Tuberculosis (TB) can happen to anyone
TB coughing, sneezing, or spread by exhalation (as tiny droplets from a person's lungs spread into the air).
Anyone can get TB, not only Drug addicts, poor people, or people living in slums. We all breathe, so that means we can all get TB.
TB can be fatal, but proper treatment saves lives
If you start your TB treatment early and complete the treatment, you can recover completely. Starting the treatment late makes complete recovery difficult.
I have cough, fever, weight loss, or night sweats - do I have TB?
Do you have any of these problems?
Cough lasting more than two weeks
Fever
Weight loss
Night sweats
If you have any of these problems then you should immediately see a doctor.
When you see the doctor you should ask “Could it be TB?”. If possible, take a family member or friend with you to the doctor.
TB in lungs
TB can occur in different parts of the body. If you have been coughing for a long time, then you probably have TB in your lungs. To test for TB in the lungs, you must provide a sample of sputum.
To give a good sample, deeply inhale, hold your breath for a few seconds, cough vigorously, and then spit the sputum into a plastic container. Usually, you have to provide two samples. This sample is important for the doctor to test if you really have TB.
If your report is "Negative" ⊖, it means that they couldn't find TB in your sputum. If your symptoms persist, your doctor may tell you to repeat the sputum test after a few days.
If your report is "Positive" ⊕, it means you have TB. Remember that TB can be completely cured with proper treatment. What to do next? Continue reading “I have been diagnosed with TB” below for more information.
TB outside the lungs
When TB spreads to other parts of the body, other tests may be done, such as an MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray, or a “fine needle aspiration” (FNAC). Wherever the TB is, taking the right medicine will cure TB and the patient's health will improve.
I have been diagnosed with TB
When you are diagnosed with TB, be sure to start TB treatment as soon as possible. To treat TB, you have to take a pill that contains four medicines:
Isoniazid
Rifampicin
Ethambutol
Pyrazinamide
These medicines can cure your TB. It is possible that the doctor will prescribe you some extra medicines for fever, cough, and weakness (symptoms of TB), which will give you quick relief, but these extra medicines do not cure TB disease.
You will need to take the medicine according to your weight – underweight people will need to take fewer tablets (2 or 3), and overweight people will need to take more tablets (4 to 6). You will have to take the number of tablets prescribed to you every day, neither more nor less.
You can get TB treatment from government DOTS center. Medicine will be available free of cost. To get the medicine for the first time, you need to show the DOTS staff three things:
A doctor's note stating TB treatment has started
Your Aadhaar card
Your bank account passbook
To get medicine, take photocopies of these three things to the DOTS centre. With this, you will be registered online in the government “Nikshay” scheme. You will be given a Nikshay ID which you should write down carefully.
TB treatment usually lasts for 6 months. After the first 2 months, you will need to have a sputum test again, after which the "negative" result will change the medicine (one medicine will be stopped, the other three medicines will continue). The medicine will have to be taken for 4 more months, then the last sputum test will show that TB is completely cured.
Your health should improve significantly within a month of taking the medicine, but do not stop taking the medicine. It is very important to take your TB treatment regularly until complete. Only then will TB be completely eradicated and cannot spread to others.
Sometimes, TB cannot be cured by the medicines mentioned above - this is called "drug resistant" TB. Through a special sputum test, the doctor can check whether your TB can be cured with common TB medicines or not.
If you have drug resistant TB, no need to panic. The doctor will get some more tests done, then you will have to take several different medicines, such as:
Bedaquiline
Pretomanid
Linezolid
Moxifloxacin
Delanamid
These special medicines should also be available free of cost from DOTS or DOTS+ centres. Your treatment may last from 6 months to 2 years.
I am feeling unwell on treatment
Sometimes treatment can cause reactions. Most of these reactions are well known to doctors, who can help you feel better. Only very dangerous reactions will mean you need to stop treatment. Here is what you should do for some common reactions:
I am facing financial problems due to TB
In India, through a government scheme called Nikshay Poshan Yojana, every TB patient can get Rs 500 in their bank account every month during treatment. Everyone with TB can get it. The money is being given so that the patient can get good food and be able to complete the treatment.
To take part in the scheme, you must give a photocopy of your Aadhar card and your bank account details at the DOTS centre.
Sometimes the money Comes only several months later. If you do not receive any money after two to four months, then definitely inquire at the DOTS center, or call the Helpline 1800 116666. You will need to tell them your Nikshay ID. If you do not know your Nikshay ID, the DOTS Center can tell you.
If there is any problem with these things, your local ASHA employee or J.S.K. (Public Service Center) can help you. You can also check for organisations or support groups in your area that helps people with TB.
Eat healthy food - Grow strong - Fight TB
Being sick with TB makes people lose their appetite, lose weight, and feel weak. Taking the right medicine will kill the TB germs, but for the body to recover weight and strength, plenty of good food is also needed.
If the patient remains too thin and weak, the medicine is less effective, and they are in more danger of getting TB again. If you are feeling very weak, or have little appetite, try to eat a small amount often. Taking a multivitamin regularly can also help your body get stronger and recover fully.
What is in a healthy diet?
TB patients need extra body-building foods and high energy foods compared to other people. As the patient recovers, it’s also important to get moderate exercise, to rebuild muscles. Start by walking more and doing light housework, or your other normal activities.
Suggested Foods:
Breakfast: tea or coffee, boiled egg with bun and butter, sprouted chickpeas or mung beans, poha, suji, stuffed paratha
Snacks: Banana, dal-mooth, guava, papaya, sattoo, dates, pakoras, til or besan laddoo, peanuts, lassi, roasted chana with gur
Meals: any dish with plenty of vegetables, meat, eggs or pulses; eat with chapatis, rice, parathas or pulao; include raita and salad for extra nutrition
What should I avoid?
Avoid:
Alcohol (it harms your body and stops the TB medicine working properly)
Fizzy drinks like Coke or Fanta
Too much spice or salt
Too much tea or coffee, especially at the same time as your food
Myths and facts:
❌ You should eat special foods.
âś…It is good to keep eating your normal and locally available food.
❌ Health food is always expensive, like apples, almonds, cashews.
âś…Many cheap foods are just as good.
❌ Having a glucose drip, body-building powder or tonic will help most.
âś…Unless the patient is too sick to eat food normally, it is better to simply eat a varied nutritious diet.
A family member or friend has TB
People with TB need support from their family, friends, and neighbours. Often, a TB patient has to leave work or studies, because they are too weak. We all need sympathy and companionship from others. If someone you know has TB, do not leave him/her to do their treatment alone, but support them.
While supporting a TB patient, you should also take care of yourself. pay attention to these things:
Only pulmonary tuberculosis spreads to others; if TB is in another place in the body, it cannot spread to you.
If the patient is has been taking TB medicine for three or four weeks, his TB will not spread. For drug resistant TB, the TB will not spread after four to five months.
At the beginning of treatment, when TB can still spread, don’t stay with the patient for a long time confined inside. It is better to sit outside or open the window.
The patient should avoid coughing, sneezing, or spitting around others.
TB is spread through the air, so there is no need for a patient to use separate plates, eat separately, or wash clothes separately.
Always remember that TB can be cured. As treatment continues, the possibility of spreading TB reduces. Your support and companionship will give them the courage to complete treatment.