Importance Of Treatment For Tuberculosis (TB)

For personal health and the sake of others

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While TB mainly affects the lungs, it can also spread to other organs. Anyone can contract TB. It’s spread from person to person when someone with an active infection coughs or sneezes. Bacteria is contained in the particles that spread into the surrounding air, where it can be inhaled by another person. TB is not spread by touch or sharing food or drink.

Medically Speaking

Latent TB: The person has the TB bacteria in their body, but they are not sick. They are diagnosed with TB after a TB skin or blood test. They cannot pass TB on to others. They do require treatment to prevent the latent infection becoming an active one, known as preventative therapy. If the person’s immune system cannot stop the bacteria from multiplying, the infection will become active.

Active TB: This is the transition from infection to disease. The person has symptoms of TB, like a cough, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, fever, chills and chest pain. The disease is in their lungs and the bacteria are multiplying. The patient requires treatment, without it, TB can be fatal.

Importance of Treatment

Treatment for TB is through a course of antibiotics (a combination of drugs), taken for six to nine months to clear the infection. The healthcare provider will determine the best course of treatment, based on the patient’s health and age.

Getting treatment for TB is essential, but those diagnosed with the disease don’t always understand the implications of not taking their medication or stopping before they complete the prescribed course. TB is curable if all medications are taken exactly as prescribed by the healthcare provider. The patient needs to complete the full course of treatment.

For the Patient: Treating the Disease

Patients must understand that not taking the treatment as directed by their healthcare professional (missing doses or stopping too early) can result in the bacteria building a resistance to the drugs, causing drug-resistant TB. This is much more difficult to treat. Patients need to take their medication at the same time every day.

Patients are advised to let their healthcare providers know about any side-effects they may experience with the medication. It’s also important to keep up with any appointments the healthcare provider requests, such as urine, blood and sputum (saliva) tests will be done to monitor the treatment and check if it is working. TB patients must be cautioned to avoid alcohol while on TB treatment, as it can increase side-effects and may have an adverse effect on the liver.

For Others: TB Prevention

A person with an active TB infection can pass it on to those he or she comes into close contact with, like family, friends or work colleagues. Once treatment commences, the patient is still contagious for two to three weeks. If they take their medication as prescribed and follow the guidelines given below, they will reduce the risk of spreading TB to others.

Guidelines for the contagious period. The patient must…

• Take all medications exactly as prescribed by the healthcare provider.
• Stay home from work or school until the healthcare provider lets them know they are no longer contagious. They should not visit public places like shopping centres or places of worship during this period.
• Use a tissue when they cough or sneeze. Place the used tissues into a plastic bag, seal it and dispose of it.
• Wash their hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Practice good hygiene.
• Sleep alone – loved ones should use a different room during this period.
• Keep windows open to improve ventilation and let in fresh air so bacteria is cleared from the room.

How Tshela Can Help

Tshela Healthcare offers programmes that evaluate, screen, co-ordinate, provide support, educate and administer certain interventions. Communicable diseases like tuberculosis require regular monitoring, interventions and critical and specialised support for an extensive period. Without this, many managed conditions may become life-threatening.

Through chronic disease management programmes, we assist in improving quality of life, health outcomes and compliance with treatment regimens. These programmes will enable patients to make the appropriate lifestyle changes so they can live an improved lifestyle and manage their condition better.

To get involved with preventative healthcare programmes or for bespoke solutions for your company, contact us on 053 712 0016 or click on Contact Us.

For more information, download our Tuberculosis TB Awareness poster & infographic here.

Resources: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/; https://familydoctor.org/; https://www.webmd.com/; https://www.thetruthabouttb.org/; https://www.cdc.gov/; https://www.who.int/; https://www.lung.org/