Tuberculosis

Infectious disease of the lungs caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis has caused

the death of many people around the world. The world Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that in 1990 approximately 1.7 billion people, or one third of the world’s
population, was infected with Tuberculosis, and that 8 to 10 million deaths annually
worldwide’’(p.50).This shows how dangerous this disease can be and how it's
transmitted can attributes to the rapid contagious between humans. Badash and
Horn (2018) explains how this disease is transmitted through small droplets of
saliva expelled by the mouth or nose of an infected person. People who are in risk
of contracting this disease are the ones who have a low level of immune system, or
who have poor health. During the latent stages the carrier cannot spread the
diseases, but in the active stages the disease can become very contagious.
Treatment and therapy are available for those people who are infected for the
disease such as vaccination (p.2). Some of the important points to explain about
tuberculosis are how it is transmitted, the symptoms it causes, and prevention and
control of this disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) is bacteria in the form of small wands or bacilli of gram negative
which is transmitted by the air in form of small drops of saliva from an infected
person. Since it is aerobic it can easily be inhaled and deposited in the lungs, which
make people more vulnerable to disease. When this occurs, infection develops, and
the body tries to limit its progression to disease. 84).
During this process, the infection can become dormant or active, Latent TB is when
the body system fights to destroy or control the mycobacterium while tuberculosis
active is the opposite. People who are in most risk of getting infected are the ones
who work in the health care facilities as hospitals or private clinics because they are
more in touch with the infected. He also stated that older people who live in
assisted living places are more exposed to get tuberculosis because of their weak
immune system and the proximity to someone infected. In fact as people age, the
body’s defenses get weaker facilitating dormant bacteria that is in the organism
becoming tuberculosis TB. The individuals who are also exposed to contracting and
transmitting tuberculosis are the ones infected with AIDS, living in poverty, and
drug and alcohol abusers are the most in risk (p.3398 ).During pregnancy, the
mother is also able to infect the fetus via the fluids of the placenta. It is important
to be able to recognize the symptoms of the tuberculosis on time in order to
prevent the spread of the disease. Fallon (2013) describes tuberculosis as having
many symptoms similar to those of the flu or the smokers, which is why some
people get confused thinking that they don’t have any serious problems which
causes them to not seek medical help. The beginning of the disease starts with a
mild cough which is accompanied by sputum. While the symptoms worsen the
person loses a lot of weight and physically deteriorates (p.3399).
One way to prevent the progression of the disease is to get a treatment that helps
control the disease. It is important to get treatment to make sure there is no
infection and risk of spreading the disease. According to Badash, (2018) One of the
first tests for detecting the disease is the skin test ,which consists in the injection of
a small amount of tuberculin into the skin of the forearm. After waiting for 48 to 72
hours an inflammation greater than 10 mm in diameter is positive which means
that the person has been exposed to the disease but hasn’t presented any of the
symptoms. Blood test is also recommended for people who have been vaccinated
previously or had positive test results with the skin test. An x-ray is another exam
recommended by doctors for people who have symptoms of tuberculosis to verify if
any bacteria are present.
Fallon (2013) also explained another diagnosis used for the detection of TB:
Body fluids other than sputum can be used for culture. These medications can be
used for people with a positive skin test to prevent the disease from becoming
active. These medications must be taken as indicated so the symptoms can
decrease ,otherwise the disease may become difficult to control. People who are
also infected with TB must remain separated from their relatives during treatment
in order to avoid infecting others. The treatment can last from six months to 24
months depending on the reaction of the patient with the medication.
An infected person has to be informed on what kind of disease they have especially
when it comes to a disease like tuberculosis. Infectious disease that can not only be
able to destroy the human body but it can also affect people who are around. This
disease is airborne particles dispersed in the air that can be inhaled through the
nose or mouth by a person who is next to an infected person. Sometimes it doesn’t
show any symptoms, so it is hard for people to distinguish between tuberculosis or
a simple cold. That is the reason why it is very important to know the symptoms of
tuberculosis , because you never know who is standing next to you. Knowing what
treatment or therapy is also important to deal with this disease because it can help
you prevent and stop the contagious effects of these diseases. People who work or
live in places surrounded with infected people, such as tuberculosis have to be
aware about the consequences that this disease brings.

● Badash, M. M. S., & Horn, D. L.M. D.F. (2018). Tuberculosis (TB). ​Salem Press
Encyclopedia of Health​. Retrieved from
● Fallon, L. F. (2013). Tuberculosis. In B. Narins (Ed.), ​The Gale Encyclopedia of
Nursing and Allied Health​ (3rd ed., Vol. 6, pp. 3398-3403). Detroit, MI: Gale.
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● Farzan, S. & Farzan, D ( 1931 ). ​A concise handbook of respiratory diseases​.
Stamford, Connecticut: Appleton & Lange.
● Hsu, I. (1995, September). Tuberculosis: diagnosis, treatment and patient
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