The doctor mentioned the symptoms of tuberculosis and ways of prevention
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs, but it can also affect other organs. Anastasia Agayeva, a general practitioner at Sberbank Health, told about how to recognize the symptoms, what prevention is and how to reduce the risk of infection on March 24, World Tuberculosis Day.
According to the expert, tuberculosis most often affects the lungs, but it can also develop in other organs, such as the kidneys or brain. The disease is transmitted by airborne droplets - by coughing, sneezing, or close contact with an infected person.
"Contact with a TB patient does not always lead to infection, as the human immune system is able to resist this infection. However, even when infected, the disease most often does not develop: bacteria persist in the body for life in small quantities, but the immune system controls their spread," the doctor said.
The specialist identified latent and active forms of tuberculosis. In the latent form, bacteria are present in the body, but the person does not experience symptoms and does not pose a danger to others. However, with a weakening of the immune system, for example, after a disease, a latent infection may enter an active stage.
The active form of tuberculosis is contagious and is accompanied by severe symptoms. Among the most common signs are prolonged coughing, sometimes with blood, chest pain, fever, night sweats, weakness, and unexplained weight loss.
"If such symptoms occur, you should consult a therapist or pediatrician as soon as possible, depending on your age, in order to diagnose and start treatment on time. This can be done not only in person, but also online, using telemedicine services," the therapist said.
For diagnosis, Mantoux skin tests and Diaskintest are used, as well as blood tests — IGRA and T-SPOT. According to the doctor, Mantoux can give false positive or false negative results, so Diaskintest is considered more informative. The IGRA blood test is highly accurate and has no contraindications, and the T-SPOT test is considered the most reliable diagnostic method, which practically eliminates erroneous results.
"It is worth noting that a positive skin test or blood tests only indicate infection. The active form, for example, of pulmonary tuberculosis, can only be detected by chest X-rays or sputum analysis. Currently, doctors, teachers and catering staff are recommended to undergo fluorography every year," Agayeva said.
According to Agayeva, BCG-M vaccination remains one of the main methods of prevention. The first vaccination is given to children on the second or fifth day of life, and revaccination is carried out at the age of 7 in case of a negative Mantoux reaction. In regions with a high incidence rate, repeated vaccination can be carried out at the age of 14.
"To reduce the risk of contracting tuberculosis, it is important to strengthen your immune system. It is necessary to exercise regularly, adhere to a balanced diet, and treat chronic diseases such as bronchitis and diabetes in a timely manner. In addition, you should follow the work and rest regime, stop smoking and drinking alcohol, and if there are indications, get vaccinated," Agayeva concluded.
Trichologist, dermatovenerologist at the Doctor of Hair Trichology clinic Kira Kirnas said on January 20 that hair falls out and grows back throughout a person's life and this process depends on many factors, including the state of health. The expert noted that most often hair begins to fall out with blood cancer, HIV, tuberculosis.
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