of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis can develop complications
Tuberculosis can be lethal if not treated. The untreated active illness primarily affects the lungs, although it can also affect the following areas. • Back: Spinal discomfort is one of the effects of tuberculosis. Back pain and stiffness are frequent TB consequences. • Joints: Damage to the joints. Tuberculous arthritis (arthritis caused by TB) often affects the hips and knees. • Brain: The membranes that cover your brain swell (meningitis). This might result in a persistent or intermittent headache that lasts for weeks, as well as mental disturbances. • Other organs: Problems with the liver or kidneys. Your liver and kidneys aid in the removal of waste and pollutants from your circulation. Tuberculosis can damage the operation of these organs. • Heart: TB can infect the tissues around your heart, producing inflammation and fluid accumulations that can impair your heart's capacity to pump, although it is rare. The disease, known as cardiac tamponade, is potentially fatal.How you do not get infected?
It is essential to know that you cannot contract TB by sharing drinking or eating utensils. Also, smoking with others or sharing cigarettes, shaking hands, swapping meals, touching bed sheets or toilet seats.Diagnosis of Tuberculosis
our doctor will first take down your medical history to assess if you have been exposed. During a pulmonologist consultation, they examine your lungs and check the lymph nodes in your neck for swellings. Depending on the kind of tuberculosis suspected, several tests are carried out for a diagnosis. During a pulmonologist consultation, your doctor will inform you about the following types of TB screening tests: (1) The Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST) and, (2) The interferon-gamma release assay (blood test) (IGRA) and, (3) a comprehensive CBC test. The doctor will inject an amount of purified protein derivative (PPD) beneath the skin of your forearm for the TST. After two to three days, you must return to the healthcare practitioner to examine the injection site. The doctor will take blood for the IGRA and submit the sample to the lab. Additional tests to establish if an infection or whether the infection has affected the lungs, include:• Sputum and lung fluid testing • X-ray of the chest • CT scans (computed tomography) or MRI scan • Urine and blood test (including a comprehensive CBC test) • Biopsy, if required
