Tag: Lung diseases

So, you’ve been coughing for a few months now and sweating at night… even your friends are saying you’ve lost some weight and should go for a TB test. TB is very common in South Africa, but fortunately it can be prevented and treated. Here’s what you need to know.

Preventing TB:

a) By the BCG (TB) vaccine:

• In countries where TB is common, the BCG forms part of the national childhood immunisation programme
• It’s generally used to offer children protection against TB
• It’s not used to interrupt the spread of TB from one adult to another

b) By preventing the spread of infectious TB from one adult to another. This is done by:

• Identifying people with active TB early on, and
• Treating them promptly with medication

TB is spread by airborne droplets, especially in crowded spaces. Here’s what you can do to prevent the spread of TB:

• Ventilate the house/room properly
• Cough, sneeze or laugh into a tissue and throw it away in a sealed plastic bag
• Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing
• Sleep alone in your own room
• Do not attend school or work until a healthcare worker has declared it safe to do so
• Avoid close household contact with children under 5 years old
• Take all TB medication correctly for the correct length of time
• Go for regular follow-ups and tests, to check if the TB medication is working and to see if it’s still infectious
• Avoid crowded places

Tests for TB:

Deciding if a person has TB or not, depends on many things:

• Symptoms suggestive of TB
• A clinical suspicion of TB in a patient (by a trained healthcare worker)
• TB screening tests such as:

1. Microscopy (examination of stained sputum smears under a microscope)
2. Culture (sputum culture of the TB organism; a process which takes longer)
3. PCR-based tests/molecular testing
4. Other tests including: chest X-ray, tuberculin skin test, blood culture, ultrasound, histological examination of tissue, amongst others

Treating TB:

The most important aspect of treatment is to take the correct medication for the correct length of time.

• TB drugs – the essential TB drugs are given in different combinations according to different treatment regimens
• Some TB drugs are bacteriocidal (killing action), bacteriostatic (sterilising action) or have the ability to prevent resistance
• The most common drugs are: isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, ethambutol, streptomycin
• Other TB drugs are used in specific circumstances
• Some additional drugs include steroids and Vit B6

Common side effects of TB drugs include:

• Joint pains
• Nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps
• Burning, numbness or tingling of feet (and hands)
• Orange/red discolouration of urine
• Skin rash or itching

If you’d like more information about TB or TB medication, please chat to our doctors on the Hello Doctor app.