World TB Day 2023 – 24 March Newsletter

World TB Day 2023 – 24 March

World TB Day 2023 – What is Tuberculosis? – TB is an infectious disease that mostly affects the lungs but can also affect several other organs of the body like the brain, kidneys and bones.

Tb Is A Curable Disease

How does it spread?

The TB germ is carried in the air. When a TB patient coughs, sneezes or spits, these germs are breathed in by a healthy person who may then develop the disease. A person can be infected with TB, but may not be sick. At first the disease may be symptom free, but once the lungs are infected it becomes highly contagious – and is easily spread to those around you.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases – What is Tuberculosis?

What Are The 4 Main Symptoms Of Tb?

1. 1. 1. Persistent dry cough & coughing up blood.
      2. Tiredness, weakness of the whole body. Weight loss, poor appetite.
      3. Sweating at night, even when it is cold.
      4. Pains in the chest and shortness of breath.

Aids Foundation South Africa (AFSA) – Tuberculosis (TB)

World TB Day 2023 – Prevention Is Better Than Cure.

• Cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.
• Do not spit – spitting spreads TB!
• TB cannot survive in a healthy body, eat nourishing healthy food.
• Do not abuse alcohol or drugs. Do not smoke.

TB Treatment

There are many injections and pills that are used to treat TB, all of which are supplied free of charge to patients by health clinics. Once diagnosed, regular treatment is an absolute must and the patient must continue with the treatment for as long as the doctor, nurse or clinic advises.

The effective treatment of TB is a long process, with new patients having to undergo at least six months of treatment. Patients contracting TB for the second time need to be treated for at least 8 months.

Medication is often unsuccessful because TB patients, when they start to feel better, stop taking their medicine before the course is finished, and they become reinfected.

South African Government – What is TB and where can I get treatment?