Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB), is extremely serious. In a matter of fact, WHO estimates that there were almost half a million cases of XDR/MDRTBworldwide in 2004. What is XDR-TB? Well, TB (tuberculosis) is a disease that primarily affects the lungs, and can be very serious without medical attention. Good news is, it can be easily treated and cured.Bad news is, the TB bacteria,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, has evolved through time to become resistant to the drugs used to cure the "normal" TB. This means that the drugs can not work against the bacteria, and the treatment used is
much less effective than the drugs used to cure the curable TB (Rifampin, Isoniazid etc...). Therefore, survival rate decreases
a lot (Survival rate can lower down to only 30%). This may sound frightening, but just like TB, XDR/MDR-TB can be
easily prevented by following these simple steps.
Steps
- Take your treatments properly if you already have TB. This is one of the most important thing you must do! The main reason why TB turns drug resistant is because the TB slowly turns into a whole different species of bacteria, and becomes resistant to medications. Take your medicine on the right time, and the exact dose. No more, no less. No day missed. Taking the treatments is crucial in preventing XDR/MDR-TB. It's no joke. This isn't like a vitamin, your life can depend on this.
- Try your best to avoid patients that already have XDR-TB. This may seem obvious, but TB can spread like wild-fire. Imagine a chain. The patient infects you, you infect a loved one, that loved one infects his/her friend, that friend infects her family, the family's children infects their classmates etc... See? TB is not something to be toyed with. Some TB/XDR-TB patients are isolated. They can not have/have minimal contact with the outside world. This can be hard to live with when the one being isolated is a loved one, but it's for the sake of the community.
- Take a Tuberculin Skin Test. If you have been close/had close contact with somebody who has had/has TB or XDR-TB, take a Skin Test. It is always recommended that you(and your loved ones in you want)consult your doctor and take the skin test when you know you have been around/involved with a TB case. When you get the treatments, it is always the best thing to start early. Here is the basic process of a Tuberculin test, if you do not know already.
- A special doctor gives you a shot under your skin. The shot is a protein that the immune system reacts to.
- The area gets checked after 48-72 hours (2 to 3 days).
- If the area is now a red, raised "bump," then you have TB, you then proceed to a Chest X-ray and a Sputum Smear (saliva/phlegm gets tested). Note:This bump is not a rash, acne, or any skin problem, it is simply a reaction the immune system makes if TB is there.
- If no bump is there, then you supposedly do not have TB, but it is best to take another again if any concerns rise after.
- Acknowledge how XDR-TB/TB is spread. You can get TB by talking with another, laughing, coughing, sneezing, or basically inhaling another one's breath. Once TB gets into the air, it dies in several hours, but people can breath it in in seconds. Take note that TB is not spread by the following:
- shaking someone's hand
- sharing food or drink touching bed linens or toilet seats
- sharing toothbrushes (not suggested your perfectly safe though)
- kissing, smoking, or sharing cigarettes
- Prevent Non-drug-resistant TB if you got it before. Those who have been struck with TB before are more prone to XDR-TB if they get TB again. If you have already been infected with TB before, try to avoid it as much as possible again.
- Contact your Public Health Department if you notice cases of TB are spreading. A Public Health Department is a group who specialize in concerns with the general health of the area. Telling your case to the PHD can let them know to be much more aware of the spreading. Not only it may protect you, but the whole place will be protected by the PHD as well as possible.
- Try not to go to other countries where TB is common. You can unknowingly get TB from the people of that country, and keep it inside of you. Also avoid visiting prison inmates or prison environments. These are the focal collection centers for TB.
- Know the symptoms of "normal" TB. This includes weakness (generally), night sweats, and weight loss. If the condition becomes more serious, chest pain, coughing up sputum/blood (advanced stages), a persistent dry cough (ongoing), and shortness of breath. the symptoms of XDR-TB are very similar to those of TB. So if you have these symptoms, ask your doctor about getting a skin test immediately.
- Understand who are the people who are more open to TB. People with HIV's or AIDs are especially at risk because of their weak immune system. However, there are some other people as well, such as the following:
- people who live with individuals who have an active TB infection,
- poor or homeless people,
- people from countries that have a high prevalence of TB,
- nursing home residents and prison inmates,
- alcoholics and intravenous drug users,
- people with diabetes, certain cancers, and HIV infection (the AIDS virus), *health-care workers.Knowing the risks of TB will most certainly help prevent a XDR-TB infection! These conditions like, diabetes, HIV, cancers are debilitating conditions, meaning that they will suppress your natural immune system. This in effect will predispose you to XDR-TB.
Tips
- A sanitary environment is extremely important to prevent spreading of TB/XDR-TB. If you are in an extremely crowded place(overcrowded schools are a perfect example), and heard of a case of TB/XDR-TB, get a test or contact your doctor right after.
- If you know more about TB, the more you will know how to prevent XDR-TB. XDR-TB is very similar to TB, if you know a lot about TB, you will know plenty about the drug-resistant kind.
Warnings
- Don't go insane about protecting yourself, live life to its fullest. TB is perfectly curable, and you will be able to know when to get a test or not.
- XDR-TB is far more serious than an average person should think. Again, always take treatments properly, no matter what condition you have.
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