By Dr. Rajashekhar, General Physician
Tuberculosis, often referred to as TB, is an infectious disease which is caused by a particular bacterium known as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. This disease usually affects the lungs but in severe conditions, can affect other parts of the body as well.
Tuberculosis can be of two types:
- Latent Tuberculosis: In this particular condition, the bacterium thrives in your body but in a passive state and doesn’t cause too many symptoms. Inactive bacterium isn’t contagious but proper treatment can help in controlling the spread of tuberculosis.
- Active Tuberculosis: In this condition, the bacteria cause infection and can prove to be contagious.
Causes of Tuberculosis:
- Mycobacterium: The primary cause of tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis which is a small, non-mobile bacillus. The bacterium has unique characteristics and divides every twenty hours. The different kind of mycobacterium causing tuberculosis are:
- M. bovis
- M. africanum
- M. canetti
- M. microti
- M. leprae
- M. avium
- M. kansasii
- Interacting with a person with active tuberculosis can prove to be contagious as the bacteria spread through saliva when the infected person spits, coughs or sneezes.
- People with HIV are more likely to contract the bacteria causing TB.
Signs and Symptoms of Tuberculosis:
- Excessive coughing
- Blood during cough
- Throbbing chest pain while breathing and coughing
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Extreme fatigue
- Fever
- Chills
Tuberculosis medication can be very dangerous to your liver. They can cause serious side effects which affect your internal organs grievously:
- Dark urine
- High fever and chills are very common for a person who is suffering from TB
- Jaundice can be an outcome of the medication
- A person taking these medications is likely to lose appetite which gradually leads to weight loss
- Nausea and constant vomiting
Left Ventricular Assist Device or LVAD for Heart Failure
By Dr Manan H. Desai , Cardiology The heart is a pump which works constantly to pump blood to different parts of the body. The heart has 4 chambers, and the left ventricle which is the largest is responsible for pumping pure oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. This is done through a large blood vessel called aorta, which branches into a network of smaller and smaller vessels as it reaches the distant parts of the body. Due to various reasons, the heart may not be able to...
Mini Face Lift or Upper Eye Blepharoplasty: Which to Do First?
By Dr Anubhav Gupta , Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Your physical appearance changes considerably with progressing age. The skin starts to wrinkle and droop especially in and around your cheeks and the eyes. There are a number of techniques which help you to regain your youthful look. Most common procedures include a facelift which tends to remove the sagginess of the skin around your face or an eyelift which helps to treat the drooping eyelids and bagginess below your eyes. The two procedures can be compared on the following grounds: 1. Type of...
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
By Dr. K. S Somasekhar Rao, Gastroenterology Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder of the digestive system that is characterized by a reflux of the stomach acid or stomach content through the food pipe. This action causes irritation to the lining in the food pipe and leads to GERD. The symptoms of this disorder are common and not problematic unless they occur more than twice a week in a chronic manner. Symptoms- You will experience a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn) that might spread to your throat, and leave a...
Deal with Low Sex Drive after Pregnancy
By Dr. M A Khokar , Sexology Do you shudder at the sheer thought of intimacy and intercourse after having gone through your pregnancy? And all of this despite having a spiced-up sex life previously? Do you find yourself feeling low as your passion and sexual desire take a back seat? Well worry not.. Conceiving a baby might have taken a toll on your libido but the good news is that this phase is transient. You would soon get back your former self and you can certainly deal with this particular phase...