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my friend has been x-rayed and has been diagnosed having water in the lungs..

2006-07-05 18:20:59 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health Diseases & Conditions Other - Diseases

9 answers

What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis also called TB, is an infection caused by a bacteria (a germ). Tuberculosis usually affects the lungs, but it can spread to the kidneys, bones, spine, brain and other parts of the body.

How does doctor check for tuberculosis?
The most commonly used method to check for tuberculosis is the PPD skin test. If you have a positive PPD, it means you have been exposed to a person who has tuberculosis and you are now infected with the bacteria that causes the disease. After you have a positive PPD skin test, you must have a chest x-ray and a physical exam to find it whether have active disease or are contagious (able to spread the disease). It usually takes only a few days to tell whether you're contagious. Most people with a positive skin test aren't contagious.

If I have a positive PPD test, do I have tuberculosis?
Not necessarily. A person can be infected with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis but not actually have tuberculosis disease. Many people are infected with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, but only a few of these people (about 10%) go on to develop the disease. People who do have the disease are said to have "active" tuberculosis. Healthy people who get infected with the tuberculosis bacteria are able to fight off the infection and do not get tuberculosis disease. The bacteria is dormant (inactive) in their lungs. If the body is not able to fight off the infection and the bacteria continues to grow, active tuberculosis develops.

How will doctor treat the tuberculosis infection?
To be sure that you remain healthy, your doctor may recommend that you take medicine for 6 months to kill the tuberculosis infection. If you don't take the medicine, the bacteria will remain in your lungs, and you will always be in danger of getting active tuberculosis. The medicine used to treat tuberculosis infection is isoniazid (say: eye-so-nye-ah-zid), which is also called INH. You need to take 1 pill every day for 6 months.

It is very important that you take the medicine every day. Keep the medicine in a place where you will always see it. Take it at the same time every day. Ask your doctor what to do if you forget to take a pill.

People who take INH may have side effects, but not very often. Side effects include a skin rash, an upset stomach or liver disease. Ask your doctor about other side effects that might happen.

Don't drink alcohol or take acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) when you're taking INH. Always check with your doctor before you take any other medicine because some drugs interact with INH and cause side effects.

Every month you will need to visit your doctor to get another prescription of the medicine you are taking and to be sure you don't have any side effects or problems from the medicine. If you are feeling well, your doctor will give you a prescription for the next month.

Could I still get active tuberculosis after I take the medicine for 6 months?
Even after you take the medicine every day for 6 months there is a small chance that you could develop active tuberculosis disease, because some bacteria are resistant to the medicine. Staying healthy depends on having sensible living habits. You need enough sleep and exercise and a healthy diet to keep up your health and resistance to the tuberculosis bacteria.

Would I know if I developed active tuberculosis?
You might not know that you have active tuberculosis. Tuberculosis bacteria can grow in your body without making you feel sick. However, most people with active tuberculosis don't feel well. People with tuberculosis often feel tired and have a cough that won't go away. They may also lose weight, have a fever or break out in a sweat during the night (called "night sweats"). They may have trouble breathing. If you have active tuberculosis, you will have to get regular checkups and chest x-rays for the rest of your life to make sure you stay free of disease, even after you have taken tuberculosis medicine.

What is the treatment for active tuberculosis?
If you have active TB, your doctor may recommend that you take 4 medicines:

Isoniazid
Rifampin (one brand name: Rifadin)
Ethambutol (brand name: Myambutol)
Pyrazinamide

It's very important that you take all the medicine given to you. For the medicines to work at curing your tuberculosis, you must not skip a single dose.

Avoid drinking alcohol or taking acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) while you're taking the tuberculosis medicine. Tell your doctor about any other medicines you may be taking.

Your doctor may also order several sputum and blood tests to be done while you are being treated for tuberculosis. (Sputum is phlegm coughed up from deep inside the lungs.) These tests can be done by the nurse or at a clinic.

2006-07-05 18:55:14 · answer #1 · answered by cookie 2 · 1 1

2

2016-10-13 09:44:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne communicable disease caused by Mycobacterium. The disease can be diagnosed with 3 positive Acid Fast Bacillus (AFB) sputum test. The most common signs/symptoms are cold night sweats, persistent coughing (sometimes coughing blood), unexplained/rapid weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, and diarrhea. The groups at highest risk are those immunocompromised (HIV), live in large populations (inmates, nursing homes, homeless shelters), healthcare workers (take care of those high risk--workers are vaccinated ) and IV drug users to name a few. TB can be treated with drugs such as rifampin and INH. Chest Xrays are also done to check TB's progression once someone has been diagnosed, not usually charcterized by water in the lungs, but tubercles.

2006-07-05 18:47:55 · answer #3 · answered by bama 3 · 0 0

Here's what HAS been performed. There are many diagnostic assessments and surgeries which without difficulty were not to be had years in the past. If detected early, many types of melanoma may also be effectually dealt with. That's greater than we had years in the past and melanoma is now not an automated loss of life sentence. So, in lots of circumstances, sure, there's a remedy for melanoma. But in lots of circumstances, no. EARLY DETECTION IS STILL THE BEST CURE. I have a "scope process each and every 12 months, and the medical professional is mainly slicing out polyps. I have it considering of a household historical past of colorectal melanoma (father)So, the excellent remedy is to avert it from taking place. As a long way as an all-inclusive remedy is involved, a good way to mainly in no way occur.

2016-08-20 10:35:09 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

Here is what HAS been executed. There are many diagnostic tests and surgical methods which easily weren't available years in the past. If detected early, many types of melanoma may also be efficiently treated. That's more than we had years ago and melanoma is now not an automatic loss of life sentence. So, in lots of circumstances, sure, there is a treatment for melanoma. However in many cases, no. EARLY DETECTION remains to be THE pleasant healing. I have a "scope job each 12 months, and the general practitioner is most commonly slicing out polyps. I have it on the grounds that of a family historical past of colorectal melanoma (father)So, the excellent healing is to avoid it from happening. So far as an all-inclusive treatment is worried, on the way to on the whole certainly not happen.

2016-08-08 23:48:27 · answer #5 · answered by ? 2 · 0 0

Their doctor should have any answers/advice needed. TB is too serious to make guesses with.

2006-07-05 18:23:57 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0 0

Water in the lungs...that is pleurisy.

2006-07-05 18:24:36 · answer #7 · answered by crazyhumans2 4 · 0 0

Go to doc

2006-07-05 18:23:51 · answer #8 · answered by handsome_stranger_of_dreams 4 · 0 0

there is no cure for tb,comfort/supportive drugs only. Once you have it, it stays in your system forever.......

2006-07-05 18:26:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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