User talk:TBKristeen

Tuberculosis By: Kristeen Pierce 11-15-04 Anatomy

While most people believe that Tuberculosis is a disease of the past, a large number of people know that Tuberculosis is very alive in our society today. To be specific, over 25,000 people in the United States get TB disease every year. TB is most common in the lungs but it can affect virtually any section of the body. There are two types of Tuberculosis; active and inactive. Active tuberculosis is usually contagious and can be spread very easily. Inactive TB is when the germs enter the body and are controlled by the body’s natural defenses. A protective layer surrounds the live germs much in the same way that a scab forms over a cut and these germs can survive inside this layer for many years. However, inactive TB is not contagious and the person does not become ill so most people do not even know that they have contracted the disease. It is possible for people who have inactive Tuberculosis to become active when the immune system’s defenses are weakened by disease or sickness. Symptoms of tuberculosis are fevers, weight loss, night sweats, constant tiredness, a prolonged cough, or loss of appetite. The most common way to be tested for tuberculosis is with the tuberculin Mantoux PPD skin test. A protein derivative is injected under the surface of the skin and the presence of tuberculosis is determined by the size of the bump that forms in the area in 48 to 72 hours. If the induration (bump) is wider than 10mm it is a positive test. The next step is to get a chest x-ray to determine the amount of damage in the lungs. Another way to test is in the sputum, or the thick liquid that is coughed up from the lungs. TB is spread through the coughing, sneezing, or speaking of someone who has active Tuberculosis in their lungs or throat and sends these germs into the air. Others can contract the disease through the process of inhaling these airborne germs. It is only likely to contract TB through airborne germs when a person is in close day-to-day contact with the infected person. Nearly one third of the world population is infected with Tuberculosis and 2 million people die each year from the disease. Efforts are being made to stop this disease both through prevention and medical studies in the area.

Bibliography: www.cdc.gov www.osha.gov www.gocolumbiamo.com