| Tuberculosis is a germ infection caused
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| | Some of the TB symptoms are cough for a
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| by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which
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| | long period of time, fever, night sweats,
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| generally affects the lungs, but it can
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| | loss of weight and appetite, chest pains
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| also affect kidneys, lymph nodes, spine,
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| | and breathing difficulties.
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| intestinal tract and brain.
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| | To diagnose the infection with TB there
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| Tuberculosis is spreading by air, if an
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| | are some tests to be done.
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| infected person coughs sneezes or shouts,
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| | One way to diagnose TB is by performing a
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| the germs spreading into the air. By
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| | skin test called the intra-dermal
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| inhaling them other people get infected.
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| | reaction of tuberculin. The person that
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| At the thoracic X-ray appear granulomas
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| | is suspected to be or to have been
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| (granular tumors) in the lungs.
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| | infected with TB is considered to have
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| Most people's immune system contains the
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| | developed a hypersensitivity to the TB
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| primary infection, but some do not have
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| | germ.
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| this particularity, and so, the disease
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| | The test consists in injecting into the
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| may occur within weeks after the primary
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| | skin a purified protein derived from the
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| infection.
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| | TB germ. After more then 48 hours the
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| Some people shed the TB germ into their
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| | skin area will present a bump. If the
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| lungs for years and at some moment the
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| | bump is large, the test is considered to
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| germs could activate and the infection
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| | be positive, meaning that the TB
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| could manifest.
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| | infection has occurred.
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| The easiest to infect are the children
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| | Even if the test is negative, it should
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| and people who have a weakened immune
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| | be repeated after a while, because the
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| system (those undergoing chemotherapy,
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| | test is not a 100 percent accurate.
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| those who had an organ transplant and now
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| | Another method of diagnosing TB is
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| take immunosuppressive drugs, and those
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| | performing a thoracic X-ray that will
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| infected with HIV).
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| | show the affected lung areas.
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| To prevent TB in children doctors give
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| | And last, but not the least, is the
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| them shots of the bacillus Calmette
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| | sputum test. If the suspected person
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| Guerin (BCG) vaccine.
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| | coughs, doctors take the sputum and with
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| The risk of catching TB increases with
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| | the help of the microscope they search
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| the frequency of contacting other
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| | for the TB germs in it.
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| infected people, with miserable living
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| | Also doctors can perform a Bronchoscopy,
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| conditions and with poor nutrition.
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| | a Thoracocentesis and rarely, biopsy of
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| Lately there has been noticed an increase
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| | the affected tissue.
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| of TB cases in US, probably because of
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| | For the treatment to be effective,
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| the increased number of people infected
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| | patients must take their prescribed dugs
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| with HIV, the increased number of
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| | during all the period of time they were
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| homeless people and of the appearance of
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| | advised by the doctor, otherwise they
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| drug resistance (caused by an incomplete
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| | could get multiple organ complications
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| TB treatment).
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| | and even die.
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| In US there are 10 cases of TB per 100000
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| | By following all the doctor's
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| people and those infected with AIDS are
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| | indications, one can cure in about 6 to 9
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| among them, due to their weakened immune
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| | months of TB and get back to its normal
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| system.
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| | life.
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