In the civilized worlds of today, TB was supposed to be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, because of lax immigration laws, TB is becoming a major epidemic in the modern world. However, there are some misconceptions about TB test results that I am going to try to put to rest in this article. Hopefully, this will help remove the hysteria from the facts.
First off, for those of you who don't know what TB is, since this is supposed to be a disease that has long been wiped out, it is caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This particular bacteria usually attacks the lungs as its primary target, but TB can actually effect many organs in your body such as your kidneys, liver and even your brain. TB can be fatal if not treated immediately.
TB is a disease that is transmitted through the air from person to person. It is highly contagious and those that have active TB are put into immediate quarantine. And therein lies the misconceptions about TB test results.
My wife, who is a school teacher in an urban district, where there are a lot of illegal immigrants, just recently went for a routine physical. After getting some tests back that didn't look quite right, the doctor decided to test her for TB. Sure enough the test came back positive. Now, my wife, who is normally a very rational person, became quite hysterical, as she understood exactly what that meant. At least she thought she did. The doctor assured her that the test result simply showed that the disease was lying dormant in her system and by simply taking some pills for a number of months, she would be okay. She did NOT have active TB.
If your doctor suspects that you have TB from other tests, usually a build up of calcium somewhere, and gives you a TB test that you test positive for, it is most likely as latent TB infection if you have no symptoms and don't feel sick. If this is the case, you cannot spread TB to others. However, if you do not get treatment for the latent disease, it can turn into active TB and become very serious.
How long the latent infection will take to become active depends on the individual. Some people have latent TB their whole lives and never become ill from it. Others become ill quite soon. It all depends on how good your immune system is. That is why, during the course of treatment for latent TB, the patient is given a strong dose of vitamins, especially vitamin B 6.
While TB is a very deadly disease when active, don't let a positive skin test send you into a panic. If you are feeling okay, most likely it is latent TB and can be easily treated. Treatment takes about 9 months, but once you've been treated you will be immune to the disease from that point on.
To YOUR Health,
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