The basics of TB

TB is an ancient disease co-existed with humans for a long lonnggg time. TB causes 3 million deaths worldwide every single year. TB is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

It is said that one third of the world's population is infected with TB. This is not surprising because not everyone who is infected will show the symptoms of TB.

Once you are infected, the symptoms will not come until maybe one year, two years, three years or even ten years later. 20 years later is possible though. For an infected person who do not have the symptoms, that's called latent infection.

It is estimated that 10% of those infected will turn into an active infection. Once the symptoms showed up, it means that the bacterial infection is active. In short, the infected person is now contagious and he/she can spread TB to others.

The other lucky 90% of those infected, the bacteria remains dormant in the body. It is still a latent infection and that person is not contagious, despite being infected with TB. Scientists do not know why in some people, the bacteria could turn active, while some remain dormant forever.

So that is why, scientists estimate that one third of the world's population is infected with TB!

The common symptoms of TB are:
- persistent coughing (dry or wet cough)
- Coughing with blood
- night sweats (You will be sweating profusely as if you have just showered yourself! And your clothes will be soaked with your sweat)
- low grade fever

A research conducted by the Penang General Hospital found that 90% of TB patients only had one symptom, that is only coughing. They do not have other symptoms. Also, 50% of the TB patients are smokers.

I remember reading one important advice and I would like to share it with you.
'If you are coughing for more than two weeks, think TB unless proven otherwise'

Yes, that advice is very important because TB is one of the most fatal and dangerous infection compared to other respiratory infection and you should seek medical advice if you are coughing for more than two weeks. The faster you seek medical advice, you are helping to curb the spread of this disease. You do not want to spread it to your family members and friends!

Very often, people who cough would brush it off as some common cold or flu or some mild coughing caused by pollution. Don't fall into that trap. Usually, they will only see the doctor the moment they see blood in their phlegm. By that time, it might be too late already.

I wish I can write more about TB but I'm not sure if everyone would continue reading it, haha!

Anyway I would like to talk more about the terrifying TB treatment, perhaps in the future. The treatment for TB is unlike the treatment for H1N1.

This is from what I have read from newspapers - once you are diagnosed of having H1N1, you will be admitted into a hospital, you will get an anti-viral drug and in a few days time, you are cured and you are discharged. It looks simple, isn't it. But not for TB!

If you want to know more about TB, you may google it around. There are lots of information in the Internet.