Every year, on March 24th, we take a day to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. The purpose of World TB Day is to, step by step, raise more public awareness about the many consequences of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis not only affects the health of an individual but also damages its social relations and severely affects its financial position.
One of the purposes of World TB Day is to end the tuberculosis epidemic around the world.
Facts About World TB Day
The date that was chosen for this commemoration marks that day in which Dr. Robert Koch, in 1882, made a crucial discovery that would eventually lead to the ways in which it’s diagnosed and cure this disease.
Nowadays, tuberculosis is still one of the world’s deadliest killers. At least four thousand people die each day due to tuberculosis and around 28,000 people fall ill. Although TB can be prevented and cured, it still affects many people every single day. Worldwide efforts to end tuberculosis have saved at least 63 million lives since the beginning of the last millennium.
This Year’s Commemoration
The theme of World TB Day for 2021, during the pandemic, is “The Clock Is Ticking.” This theme carries the message that we will eventually run out of time. We need to act quickly on the commitments in order to finally end tuberculosis.
What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis, generally abbreviated as TB, is caused by a bacterium which is known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Dr. Robert Koch was the first one who discovered this bacterium, as stated earlier.
This bacterium generally attacks the lungs. Regardless, TB bacteria is able to attack any part of one’s body. There are several cases of TB bacteria attacking organs such as the brain, kidney and spine.
There are on the other hand, two conditions related to TB that must be kept in mind:
- Latent TB infection: There are some people infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis who do not become sick. These people have latent tuberculosis.
- TB disease: These are the people who are infected with mycobacterium tuberculosis and become sick. If this disease is not treated in a proper way, then it can be devastating.
Main Symptoms of TB Disease
Generally, bad coughs lasting more than three weeks, pain located in the chest and coughing either blood or phlegm from within the lungs are the most common symptoms associated with tuberculosis. Yet, it can have other symptoms such as fatigue and chills.
How is Tuberculosis Treated?
Depending on whether it is latent TB or TB disease, there are different ways in which it can be treated:
- Latent TB is treated through preventive therapy, in which germs that can generate problems if the disease becomes active are killed. A daily pill of INH for approximately seven months is the most used preventive therapy.
- TB disease can be treated with several antibacterial medications for half a year or a full year. Isoniazid INH is the most used medical treatment for TB disease, alongside three other treatments: ethambutol, rifampin, and pyrazinamide.
How Can You Know if You Have Tuberculosis?
There are several imaging techniques that you can use to assess whether you have TB. Your doctor will probably ask for an X-ray in case he/she thinks you are suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis. There are other cases where a CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine techniques may be useful as well. Thankfully, we offer all those diagnostic imaging services and can help you with your diagnosis.
Our cutting-edge imaging technology and our excellent patient care will help you get exactly what you need. We offer CT scans, MRIs, nuclear medicine techniques and digital X-rays as well. If you are interested, you can contact us at 305.596.9992.