I have a question about Tuberculosis - Please please help!!?!
Question: I have a question about Tuberculosis - Please please help!!!?
My Friend sent me an email today about her daughter saying
"She has to go to childrens hospital to see specialist for the tb thing!.!. she having x rays too but they will be clear like dad and my brothers were!.!. she will be ok, odds are she will have to have medication like dad and my brother"
If they are clear!.!.!. why does she need medication!?!? I'm confused!?!? Can I catch it too!?!? If i go near her will i need to be on medication too!!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
"She has to go to childrens hospital to see specialist for the tb thing!.!. she having x rays too but they will be clear like dad and my brothers were!.!. she will be ok, odds are she will have to have medication like dad and my brother"
If they are clear!.!.!. why does she need medication!?!? I'm confused!?!? Can I catch it too!?!? If i go near her will i need to be on medication too!!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
There are two things to keep in mind!.
Having Tuberculosis and exposure to someone with Tuberculosis!.
In this case, the child does not have TB, but has been briefly around someone who has TB or lived or travel to a country where Tuberculosis is endemic!. (South America, Asia etc)
Her chest X-ray are clear, meaning that she has not develop active Tuberculosis!. However, she has picked up the bacteria that can cause Tuberculosis in her!. This is why she needs to take medication to kill the bacteria and prevent her from developing TB in the near future!.
The usual course of meds is INH for 6 months along with Vitamin B6!. The medicine should be provided free of charge as this is a public health issue!.
Also in answer to your concerns if you will catch it!. No you should be fine!. You only catch the bacteria when you are around someone who has active TB!. (ie!. you visit the TB ward of the hospital, or one of you relatives has TB is cough and hacking away, but refuses to go to the hospital, and you spend a lot of time in the room with that relative taking care of the person!.)
People who are exposed to TB do not pass the bacteria on!. Only people with active TB (sick, coughing etc) will infect others!. So you are safe!. But, if you are still worried, get a PPD test!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Having Tuberculosis and exposure to someone with Tuberculosis!.
In this case, the child does not have TB, but has been briefly around someone who has TB or lived or travel to a country where Tuberculosis is endemic!. (South America, Asia etc)
Her chest X-ray are clear, meaning that she has not develop active Tuberculosis!. However, she has picked up the bacteria that can cause Tuberculosis in her!. This is why she needs to take medication to kill the bacteria and prevent her from developing TB in the near future!.
The usual course of meds is INH for 6 months along with Vitamin B6!. The medicine should be provided free of charge as this is a public health issue!.
Also in answer to your concerns if you will catch it!. No you should be fine!. You only catch the bacteria when you are around someone who has active TB!. (ie!. you visit the TB ward of the hospital, or one of you relatives has TB is cough and hacking away, but refuses to go to the hospital, and you spend a lot of time in the room with that relative taking care of the person!.)
People who are exposed to TB do not pass the bacteria on!. Only people with active TB (sick, coughing etc) will infect others!. So you are safe!. But, if you are still worried, get a PPD test!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
if the child has a clear chest x-ray, then she has latent TB, just like the rest of her family!. it's not a big concern!. she needs to take 9 months of medication, to prevent the TB from becoming fully active later in life!.
with this proper treatment, she'll never be sick, and her lifetime risk of actual symptomatic TB will be roughly 1 percent!.
The medication used to treat her now is very benign!. it won't hurt her!.
and of course she is not contagious!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
with this proper treatment, she'll never be sick, and her lifetime risk of actual symptomatic TB will be roughly 1 percent!.
The medication used to treat her now is very benign!. it won't hurt her!.
and of course she is not contagious!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Shes out of danger that means!. TB needs a 6 months continuous medication I think to kill most bacteria that lives on her lungs and to relieve the lungs of any stress while it do some self repair!. She and her company will be given some precautionary measure and after the medication she will be fine literally!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
She is being given medication for prophylaxis (prevention of infection)!. Unless you are exposed to a person who is actively sick with TB, you don't need prophylaxis!.Www@Answer-Health@Com