What is TB? is one of the most common infections in the world. About 2 billion people are infected with TB and nearly 3 million people are killed by it each year. In Canada, there are about 1,600 new cases of TB every year. The bacterium that causes TB is called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Someone can become infected and yet not have any symptoms of the active disease – this is called inactive TB. Because the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are transmitted through the air, the disease can be contagious. Infection is most likely to occur if you are exposed to someone with TB on a day-to-day basis, such as by living or working in close quarters with someone who has the active disease.
Even then, because the bacteria generally stay latent (inactive) after they invade the body, only a small number of people infected with TB will ever have the active disease. The remaining will have what’s called latent TB infection — they show no signs of infection and won’t be able to spread the disease to others, unless their disease becomes active. Because these latent infections can eventually become active, even people without symptoms should receive medical treatment.
Medication can help get rid of the inactive bacteria before they become active. For someone with a healthy immune system, there’s only a 10% lifetime chance of the TB bacteria reactivating and causing the active symptoms of TB. If the immune system has been weakened because of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or other illnesses, the risk of moving from an inactive infection to an active symptomatic disease increases to 10% per year. Community Healthcare Services Alberta Healthcare Services Offers free tuberculosis (TB) skin testing to eligible Albertans.
Testing is done at public health centres throughout the province. If you have to travel or do work-related traveling on a daily basis, the TB skin testing is done for free. If you are not eligible for free testing but still need to be tested, there will be a charge for the test. West Park is the provincially designated treatment centre for difficult-to-treat cases of tuberculosis (TB) and other mycobacterial infections. The TB Service shares a close relationship with Public Health. The TB Service provides specialized care and follow-up on an in-patient and out-patient basis.
Highly skilled health care professionals provide services such as medical assessments, testing, chest x-rays and treatment, ongoing evaluation and follow-up. In-patent service features include: ?A specialized, state-of-the-art infection control unit; A culturally sensitive approach, accommodating and serving the diverse cultural, religious and dietary practices of patients; Space for patients to visit in privacy with families and/or other visitors, an activity room, complete with audio-visual equipment and computers, as well as a secluded courtyard to enable patients to obtain the benefits of fresh air, exercise and recreation;
A transdisciplinary health care team with special expertise in dealing with patients with complex needs; ?Diagnostic testing to measure response to treatment; ?Patient and family education on TB, its causes, treatment and prevention Discharge occurs when the patient’s illness is under control, when treatment is well-established and when the patient is no longer infectious. Out-patient service features include: ?Assessment of new referrals suspected of having TB with recommendations for community and/or hospital management; Ongoing treatment and follow-up of patients with pulmonary and extra pulmonary TB;
Assessment and treatment of patients with non-tuberculosis mycobacterial infection; ?Investigation of patients who test positive for TB; ?Treatment and follow-up of latent tuberculosis infection. Conventional Healthcare Practices and Services (Treatment)/ Alternative Medicine Treatment for TB disease If you have active TB disease, your doctor will give you several antibiotics to treat the infection and to help prevent resistant bacteria from emerging in your body. You may be taking a combination of antibiotics that may include isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, or ethambutol for 6 to 12 months.
It is very important that people who have TB disease finish the medicine, taking the drugs exactly as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the TB bacteria that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs. TB that is resistant to drugs is harder and more expensive to treat. Treatment for Latent TB Infection Treatment of latent TB infection is essential for controlling and eliminating TB. Because there are less bacteria in a person with latent TB infection, treatment is much easier.
Four regimens are approved for the treatment of latent TB infection. The medications used to treat latent TB infection include isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), and rifapentine (RPT). Certain groups of people (such as people with weakened immune systems) are at very high risk of developing TB disease once infected with TB bacteria. Every effort should be made to begin appropriate treatment and to ensure completion of the entire course of treatment for latent TB infection. Home Remedies For Tuberculosis Black pepper is effective in cleansing the lungs and reducing the mucus production.
This in turn helps to relieve the chest pain caused by tuberculosis. Pepper also has anti inflammatory properties which will help to reduce the inflammation caused by infection and coughing. • Fry 8-10 black pepper in clarified butter and make a paste of it. • Add a pinch of asafetida powder to this paste • Take half teaspoon of this remedy every few hours Walnut is effective in improving the immune response of the body when you are suffering from tuberculosis. The nutrients in the walnut speed up the healing of the tissues. • Walnuts can be eaten as such to improve the immune system.
• Mix two teaspoons of crushed walnut powder with one teaspoon of garlic paste and one teaspoon of clarified butter. Eat this daily to get relief from tuberculosis. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and helps to improve the immunity of the body. The polyphenol present in the green tea fight against the bacteria causing tuberculosis. Health Promotion Target Tuberculosis is fundraiser group whose mission is to stop vulnerable people in Africa and Asia dying from TB by improving their access to information, treatment, care and support.
Target Tuberculoses team is runned by Staff, volunteers, patrons, and trustees. They work together to promote the prevention of tuberculoses and to help people who are already diagnosed with it. In general, they accept donation, live saving gifts, gift aid, legacy, etc. However most of their money is raised through the events they hold. Some very recent events they organized were ?Beachy head marathon October 2014 ?The romantic disease: at exhibition Jan-March 2014-11-19 ?Hope- Stories from Africa and Asia ?Two hands to target TB Their upcoming even is Brighton Half marathon 2015. Their financial performance for the year 2014-2015:
Total Income: ? 881,618 Total expenditure: ? 680,271 Target TB’s interventions remain highly cost-effective with an average cost of ? 10 per direct beneficiary. Strengthening Health In order to prevent TB, one must take their health into consideration. The better your health, the less chances there are for you to be affected by TB. The first step is hygiene. If you are careful with your hygiene, you will have a low risk of catching TB from someone else. If you already have TB, you should stay even cleaner so you can get fast recovery and so matters don’t get worse.
The second step is, use natural home remedies and avoid medication. The natural home remedies not only prevent TB but they consist of highly beneficial nutrients for your health in general. Stay active. Eat healthy and keep your immune system strong so if TB does come your way, it won’t affect you much and if you already have it, it’ll die off soon. Conclusion In conclusion, TB, is a bacterial infection that can spread through the lymph nodes and bloodstream to any organ in your body. It is most often found in the lungs.
Most people who are exposed to TB never develop symptoms because the bacteria can live in an inactive form in the body. But if the immune system weakens, such as in people with HIV or elderly adults, TB bacteria can become active. Therefore it is extremely important for individuals to have a strong immune system and boost it if possible. It is also important to have excellent hygiene and to stay healthy and consume proper nutrition which is beneficial for health and immune system. Therefore, making healthier choices will not only reduce your risk for TB disease, but will also make you feel better and improve your overall quality of life.