24th March is celebrated as World Tuberculosis Day every year and marks the need for awareness about the disease and its treatment to make the world free of the disease completely. Millions of people around the world suffer from tuberculosis and many are not even diagnosed. The disease can be fatal if not treated in time and properly.
It is important to be aware of the disease that causes so many deaths around the world. It is also extremely essential to know about the complications, risk factors, symptoms and treatment of the disease to make sure that you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease and the bacteria usually attack the lungs. The bacteria are airborne and can spread to other people when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Here are 5 facts about the disease that you must know.
Tuberculosis affects not just your lungs
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria mostly attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body like the spine or the kidneys. Symptoms of such tuberculosis include regular symptoms like fever and chills. Apart from these, tuberculosis may affect the functioning of that particular organ. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may cause severe backaches and in the kidneys, it may cause blood in the urine.
Tuberculosis is more common than you think
According to WHO, Tuberculosis is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. 2017 saw 10 million cases of TB illness, and 1.6 million people out of those died from the disease. In the same year, about 1 million children became ill with TB and 230000 of them died of the disease. The disease is much more serious than people perceive it to be.
HIV and Tuberculosis are co-epidemic
The two infections are known to be closely linked to each other, so much so that they are called a co-epidemic. According to the IFRC, in the last 15 years, cases of TB have almost doubled in countries where cases of HIV were already high. Many people infected with HIV contract TB as the first sign of AIDS. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV in Africa and also in other countries.
Common symptoms of Tuberculosis
Common symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, chills, sweat while sleeping at night, a cough that lasts for weeks, blood in cough, loss of appetite and chest pain. These symptoms can be easily confused with symptoms of any other disease, like the common flu. However, if things get serious and symptoms like blood in cough start to show up, it is really important to visit the doctor and get yourself tested.
Ending Tuberculosis one of the sustainable goals of development
Global goals or also known as sustainable goals of development includes ending the TB epidemic by the end of 2030. According to WHO, the incidence of TB is falling at about 2% per year currently.
It is important to be aware of the disease that causes so many deaths around the world. It is also extremely essential to know about the complications, risk factors, symptoms and treatment of the disease to make sure that you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy. Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease and the bacteria usually attack the lungs. The bacteria are airborne and can spread to other people when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Here are 5 facts about the disease that you must know.
Tuberculosis affects not just your lungs
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria mostly attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body like the spine or the kidneys. Symptoms of such tuberculosis include regular symptoms like fever and chills. Apart from these, tuberculosis may affect the functioning of that particular organ. For example, tuberculosis of the spine may cause severe backaches and in the kidneys, it may cause blood in the urine.
Tuberculosis is more common than you think
According to WHO, Tuberculosis is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide. 2017 saw 10 million cases of TB illness, and 1.6 million people out of those died from the disease. In the same year, about 1 million children became ill with TB and 230000 of them died of the disease. The disease is much more serious than people perceive it to be.
HIV and Tuberculosis are co-epidemic
The two infections are known to be closely linked to each other, so much so that they are called a co-epidemic. According to the IFRC, in the last 15 years, cases of TB have almost doubled in countries where cases of HIV were already high. Many people infected with HIV contract TB as the first sign of AIDS. Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV in Africa and also in other countries.
Common symptoms of Tuberculosis
Common symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, chills, sweat while sleeping at night, a cough that lasts for weeks, blood in cough, loss of appetite and chest pain. These symptoms can be easily confused with symptoms of any other disease, like the common flu. However, if things get serious and symptoms like blood in cough start to show up, it is really important to visit the doctor and get yourself tested.
Ending Tuberculosis one of the sustainable goals of development
Global goals or also known as sustainable goals of development includes ending the TB epidemic by the end of 2030. According to WHO, the incidence of TB is falling at about 2% per year currently.
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