Tuberculosis is curable. Yet thousands die needlessly from this disease every year. Both for prevention and cure, it is very important to treat tuberculosis early. Be on the lookout for the
signs of tuberculosis. A person may have some or all of them.
Most frequent signs of TB:
• A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks, often worse just after waking up.
• Slight fever in the evening and sweating at night.
• There may be pain in the chest or upper back.
• Chronic loss of weight and increasing weakness.
In serious or advanced cases:
• Coughing up blood (usually a little, but in some cases a lot).
• Pale, waxy skin. The skin of a dark skinned person tends to get lighter, especially the face.
• Voice grows hoarse (very serious).
In young children: The cough may come late. Instead, look for:
• Steady weight loss.
• Frequent fever.
• Lighter skin color.
• Swellings in the neck (lymph nodes), or the belly (p. 20).
Tuberculosis is usually only in the lungs. But it can affect any part of the body. In young children it may cause meningitis
If you think you might have tuberculosis: Seek medical help. At the first sign oftuberculosis, go to a health center where the workers can examine you, and test the stuff you cough up (phlegm or sputum) to see if you have TB or not. Many governments give TB medicines free. Ask at the nearest health center. You will probably be given some of the following medicines:
♦ Isoniazid (INH) pills
♦ Rifampin pills
♦ Pyrazinamide pills
It is very important to take the medicines as directed. Treatments may be different in different countries, but usually the treatment has 2 parts. You will take 3 or 4 medicinesfor 2 months and then test your sputum. If you are getting better, you will take 2 medicines for another 4 to 6 months. Then you will be tested again to make sure you are cured. Do not stop taking the medicines even if you feel better. This can lead to the illness coming back and infecting you and other people, with a form of TB that is much harder to cure, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. To cure TB
completely can take from 6 months to more than a year.
Eat as well as possible: plenty of energy foods and also foods rich in proteins and vitamins. Rest is important. If possible, stop working and take it easy until you begin to get better. From then on, try not to work so hard that you become tired or breathe with difficulty. Try to always get enough rest and sleep.
Tuberculosis in any other part of the body is treated the same as TB of the lungs. This includes TB in the glands of the neck, TB of the abdomen , TB of the skin and TB of a joint (like the knee). A child with severe TB of the backbone may also need surgery to prevent paralysis
Tuberculosis is very contagious. Persons (especially children) who live with someone who has TB, run a great risk of catching the disease.
If someone in the house has TB:
♦ If possible, see that the whole family is tested for TB (Tuberculin test).
♦ Have the children vaccinated against TB with B.C.G. vaccine.
♦ Everyone, especially the children, should eat plenty of nutritious food.
♦ The person with TB should eat and sleep separately from the children, if possible in a different room, as long as he has any cough at all.
♦ Also, ask him to cover his mouth when coughing and not spit on the floor.
♦ Watch for weight loss and other signs of TB in members of the family. If possible, weigh each person, especially the children, once a month, until the danger is past.
TB in family members often starts very slowly and quietly. If anyone in the family
shows signs of TB, have tests done and begin treatment at once.
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