Tuberculosis

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Tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB, is a chronic bacterial infection that can spread through the lymph nodes and bloodstream to any organ in your body but is usually found in the lungs. In their active state, TB bacteria in essence eat away at the tissue of infected organs, possibly resulting in death. But the organisms usually remain inactive after entering the body; thus, most infected people will never develop the active form of the disease if they receive proper care.

Because the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are transmitted through the air, the disease can be quite contagious. However, it is nearly impossible to catch TB simply by passing an infected person on the street. To be at risk, you must be exposed to the organisms constantly, by living or working in close quarters with someone who has the active disease. Even then, because the bacte-ria generally stay dormant after they invade the body, only 10 percent of people infected with TB will ever come down with the active disease. The remaining 90 percent will show no signs of infection, nor will they be able to spread the disease to others. Dormant infections can eventually become active, though, so even people without symptoms should receive medical treatment.

Once widespread, TB became relatively rare with the help of antibiotic therapies developed in the 1950s. Today, however, a new and highly resistant form has emerged, creating a public health hazard in many large cities worldwide. If you have TB-in its active or dormant state you must seek conventional medical treatment.

Causes

Tuberculosis is generally caused by exposure to microscopic airborne droplets containing the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also called the tubercle bacillus. The disease is almost never transmitted through clothes, bedding, or other personal items.

Because most people with TB exhale only a few of these germs with each breath, you can contract the disease only if you are exposed to an infected person for a long time. If you spend 8 hours a day for six months, or 24 hours a day for two months, with someone with an active case of TB, you have a 50 percent chance of acquiring the disease.

People who are malnourished or who live in close quarters stand the greatest chance of contracting tuberculosis. Therefore, the conditions that accompany poverty, although not a cause of tuberculosis, certainly contribute to its ability to spread. Healthcare workers, long-term hospital patients, and prison workers or inmates also face a greater than normal risk of becoming infected with TB.

Diagnostic And Test Procedures

You will generally have no symptoms if you are infected with TB. In fact, you may not even be aware that you have the disease until it is revealed through a skin test, perhaps during a routine checkup. The Mantoux skin test is the most reliable detector of TB. A medical practitioner injects a small amount of liquid material between the top two layers of skin on your arm. If a red welt develops at that site over the next day or so, you are probably infected with TB, though not necessarily in its active form. X-rays of your lungs will usually reveal if the disease has spread.

Treatment

Anyone with tuberculosis must be monitored by a doctor. If you have the infection - but not the active disease-your doctor will probably prescribe an antibiotic drug called isoniazid (INH) as a preventive measure. If you have the active disease, your physician will most likely prescribe broad spectrum antibiotics.

Conventional Medicine

For patients who are infected with tuberculosis organisms but do not have the active disease, doctors usually administer preventive therapy.

This usually involves a daily dose of isoniazid and periodic checkups. If you have the active disease, regularly monitored treatment by a doctor is crucial. You will probably be given a combination of several antibiotics, which may include INH, rifampin, pyrazinamide, or ethambutol.

Alternative Choices

If you have TB, you must be supervised by a con-ventional doctor. Alternative therapies may help alleviate some symptoms of the disease, but they cannot replace medical treatment.

Herbal Therapies

An herbalist might recommend three cups per day of an infusion from echinacea (Echinacea spp.) or pau d'arco (Tabebuia impetiginosa), or 20 to 40 drops from a tincture of these herbs three times a day. The plants are thought to have antibacterial properties that guard against further infection.

Nutrition and Diet

Because malnutrition contributes to the activa-tion of TB bacteria, a balanced diet is essential for people with tuberculosis. Many nutritionists also recommend vitamins A, C, and E, along with the mineral zinc, as