Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious illness that mainly affects the lungs. The germs that cause tuberculosis are a type of bacteria and are airborne diseases.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s family, relationship, and lifestyle show dubbed ‘NYANSAPO FIE’, hosted by Nana Asabea Asare on the topic “TUBERCULOSIS” Bryan Atiku a lab technician from Tema Polyclinic has explained that, Tuberculosis can spread when a person with the illness coughs, sneeze, or sings. This can put tiny droplets with them into the air. Another person can then breathe in the droplets, and the germs enter the lungs and the public needs to get tested to know their status and seek early treatment.
The signs and symptoms of tuberculosis include Chills, Night sweats, Weight loss, Not wanting to eat, back pain, uneasiness in the lungs, tiredness and Not feeling well in general.
He explained that there are several stages and forms of the disease which include, Primary TB. This is the first stage of tuberculosis infection. Your immune system may be able to fight off the germs. But sometimes it doesn’t destroy all of them, and they keep multiplying. You may not have any TB symptoms at this stage, or you might have a few flu-like symptoms.
Latent TB. You have germs in your body, but your immune system keeps them from spreading. You don’t have any symptoms, and you’re not contagious. But the infection is still alive and can one day become active. If you’re at high risk for reactivation, this usually happens if you have HIV, you have an infection, or your immune system is weakened Active TB.TB is when the germs multiply and make you sick. You can spread the disease to others. Some 90% of active cases in adults come from a latent TB infection.
He said, with refusal to treat TB at the early stages could lead to a resistant TB which could enter the bonemarrow making the treatment very difficult and sometimes could lead to death.
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