Recently, Peng Liyuan, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for TB/AIDS Prevention and Control, visited Dongjing Street, Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan Province, to investigate the grassroots TB prevention and control work.

Speaking of tuberculosis, some people may not be familiar with it, in fact, it is our folk said "consumption", in the medical level of development today, there will still be some people infected with tuberculosis, "why I am very healthy, suddenly got tuberculosis?" So, today Xiaonan will take you to understand the occurrence and prevention of tuberculosis.

What is tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease caused by the decline of human resistance (immunity) after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is the world's most important infectious disease killer, and China is still one of the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis in the world, with about 900,000 new cases of tuberculosis every year, ranking third in the world.

in addition to hair, nails, teeth, any other tissues and organs of the body, such as lymph nodes, bones, joints, skin, etc., can be invaded by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the most commonly invaded part is the lungs, called tuberculosis. Common extrapulmonary tuberculosis include tuberculous meningitis, genital system tuberculosis, lymph node tuberculosis and osteoarticular tuberculosis.

Tuberculous meningitis and female reproductive system tuberculosis are two special categories. The former is the most serious form of TB, once thought to have a mortality and severe disability rate of up to 50%; The latter is a common cause of female infertility. Many women are tested for infertility only to discover that TB is the culprit.

Early manifestation of tuberculosis

Because TB bacteria can infect all parts of the body, symptoms can vary. The early systemic symptoms of infected persons are mainly low fever, generally within 38 ° C, accompanied by fatigue, fatigue, and gradual wasting.

Respiratory tuberculosis: mild cough, phlegm, or even blood;
Tuberculosis of digestive system: dull abdominal pain, diarrhea, abdominal pain mainly around the umbilical cord, abdominal pain will be alleviated after stool;
Nervous system tuberculosis: inattention, altered mind;
Tuberculosis of urinary system: frequent urination, urgent urination, pain in urine;
Tuberculosis of the reproductive system: early may occasionally have rectal, gynogenital discomfort;
Bone and joint tuberculosis: Because the bone is sensitive to pain, pain can occur in the early stage of the lesion, which can be aggravated when moving, and can cause limited movement of the patient due to pain.

Who has a high incidence of TB?

1, people with low immunity:

patients with non-tuberculous diseases with low immunity, such as some acute and chronic infectious diseases, AIDS, silicosis, blood diseases, transplantation, and malnutrition patients have an increased risk of disease.

2, long-term drug users:

long-term use of steroid hormones and immune agents of connective tissue disease patients, some cancer patients, the incidence of tuberculosis showed a significant upward trend.

3, infants and young children:

because of the low immunity to tuberculosis bacilli during this period.

4, the elderly and chronic disease population:

the elderly over 65 years old, chronic disease patients are high incidence of tuberculosis, diabetes patients are one of the high-risk groups of tuberculosis.

In addition, it also includes people who are close contacts or indirect contacts of active tuberculosis patients, who need to go to the hospital as soon as possible to get tuberculosis, and actively treat it so as not to delay the disease.

How is TB transmitted

Tuberculosis is a respiratory infectious disease, the source of infection is excreted tuberculosis patients. When a TB patient coughs, sneezes, or speaks loudly, droplets containing tuberculosis bacteria are expelled from the body through the nose and mouth, forming droplets in the air. Larger droplets quickly fall to the ground, while smaller droplets containing TB bacteria can remain suspended in the air for a long time. If a healthy person passes by, it is possible to inhale this tuberculosis bacterium and cause infection. Studies have shown that each person with TB can infect 10-15 people in their lifetime.

You just inhale the TB bacteria and you get it?

Whether the tuberculosis bacterium can survive in the body depends on two factors, one is the body's resistance, and the virulence of the tuberculosis bacterium itself. So when we breathe in the TB bacteria, there are three things that happen. The first, if the tuberculosis bacterium is particularly virulent, and our body resistance is particularly weak, it will multiply in the body in large numbers, and our body will get sick. The second, if we have very strong resistance, we can destroy it without any symptoms. The third is that the human body's resistance and virulence are equal, at this time, the tuberculosis bacterium will enter a special state, called dormancy. Once the right opportunity is encountered, such as a decline in resistance, the dormant TB bacteria will wake up and become active again, and our bodies produce TB. What is more worrying is that the TB bacterium does not have a clear incubation period, and it can live in our bodies for days, months, years, or even decades. Then it is important to learn how to prevent TB.

Tuberculosis prevention

1. Get vaccinated

BCG vaccination is an effective measure to prevent tuberculosis. Although China's policy is to vaccinate infants within three months free of charge, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of severe tuberculosis in children, but with the increase of age, the effect of the BCG vaccine will be reduced, still can not completely avoid being infected.

2. Wear a mask and ventilate frequently

It is best to wear an N95 mask when in contact with TB patients. Frequent ventilation can dilute the amount of TB bacteria in the room and reduce the risk of infection. It is recommended to open the window for ventilation 2 to 3 times a day, and each ventilation time is not less than 30 minutes, in addition, the indoor environment can be disinfected by ultraviolet radiation every day.

3. Develop good living habits

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and do not spit anywhere. Ensure adequate sleep every day, reasonable diet, maintain a good attitude, quit smoking and drinking, in addition to strengthen physical exercise, improve body resistance.

4. Know about TB

If there are tuberculosis patients around, or have close contact with tuberculosis patients, pay attention to protection and physical examination. Better knowledge of TB can also help reduce unnecessary panic. TB is preventable and curable, and the most important thing is to get regular anti-TB treatment as soon as possible.