| 1. What kind of disease is tuberculosis?
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| | treatment with another. It is important
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| Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a
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| | that the patient follow the treatment as
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| bacterium which affects mostly the lungs
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| | prescribed otherwise the bacteria might
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| but can affect the bones, kidney, and
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| | continue to live in the lung and harm the
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| other organs too.
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| | patient.
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| 2. How can the doctor know when a patient
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| | During this treatment with isoniazid the
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| has tuberculosis?
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| | patient is not allowed to drink alcohol
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| Most of the doctors follow a procedure
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| | as side effects can appear and interfere
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| based on several tests. At first they
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| | with the treatment efficiency.
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| perform a PPD skin test, and if this test
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| | 5. After 6 months is the patient cured?
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| is positive there is a chance for you to
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| | Normally if the patient follows the
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| have been infected with tuberculosis.
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| | prescribed treatment the tuberculosis
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| Then a thoracic X-ray is done along with
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| | should disappear. There are some cases in
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| a physical exam to check out whether you
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| | which the bacteria is resistant to the
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| are contagious or not. Most of the people
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| | prescribed pill and so it is still in the
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| are PPD positive but this does not mean
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| | lungs after the treatment is done. But
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| they are contagious.
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| | tests made at the end of the treatment
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| 3. PPD positive means I am sick?
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| | will show whether the patient is fine or
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| Normally PPD positive persons are not
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| | needs another treatment.
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| sick with tuberculosis they have the
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| | 6. What are the symptoms of active
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| bacteria in their lungs but they are not
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| | tuberculosis?
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| affected by it. As long as the person has
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| | The patients might have fever, loss of
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| an intact immune system the disease will
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| | appetite, night sweats, loss of weight
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| not manifest but if their immune system
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| | and intense cough and fatigue.
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| weakens then the bacteria might wake up
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| | 7. How can active tuberculosis be
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| and manifest. Only then a person is
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| | treated?
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| considered to be sick.
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| | The treatment is made out of a drug
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| 4. How can the tuberculosis infection be
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| | combination. The following drugs are used
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| treated?
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| | in treating active tuberculosis:
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| The treatment lasts for 6 months and the
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| | Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Ethambutol, and
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| patient has to take every day a pill
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| | Pyrazinamide. These drugs must not be
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| called isoniazid, and at the same hour.
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| | taken with alcohol or acetaminophen
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| Every month the patient will go for a
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| | because they can cause side effects. If
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| check up and the doctor will prescribe
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| | any of the following appear do not
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| the same treatment if there are no side
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| | hesitate to call your doctor: nausea,
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| effects from the pill. If nausea, or skin
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| | vomiting, blurred vision, skin rash,
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| rash appear the doctor will replace this
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| | extreme tiredness, jaundice and fever.
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