Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms



by Manoj Patel

 Tuberculosis (TB) is a very common infection in India that is also very contagious. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, air particles containing the TB bacteria can easily spread and each infected person can further infect up to another 10 people each year. According to WHO, India accounts for about 20% of the global TB cases. Each year, about 2 million people in India develop TB, and over 300,000 die because of it.

Find out more about the TB bacteria and how it spreads here.

Who is at risk of contracting TB?

Anyone can contract TB, especially if they are in a closed space with the affected person. The unaffected person inhales droplets with bacteria and these bacteria reach the lungs. Here, the immune system puts up a fight against the bacteria. If successful, the bacteria will remain in the lungs but in a "latent" form. If the immune system is unsuccessful in containing the bacteria, then an active case of TB can develop. Once the bacteria invade the body and overwhelm the immune response of the body, they can also find their way to various organs through the blood stream.

Signs and Symptoms of TB

People with a latent TB infection don't have any symptoms, don't feel sick and cannot infect others. They do, however, test positive to the Mantoux Skin Test. Treating latent TB is important since it can get activated, especially if the immune system is weakened for any reason, including nutritional deficiencies or infection with HIV.

In the case of an active infection, signs and symptoms vary according to the organ that is affected.

In case the lungs are affected, the symptoms are:
- A cough persisting for 2 to 3 weeks and beyond, which is usually worse in the mornings
- Chest pain
- Blood in the sputum (the mucus and saliva produced when coughing or clearing throat)
- Breathlessness

Back pain may be caused by tuberculosis of the spine, and blood in the urine may be caused by tuberculosis in your kidneys.

TB in the brain can cause headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, vomiting, an altered mental state, seizures and other signs and symptoms related to the nerves.

In general, a person with active TB in any organ may have these signs and symptoms:

- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Chills
- Fever
- Sweating in the night time while sleeping, even if the weather is cold

If TB is suspected, what should you do?

If you or someone you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, or has reason to think they have been exposed to TB then they should seek consultation from a healthcare worker and the public health authorities. These healthcare workers will perform one of two tests: a test on the skin and one of the sputum (mucus produced when coughing). Those who have had the BCG vaccine against TB, which is mandatory at birth in India, may have a "positive" skin test despite not being infected with TB.

The skin test will need to be re-examined two days after it is given. If a sputum sample is provided, the results may take longer as they need to be sent for laboratory work.



Manoj Patel is a contributor of mDhil.com, a Healthcare Information website which provides better Healthcare Information for everyone.  Check out more helpful tips on Men's Health, Women’s Health, and Much more over at http://www.mdhil.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Tuberculosis-Signs-and-Symptoms/270179

Comments

Luxury Travel Blog for the Resident

We try to share with you this blog, tips, information knowledge, and experiences related to global tuirism. We have also frequently linked to some unbeatable price comparison services within the tourist industry where you can easily compare and book your next trip and accommodation.

As everyone understands, it costs to maintain web pages and blogs on the internet with up-to-date information that is regularly updated. Therefore, please feel free to support our business if you can. We gladly link to interesting articles and stories if you want to contribute with this.

For national, regional and local tourist agencies, travel companies, airlines etc. This way, through a number of channels, we can offer effective marketing opportunities. For example, we have our own adserver and adnetwork for Pay-Per Click advertising

We also offer the opportunity to advertise on this first page of our blog, if you want to be visible here with your tourist information then we can recommend that you hear from us so that we can set up a featured campaign for your advertising.

Featured ad here costs $ 300:-/year and we guarantee 50,000 unique visitors to your ad.



Featured Online Travel Booking Services - All inclusive travel planning

If you are really tight on the budget, booking an all-inclusive holiday package can save you a big chunk of money. Because these all-inclusive package holiday companies have close ties with hotels & popular tourist spots in the country, they can get a better rate than you can! Hence, normally, the discounts & savings will be passed on to you - the all-inclusive holiday customers, tourists & visitors!

Ever tried to cram all your travel plans into one small budget & short schedule? If you have, you will know the true meaning of a frugal & haphazard holiday. Some people think that all-inclusive holiday packages leave very little space for them to have fun & there is no flexibility. But they're wrong.
You can save money with an all-inclusive holiday package


All-inclusive vacations are hassle-free

Planning a holiday can give you headaches! When you book an all-inclusive holiday package, you are actually giving yourself the chance to enjoy the holiday without having to worry about the nitty-gritty details. Your accommodation, food, entertainment & travelling are all taken care of. The only thing that you & your relatives members have to worry about is how much fun you are going to have during the holiday. Some tourists & vacationers like to get an all-inclusive holiday package because there is lack of time. Some people have to contend with last minute plans. The all-inclusive holiday packages can be real life savers in this instance. Even honeymooners love all-inclusive packages because they don't require to have to worry about meals, entertainment, activities, transportation & accommodation when they should be focused on each other!

Mealtime fun with all-inclusive holiday packages

One of the most worrisome things for tourists is WHERE to eat. Because they're not familiar with the country & the booklets that they can get from airports are not very accurate (most of the time), meal times are worrying. When we are visiting another country, they require to try another delicacy, something old..and cheap. Who better to tell you where to find it than an all-inclusive holiday planner? they have all the ropes, hang on to them & enjoy the meal!

You can read all you require from the web or from books on the different cultures & religions in the country that you are visiting.and yet, whenever you are on an all-inclusive holiday package, the tourist guide will STILL tell you things that surprises you! & this is an important point because you don't really require to step on someone's toes when you are in THEIR country.

All-inclusive packages - tells you the cultural differences between races & religions

Besides all of that, with all-inclusive holiday packages, you don't have to worry about where to have fun because they plan everything for you. All-inclusive holiday packages are definitely worth it!



Cheap Airline Tickets: Great Ways To Save

A round-the-world trip remains the world's greatest journey. For two out of every three people, this is the ultimate travel experience, according to recent research. Needless to say, in a world obsessed by travel, travelers and travel agents are both looking for the cheapest tickets and airfares available.

Cheap airline tickets, in most cases, can be obtained from wholesale dealers and discounters.


If your requirements are simple - you want a round-trip ticket from one place to another, you have a particular airline on your mind and you have definite dates; then you can go directly to the source - to the ticket discount agency which buys cheap tickets in bulk from wholesalers and consolidators.

In real life most trips require more planning, and most people need a help from the agent to figure out what would be the best air ticket solution for their particular case. Cheap airfares to a particular region can often be found with local airlines that specialize in that country. Sometimes an agency that operates and retails tours to a particular country will have a discount agreement with the national carrier and will sell discount tickets on that airline.

With a bit of research through travel magazines aimed at the particular country of your choice, you can often find agencies dealing with national carriers for that country. For the cheapest possible airfare to many places the most affordable prices are often found in local travel agencies that deal with a particular destination selling round-trip discount airline flights - most likely to the capital of that country and a few main cities.

Sometimes you can find a really cheap air ticket with a discount retail agency that specializes in trips to a wider range of destinations or to multiple destinations. Through the sheer number of tickets that they sell they can command a reasonable discount. However, keep in mind that most advertised prices do not include taxes, luggage fee and airport tax, so the cheap airfare may end up being not so cheap. Best to read the small print to clarify exactly what you are getting before you purchase a ticket.

Another trick of the trade is for agencies to grab attention by indicating the lowest possible prices, which only apply on specific dates in low season. You’ll find that all agencies do this, even the most expensive ones so, don’t be surprised if you get a quote at double the price from what was displayed in the ad.

Airlines usually publish their scheduled flights and prices six months in advance. If you have decided on a destination it can be a good opportunity to get an ‘early bird’ discount by booking well in advance. Keep your eye on the travel press and also airline web-sites. There are often special discounts and incentives aimed at travelers who book online, as carrying out a booking online is cheaper for the company than through an intermediary who will take a commission.

However, although you can expect to get the cheapest air ticket if you start searching many months ahead, there are some exceptions. At times like Christmas or other periods of high demand the prices are usually inflated and planes fill up many months in advance. If you can be flexible and travel on actual holiday days such as Christmas day or New Years Eve you can find some pretty attractive discounts.


Pick A Hotel With Personality!

What does individuality mean in the hotel industry? As far as boutiques are concerned, it’s not just about being a little bit quirky; hanging modern art on the walls, sticking some designer chairs in the rooms or making all the fittings stainless steel. It’s about a design theme that runs through the hotel from start to finish and affects everything from the cushions on the sofas to the dessert menu in the restaurant.

Location

Where does the inspiration for this individuality and personality come from? For some hoteliers, it comes from the location. It’s unsurprising that boutique beach hotels are clean and simple, bringing the colours and textures of the coast into the building and using architectural design to allow guests to feel at one with the sea; large windows, folding doors and seawater pools for example. In contrast, small hotels that are based in cities often reflect either the present-day energy or the historic past of their location. Through the use of rich colours or minimal materials, antique furniture, period art and a variety of textiles, designers can create a hotel that truly reflects its location.

Culture

Many hotels show influences from different cultures – and not always from the culture that’s readily associated with the hotel’s location. Therefore, New England simplicity or Asian colours and textures can show up in hotels in London or Sydney and work well, as long as the concept is properly thought through and sensitively carried out. Extending a cultural theme to rooms and cuisine often requires a lot of research, particularly when it comes to sourcing the right furniture and accessories, but if the end result is a truly individual hotel, then the preparation is worthwhile.

Community

A true boutique hotel becomes an intrinsic part of the local community, and this is part of its individuality. Chain hotels are just places to stay; boutique hotels are places to be – whether it is locals using the restaurant or trendy city workers drinking in the bar; using the produce from the farm down the road or sharing spa facilities with a local retreat, boutique hotels make a real effort to integrate into their local community rather than being set apart from it.



Sincerely

Roger K. Olsson