by Jon Wagner

Created on: November 04, 2009   Last Updated: November 05, 2009

Tuberculosis is a disease that commonly affects the lungs, though it can affect any part of the body. Tuberculosis or TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Having a Tuberculosis infection does not mean you have the disease Tuberculosis. Actually only about 10% of all people who have a TB infection ever contract the disease.

The common symptoms of Tuberculosis are coughing for more than 3 weeks, fever, night sweats, fatigue, chest pain, unusual chest x-ray, unexplained weight loss, and loss of appetite and at times even coughing up blood.

To prevent Tuberculosis there is a very inexpensive medication called isoniazid, also called INH, that can be prescribed by a doctor. INH also helps lower the chance of spreading Tuberculosis to the rest of the population. There is also a vaccine for Tuberculosis called Bacille Calmette-Gurin, or BCG for short. This vaccine however has its draw backs, it has been known to give a false positive when testing the skin for TB. Also it is nowhere near as effective for adults as it is for children, so if you have children make sure they get their vaccine at a younger age so they do not encounter this problem in the future.

Another thing that can help prevent getting TB is keeping you immune system healthy. This is effective for the prevention of almost any disease. If you have TB to prevent it from spreading it to other people there are four major things you can do. The most important will always be to take your medication. Second, stay home. If you have TB do not go to work, do not go to school, and try to minimize your contact with other people as much as you can. You should do this for at least the first week after being diagnosed. Third if you live in a house with other people, open windows whenever possible. This will allow fresh air into the house and lessen the chance of transmitting it to someone else. And forth make sure to cover your mouth when you sneeze and cough. You are still contagious anywhere from two to three weeks after your treatment starts so covering your mouth is vital.

Also do not kiss or share drinking glasses or anything else with anyone. This is an easy way to prevent transmission of this disease because the bacteria must be inhaled, absorbed through the mouth, for the infection to take hold.

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