Tuberculosis bacillus, the causative agent of tuberculosis disease, was first discovered by Robert KOCH in 1882.
The first drug against tuberculosis bacillus was discovered 79 years ago, in 1944.
The name of the drug is "Streptomycin," starting in 1944.
Subsequently, after 1970, scientists started developing other medications. The medication consisted of three or four effective drug combinations used to treat the patients.
The very effective treatment regimen used for tuberculosis has been active since 1974.
What Causes Tuberculosis Disease?
Tuberculosis is a contagious disease. The bacterium that causes tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis enter the body through the respiratory tract, causing extensive inflammation, primarily in the lungs.
If tuberculosis is involved in an organ other than the lung, it shows signs and symptoms specific to that organ.
It harms organs. Tuberculosis usually occurs primarily in the lungs, lymph nodes, pleura, bones, kidneys, and meninges.
It can also cause serious inflammation by infecting all organs in the body. It significantly affects the working principles of organs.
If left untreated, the damage progresses and even becomes fatal. Treatment is very important. As we said at the beginning, the lungs and respiratory tract are the most affected organs.
Tuberculosis Bacteria
Tuberculosis bacteria are spread by breathing through exhaling, sneezing or coughing. In this environment, healthy people inhale the bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and the disease continues to spread in this way.
After the tuberculosis bacteria enters the body, the duration of the disease varies.
A decrease in body resistance can occur rapidly. Tuberculosis disease may not manifest itself immediately and may remain silent.
Many factors lead to the development of tuberculosis disease. One of the most powerful diseases that can break the body resistance is AIDS. In this context, AIDS and tuberculosis are a great scourge for each other.
Diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, alcohol and drug addiction, smoking and cancer are risk factors for disease development.
Resistant Tuberculosis
When patients take their drugs incorrectly, incompletely, irregularly or insufficiently, the body finds the tuberculosis bacteria more resistant to the drug.
Drug therapy means nothing to bacteria anymore. Patients with this condition are also called resistant tuberculosis.
No matter how much medication the patient takes, it is impossible to recover in the future. However, this treatment is both long and expensive.
The side effects of the drugs are serious. Some patients also require surgery.
Vulnerable groups against tuberculosis bacteria are children and people with low body resistance.
People who are in contact with or around a tuberculosis patient should seek help from tuberculosis dispensaries. Relatives of patients should be checked at least three times at quarterly intervals.
During the control, we do chest X-ray and PPD test. If necessary, preventive drug therapy is given.
People with tuberculosis should take their medication daily; They should always consult their doctor during the treatment and should not lose hope.
What Are the Symptoms of Tuberculosis?
People who encounter tuberculosis may remain asymptomatic for months. Tuberculosis symptoms appear in two groups as general and lung-specific complaints.
During this period, the immune system fights the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria and tries to prevent the development of the disease.
However, when the immune system cannot show sufficient resistance, the tuberculosis bacteria becomes active and causes tuberculosis disease. Some indications are as follows:
- Cough lasting longer than fifteen days
- High fever
- night sweats
- Severe chest pain
- Rapid weight loss
- Anorexia
- Weakness
- Bloody sputum in late periods
The severity of symptoms varies from person to person. Complaints usually begin mildly and progress slowly. On the other hand, patients may apply to the doctor late due to the late emergence of these complaints.
This may cause further spread of the disease and further damage to the involved organ. At this stage, the patient puts his environment at risk.
Because the patient carries the bacillus and can infect others. The most common symptoms of tuberculosis are cough lasting longer than three weeks, coughing up blood, chest pain and painful breathing.
According to the data of the World Health Organization, tuberculosis accounts for 2.5 percent of all diseases and 26 percent of preventable deaths in the world.
It is worldwide, although it is most common in South Asia, East Asia, and Africa.
This disease affects people of all ages and races.
When we look at the places where tuberculosis is most common in the world, it increases or decreases in direct proportion to AIDS.
This case proved that tuberculosis can be caused by health problems that affect the immune system, such as AIDS.
