Tuberculosis

What is tuberculosis?

Specialists understand an infectious disease which is caused by tubercular sticks (Koch's sticks, tuberculosis mycobacteria), is followed by formation of granulomas in various bodies and development of a cellular allergy as tuberculosis. Most often at patients the pulmonary tuberculosis, joints, bones, skin and urinogenital bodies comes to light. All these forms of tuberculosis demand urgent treatment as, otherwise, the disease progresses and leads to a lethal outcome.

The early serious studies of tuberculosis were conducted in 1882 by Robert Koch. The German scientist studied tuberculosis, symptoms of a disease, property of activators. He proved the infectious nature of a disease and found out that tubercular sticks are very hardy. They remain in snow, in the earth, perfectly feel in the conditions of low and high temperatures. Partly for this reason doctors experience huge difficulties at treatment of tuberculosis and often cannot save the person from this dangerous disease completely.

Causative agent of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis mycobacteria (Koch's stick) are eurysynusic in external environment. They are very hardy, perfectly resist influence of aggressive factors and do not break up even when using modern disinfectants. The family of mycobacteria is included a set of kinds of microbes. Some of them can parasitize only in a body of the person, others – perfectly feel in an organism of birds and cattle.

How there is a transmission of infection?

From the person to the person tuberculosis is transmitted in the airborne way, that is, you can catch even without direct contact with the patient, and just being with it in one room. In certain cases infection happens through foodstuff and other objects which are infected with Koch's sticks. If causative agents of tuberculosis got to an organism with food, then tuberculosis at children and adults affects digestive tract, but not lungs as it occurs at inhalation of the infected air.

The maximum care should be observed to people who often contact to patients and possess the raised susceptibility to operation of activators. Regular prevention of tuberculosis is necessary:

• to school students, students and other persons who can be in continuous close contact with the infected people;
• to prisoners and employees of penal institutions;
• to the people abusing drugs and alcohol;
• to health workers;
• the patient with a diabetes mellitus and HIV infection;
• to people whose immune system is weakened by a serious illness or long reception of any strong drugs.

Tuberculosis forms

Today there are very many options of classification of this infection. Each of them is based on this or that characteristic feature of development of tuberculosis. In the article we will acquaint you with classification which basis the bodies and systems which are surprised Koch's stick are.

The pulmonary tuberculosis – infectious process develops directly in lungs of the person. This form is the most widespread in modern society as activators are easily transferred to healthy people in the airborne way. Let's note also that with a blood flow and a lymph of a stick can get into other bodies and systems.

Intestines tuberculosis – is characterized by disturbances in work of digestive tract. Most walls of guts and a mesentery are subject to infection. The activator gets to an organism with the infected food, for example, at the frequent use of dairy products. Symptoms of tuberculosis of guts are similar to symptoms of many other pathologies that negatively influences timely statement of the correct diagnosis and time of an initiation of treatment.

Tuberculosis of bones and joints – rather common form of an infection which affects vertebras and tubular bones of shins and hips. As a rule, at diagnosis tuberculosis of bones treatment assumes an integrated approach and careful survey of other bodies. It is connected with the fact that this form usually is a consequence of distribution of infectious process of other sites of an organism, for example, from lungs.

Tuberculosis of urinogenital system – the bladder, ureters and kidneys are influenced by destructive influence of sticks of Koch. In the absence of adequate treatment bodies are deformed that leads to numerous complications, difficulties with removal of urine and other serious pathologies.

Except the above described bodies and systems, the tubercular stick can affect a prostate gland, testicles, uterine tubes, a meninx, nerve terminations and integuments. Consider also that all forms of tuberculosis are very dangerous therefore at any suspicions on existence of an infection you have to see immediately a doctor and undergo comprehensive examination of an organism.

Tuberculosis – symptoms and a clinical picture of a disease

As the form of an infection which is the most extended today is the pulmonary tuberculosis (it is diagnosed in 60-70% of cases), we will in detail consider symptoms of tuberculosis of this version especially as they are characteristic also of other types of a disease. So, at patients the following symptoms of tuberculosis are observed:

• sharp decrease in body weight, blanching of integuments, considerable change of outward;
• weakness, excessive fatigue, decrease in working capacity;
• dry cough which is especially severe in night and morning hours. In process of development of tuberculosis cough becomes wet and is followed by a phlegm otkhozhdeniye;
• fervescence – usually temperature does not rise to critical marks and stops at the level of 37,5-38 degrees. Pay attention that at the diagnosis tuberculosis symptoms are strongly expressed in the evenings or at night. This feature allows to separate them from symptoms of other respiratory diseases which are not followed by jumps of temperature and are usually characterized by higher values of this indicator.
• pneumorrhagia – one of the main symptoms of a pulmonary tuberculosis. In most cases the pneumorrhagia follows a fit of coughing at once. Blood is emitted a little, but process is very dangerous as it can lead to development of pulmonary bleeding and the subsequent lethal outcome at any time.

Defeats of other bodies are followed by signs which are at first sight indistinguishable from symptoms of other widespread illnesses therefore within this article it is senseless to consider them. Let's tell only that at any suspicions of tuberculosis treatment has to begin as soon as possible. Its success depends on the timely made diagnosis, and it is the best argument in favor of in time to see a doctor at emergence of unpleasant feelings and pains.

Tuberculosis at children

At children's age tuberculosis develops a little differently, than at adults. It is connected with insufficiently developed immune system of the child. Tuberculosis progresses much quicker and leads to the most sad effects. In risk group there are children who badly eat, often overtire, live in insanitary conditions and suffer from a lack of vitamins. Special attention to parents should be paid on bystry fatigue, decrease in attention, temperature increase, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Treatment of tuberculosis

If tuberculosis was revealed at early stages, then will practically always respond to treatment. The course of therapy has to be continuous, and during it several antitubercular drugs are at the same time used at once. The patient daily takes 4-5 medicine within at least 6 months. Due to such approach it is possible to achieve the most effective results, different active components differently influence Koch's stick that allows to destroy extremely hardy activator. Choice drugs at tuberculosis are streptomycin, Pyrazinamidum, римфапицин, an isoniazid, Ethambutolum and others.

At treatment of tuberculosis, except specific drugs, to patients also fortifying procedures – respiratory gymnastics, an immunotherapy, physical therapy are appointed. At the diagnosis tuberculosis treatment has to be carried out only with the assistance of the experienced specialist as the wrong actions can lead to bystry progressing of a disease and irreparable effects.

Prevention of tuberculosis

Prevention of tuberculosis means both use of social factors, and carrying out specific works. The social component of effective prevention of tuberculosis includes:

• improvement of quality of life of the population;
• prevention of occupational diseases of lungs;
• improvement of an ecological situation in the large cities;
• refusal of fast food and transition to the healthy good nutrition;
• fight against drug addiction, alcoholism and smoking;
• expansion of network of sanatorium institutions.

Specific prevention of tuberculosis is based on vaccination of the population and regular fluorographic inspections. The last allow to reveal a pulmonary tuberculosis in time and to begin treatment at early stages that reduces probability of a lethal outcome. More frequent inspections are applied to the persons which are constantly contacting to sick people.