Focus - TB Archives - YourLifeAssist

Confronting Tuberculosis

Myth: Only poor people get TB!
Fact: Tb can affect anyone

Myth: TB is not curable
Fact: TB is treatable and curable with effective treatment and duration

TB is only one kind (lung/pulmonary TB)
Fact: TB can occur in the lungs (pulmonary TB) and outside the lungs (extrapulmonary TB)

While Tuberculosis (TB) is more commonly found in more overcrowded conditions and transmitted more easily to immunocompromised individuals, it continues to pose a significant public health challenge in the low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) globally. All it takes is a droplet of fluid from an active TB patient to transmit the disease to another person.

TB is caused by a type of bacteria that can be spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, spits or sings. It presents itself in two main forms: latent TB, where the bacterium lies inactive, and active TB where it is characterised by symptoms and contagiousness.

Latent TB is asymptomatic and not contagious, yet it holds the potential to develop into active TB, which manifests through symptoms such as persistent cough, fever, and weight loss as some of the symptoms. Active TB requires immediate medical intervention due to its contagious nature.

TB is curable with a prescribed antibiotic regimen lasting at least 6 months. The effectiveness of this treatment is heavily dependent on patient adherence, taking the medication at the same time, every day. Incomplete treatment can lead to drug-resistant strains, complicating recovery and control efforts.

Drug resistance is a critical concern in TB management. Mismanagement or misuse of TB medications can lead to multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), strains that are significantly more challenging to treat, affecting not only the individual but the whole community.

There are many and varied side effects of the antibiotic medication, ranging from nausea and vomiting, dehydration, itchy skin, jaundice, and loss of appetite, which discourages the completion of the treatment program. Recovery from TB is not solely dependent on medication adherence – nutritional intake, exercise, and avoiding harmful substances play supportive roles in strengthening the immune system and aiding recovery.

The stigma associated with TB can also deter individuals from seeking timely treatment and adhering to medication regimens, further complicating control efforts. Addressing this through education and community support needs to be encouraged.

While TB is a treatable and curable disease, its management is complicated by these factors, necessitating a coordinated and informed response from both healthcare providers and the community.

If you are unwell, and cannot explain it, you are strongly advised to take a TB test to eliminate possible causes. The quicker they pick it up, the less it will have spread and the faster the treatment and recovery.

What to expect in the test: The most common test is a chest x-ray, a blood test for latent TB sputum tests for active TB, and less commonly, a skin test. Results are usually available within 48 to 72 hours.

If you, or your family have any questions about TB, treatment, adherence, dietary support or mental or emotional counselling, then please reach out to a LifeAssist health coach. Your wellbeing matters.

zara2024-02-29T10:05:04+00:00

TB Risk Assessment

It is World TB Day on 24 March and we care about your health and wellness. Do you think you, or a friend, may have TB? Ask yourself these questions:

Question	Choose an option
Have you had a persistent cough for more than 2 weeks?	YES NO
Have you had a fever for more than 2 weeks?	YES NO
Have you experienced drenching night sweats?	YES NO
Have you experienced unexplained weight loss (more than 1.5kg in a month)?	YES NO
Have you experienced a loss of appetite?	YES NO
Have you struggled with a general feeling of illness and tiredness?	YES NO
Have you experienced any difficulty in breathing, chest pain or shortness of breath?	YES NO
Have anyone in your household recently been diagnosed with TB	YES NO

If you answered YES to one or more of the above questions, it is important to go to the clinic for a TB test.

Remember: Having symptoms of TB is not the same as being diagnosed with TB.

TB can be cured! Treatment typically lasts 6 to 12 months.

You can ask a health professional at LifeAssist to explain TB and the treatment to you. Please call or WhatsApp us and we will get back to you. It is free for you and your family.

DID YOU KNOW? South Africa has one of the highest numbers of TB cases globally, with an estimated 500,000 new cases every year. Approximately 18,000 people die from TB each year, making it the country’s leading cause of death from an infectious disease.

HOW DO THEY TEST? The TB skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of fluid (called tuberculin) into the skin on the lower part of the arm.
A person given the tuberculin skin test must return within 48 to 72 hours to have a trained healthcare worker look for a reaction on the arm.

zara2023-03-02T08:37:48+00:00

Treating TB with the DOT System – you can cure TB

The good news is that tuberculosis or TB, a serious respiratory disease, once considered a death sentence, can almost always be cured. However, this is ONLY if the sufferer takes the prescribed medication correctly for the full treatment period. This can last about 6 – 9 months. If you don’t follow the medication regime correctly, your TB can become extremely dangerous, and lead to severe complications, even death.

To make sure that people with active TB don’t miss a dose, directly observed therapy (“DOT”) is recommended by health professionals. DOT is especially critical for patients with HIV, drug-resistant TB, and those on erratic treatment regimens (i.e., 2 or 3 times weekly).

What is DOT?

DOT means that a trained healthcare worker or other designated person, but preferably not a family member, provides the prescribed TB drugs and watches the patient swallow every dose. This is essential for at least the first two months of treatment. Family members may not be suitable, unless they are extremely responsible, reliable, and work in conjunction with a health professional.

Why use DOT?

Many people forget to take their medications as directed and miss doses, especially if the regime is complex or requires intravenous medication. This causes the treatment to be ineffective and the TB becomes drug-resistant from the inconsistent or incomplete treatment. In some cases, patients feel better after taking the medication and decide not to finish the course of treatment, which can be fatal.
DOT, therefore, helps patients finish TB therapy as fast as possible, without unnecessary gaps, and therefore helps prevent the spread of TB.

How does DOT work?

DOT includes:
- ensuring a regular, uninterrupted supply of essential anti-TB drugs
- checking for side effects
- watching the patient swallow the medication
- a standardized recording and reporting system for monitoring the treatment
- answering questions

If you have been diagnosed with TB and want to make use of DOT, please discuss this as an option with your healthcare service provider or call LifeAssist for more information.

zara2022-02-25T08:59:43+00:00

World Tuberculosis Day

On 24 March we observe World Tuberculosis Day, which places the spotlight on this curable and preventable disease. Below is a list of some of the important facts about TB:

Tuberculosis, or TB as it’s commonly known, is contagious and spreads from person to person through the air when a person who already has lung TB coughs, sneezes, speaks or sings.
TB usually affects the lungs, but it can affect other parts of the body like the brain or the spine. The symptoms of TB include feeling weak, weight loss, fever and night sweats. TB of the lungs may cause coughing, chest pain, or coughing up blood. Other symptoms depend on the part of the body that TB affects.
Not everyone who is infected with TB will get sick. There are two types of TB – latent TB and active TB.
If you have latent TB, you have no symptoms and are not contagious because the TB bacteria in your body is It is important to remember though that it can turn into active TB, so treatment is still important.
Active TB makes you sick and can spread to others.
Treatment involves a month’s long course of antimicrobial drugs that need to be taken diligently. Again this is important because, without treatment, TB can result in death.
Those with a weakened immune system, from the likes of HIV and cancer, are more at risk.
A TB test can be conducted at clinics and hospitals.

Should you be feeling anxious and or need any further information about TB, contact LifeAssist

zara2021-03-11T13:07:18+00:00

Living with HIV and TB in the COVID-19 Crisis

With the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now more important than ever for those who are living with HIV or TB to adhere rigidly to their ART or TB treatment.

People who are most vulnerable to life-threatening complications are those who are immune-compromised. It is very important for people to know their HIV status and if they are at risk for active TB. Those who are on treatment for these conditions, would have an advantage over those who simply don’t know, or neglect taking their treatment.

We don’t want to add to the load in the healthcare system, but if you are going for a flu vaccination, ask if you can be screened for HIV (antibodies) and TB (symptoms).

Here is a story which explains why.

Imagine that, for a long time, you have been fighting a deadly duel with an opponent called Higgins. You are quite evenly matched. Initially, Higgins attacked strongly, but you quickly found ways to counter his attacks and suppress him. But he hid so that you could not finish him off completely and he continued to niggle and attack you. You are now exhausted and it has become increasingly difficult to suppress the relentless attacks by Higgins.

Suddenly an energetic, fresh opponent joins Higgins in attacking you. An opponent with different weapons and tactics that you know nothing about.

What chance do you have against both of them?

The new opponent is COVID-19. Higgins is HIV, and this is the situation you could face if you are living with HIV (or TB) and you are not getting effective treatment.

However, if you are taking ARVs as prescribed and they are working, this is like having a tough co-fighter with you, who wrestles Higgins to the ground and sits on him so he cannot move. HIV is suppressed to undetectable levels, freeing your body’s immune system to rebuild the strength it needs to fend off an attack by the coronavirus and other infections.

So, make certain that you have, and take, the ARVs / TB-treatment medicine you need throughout this COVID-19 crisis. This discipline will give you a better chance of surviving coronavirus infection.

If you are HIV positive, enrol on an HIV Disease Management programme through your medical scheme provider.

Contact LifeAssist for health coaching and advice.

Source: Inspire Wellness: Bridges of Hope Training: 15 April 2020

zara2021-04-01T06:24:20+00:00

Treating TB with the DOT System

DOT, or Directly Observed Therapy, is a system used to help treat patients with active Tuberculosis (TB). The DOT system helps people to stick to the correct schedule for taking their medication, which helps them to make a proper recovery. World TB Day is coming up on March 24, and in the spirit of helping to put a stop to this serious disease, we wanted to share some information on DOT.

How does DOT Work?

The way it works is quite simple. In Directly Observed Therapy, a trained health care worker or another designated person will provide the patient with their prescribed TB medication, and watch the patient swallow every dose.

DOT can be provided by a nurse or a supervised outreach worker from the patient’s local public health department. This usually works best for clinics, home care agencies, correctional facilities, treatment centres, schools, employers and other facilities.

For more complex or intensive treatment plans, a home care agency might provide DOT, or share the responsibility with the local health department

DOT providers must remain objective, and so the patient’s family members must not be expected to provide DOT.

The responsibilities of the DOT provider include:

Delivering the prescribed medication
Watching the patient swallow the medication
Checking for side-effects
Documenting the visit
Answering any questions the patient may have

DOT usually starts at the beginning of TB treatment. The system is especially useful for patients who have to take their medication intermittently, for example 2 or 3 times a week.

Why use DOT?

Some people are more lax in taking their medication, especially once their symptoms start to clear up. However, it’s so important to make sure that TB patients complete their course of medication, in order for it to work properly.

Doctors can’t predict who will take their medication as directed and who won’t. This is where DOT can make a difference:

86 to 90% of people complete their treatment, compared to 61% for people who are not on the DOT system.
Patients are able to finish their treatment as quickly as possible, without unnecessary gaps.
There is a lower risk of developing medication resistance, which can be caused by erratic dosage or incomplete treatment.
There is less chance of the patient spreading TB to others.
There is a lower chance of relapse or treatment failure.

Overall, DOT helps to improve patients’ recovery rates and prevent the further spread of TB, promoting healthier and safer communities.

Your Employee Wellness Programme (EWP) provides you with access to health advice, if you have any questions or want to know more about DOT treatment for TB. For more information about TB, click here.

Sources

Stop TB Partnership | World TB Day. Retrieved from: http://www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/

zara2021-03-15T16:17:59+00:00

Tuberculosis (TB) FAQs

These are the most frequently asked questions about tuberculosis.

Question: What is tuberculosis?

Answer: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease that affects the lungs but may attack other parts of the body. According to the World Health Organisation, tuberculosis is curable – yet it kills 5000 people every day. Two billion people (one third of the world’s population) are infected with TB bacilli (the microbes that cause tuberculosis) and one in ten people infected will become sick with active tuberculosis.

Question: What causes tuberculosis?

Answer: Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium first isolated in 1882 by Robert Koch, a German physician who received the Nobel Prize for this discovery.

Question: How is tuberculosis transmitted?

Answer: Infection mostly happens when you inhale minute particles of infected sputum deposited in the air by the coughing, shouting, spitting or sneezing of a person who has a tuberculosis lung infection. An infected person may carry the bacteria for years without showing any symptoms or spreading it to others but when his or her immune system weakens, TB infection develops into an active disease. If not treated each person with active TB can infect about 10 to 15 people per year.

Question: What is Mycobacterium bovis?

Answer: A related bacterium, called Mycobacterium bovis, causes a form of atypical tuberculosis that is transmitted by drinking unpasteurised milk that has this bacterium.

Question: What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

Answer: Symptoms depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are multiplying but usually they affect the lungs. Symptoms that are lung related include a bad cough that lasts longer than two weeks, chest pain and coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs). Other symptoms are tiredness, weakness, weight loss, chills, night sweats and fever.

Question: How is tuberculosis tested?

Answer: A skin test is used to diagnose tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease is diagnosed using a chest x-ray or a test of a sputum sample.

Question: What is the relation between tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS?

Answer: TB is a major cause of death in people living with HIV due to their weakened immune system. HIV/Aids, TB and malaria kill between 5 to 6 million people per year with nearly two million deaths caused by tuberculosis.

Question: Is tuberculosis more prevalent in some areas?

Answer: Poverty is a major influence on the statistics related to tuberculosis and virtually all TB deaths occur in the developing world, affecting mostly young adults in their most productive years. The highest rates per capita are in Africa (about 29%) and half of all new cases are in six Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Question: Is tuberculosis curable?

Answer: Tuberculosis can be cured with rigorous unbroken treatment that lasts for six months. Failure to complete the treatment regimen can result in the emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB, a very serious complication. Inactive tuberculosis are treated with an antibiotic to prevent the TB infection from becoming active; active TB is treated with INH in combination with one or more drugs.

Question: What is the future outlook for tuberculosis?

Answer: The probability of eliminating TB by effective treatment, vaccinations and public-health measures was high by the year 2000. The emergence of HIV changed the situation drastically and a tremendous increase in the frequency of TB occurred in the 1980s and throughout the 1990s. The epidemic of TB and HIV has been a deadly combination, especially on the African continent and, despite effective treatment availability, the distribution of medicine to developing countries remain problematic.

Sources
http://www.dhpe.org
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://www.who.int

zara2021-03-15T16:46:29+00:00

DOT for TB treatment

When treating persons with active TB disease, our country has adopted a system called DOT, which stands for directly observed therapy. This system helps TB patients to comply with the prescribed schedule of taking their medication.

It is especially critical for people living with medicine resistant TB, HIV infection, and those who have to take medicine intermittently, say 2 or 3 times a week.

In effect, DOT means that a trained health care worker or other designated individual (excluding a family member) provides the prescribed TB medication and watches the patient swallow every dose.

Benefits of DOT

Some people are more lax in taking their medication as prescribed. It cannot be predicted who will take medications as directed, and who will not. Social class, education, age, gender or ethnic group plays no role. However, where DOT is followed, the following happens:

86 to 90% of people complete the therapy, compared to 61% for those who are not on the system
People finish TB therapy as quickly as possible, without unnecessary gaps
The spread of TB to others is prevented
The risk of medication resistance as a result of erratic or incomplete treatment is decreased
The chances of treatment failure and relapse are decreased.

Provision of DOT

The following individuals and organisations can provide DOT:

A nurse or supervised outreach worker from the person’s district public health department normally provides DOT
In some situations, it works best for clinics, home care agencies, correctional facilities, treatment centres, schools, employers and other facilities to provide DOT, under the guidance of the local health department
Family members should not be used for DOT. DOT providers must remain objective
For complex or intensive treatment plans, home care agencies may provide DOT or share responsibilities with the local health department
If resources for providing DOT are limited, priority is given to individuals most at risk.

Administering DOT

The provision of DOT includes:

Delivering the prescribed medication
Checking for side-effects
Watching the person swallow the medication
Documenting the visit
Answering questions.

DOT usually starts at the beginning of TB treatment.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about DOT treatment for TB.

2018-12-18T10:29:08+00:00

FAQs about tuberculosis (TB)

These are the most frequently asked questions about tuberculosis.

Question: What is tuberculosis?

Answer: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease that affects the lungs but may attack other parts of the body. According to the World Health Organisation, tuberculosis is curable – yet it kills 5000 people every day. Two billion people (one third of the world’s population) are infected with TB bacilli (the microbes that cause tuberculosis) and one in ten people infected will become sick with active tuberculosis.

Question: What causes tuberculosis?

Answer: Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium first isolated in 1882 by Robert Koch, a German physician who received the Nobel Prize for this discovery.

Question: How is tuberculosis transmitted?

Answer: Infection mostly happens when you inhale minute particles of infected sputum deposited in the air by the coughing, shouting, spitting or sneezing of a person who has tuberculosis lung infection. An infected person may carry the bacteria for years without showing any symptoms or spreading it to others but when his or her immune system weakens, TB infection develops into an active disease. If not treated each person with active TB can infect about 10 to 15 people per year.

Question: What is Mycobacterium bovis?

Answer: A related bacterium, called Mycobacterium bovis, causes a form of atypical tuberculosis that is transmitted by drinking unpasteurised milk that has this bacterium.

Question: What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

Answer: Symptoms depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are multiplying but usually they affect the lungs. Symptoms that are lung related include a bad cough that lasts longer than two weeks, chest pain and coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs). Other symptoms are tiredness, weakness, weight loss, chills, night sweats and fever.

Question: How is tuberculosis tested?

Answer: A skin test is used to diagnose tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease is diagnosed using a chest x-ray or a test of a sputum sample.

Question: What is the relation between tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS?

Answer: TB is a major cause of death in people living with HIV due to their weakened immune system. HIV/Aids, TB and malaria kill between 5 to 6 million people per year with nearly two million deaths caused by tuberculosis.

Question: Is tuberculosis more prevalent in some areas?

Answer: Poverty is a major influence on the statistics related to tuberculosis and virtually all TB deaths occur in the developing world, affecting mostly young adults in their most productive years. The highest rates per capita are in Africa (about 29%) and half of all new cases are in six Asian countries namely Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

Question: Is tuberculosis curable?

Answer: Tuberculosis can be cured with rigorous unbroken treatment that lasts for six months. Failure to complete the treatment regimen can result in the emergence of drug-resistant strains of TB, a very serious complication. Inactive tuberculosis are treated with an antibiotic to prevent the TB infection from becoming active; active TB is treated with INH in combination with one or more drugs.

Question: What is the future outlook for tuberculosis?

Answer: The probability of eliminating TB by effective treatment, vaccinations and public-health measures was high by the year 2000. The emergence of HIV changed the situation drastically and a tremendous increase in the frequency of TB occurred in the 1980s and throughout the 1990s. The epidemic of TB and HIV has been a deadly combination, especially on the African continent and, despite effective treatment availability, the distribution of medicine to developing countries remain problematic.

Sources
http://www.dhpe.org
http://www.medicinenet.com
http://www.who.int

2021-04-09T12:26:36+00:00

Tuberculosis in SA

Tuberculosis (TB) has been present in humans since antiquity. It has been found in the spines of Egyptian mummies dating from 3000 to 2400 BC and in prehistoric human skeletal remains dating from 7000 BC. Today, tuberculosis is found throughout the world, but about 80% of the population in mainly Asian and African countries test positive for TB, while only 5 to 10% of the people living in the USA test positive.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), South Africa has the world’s highest TB incidence rate at 948 infections for every 100,000 people. Left untreated, each person with active TB disease will infect on average between 10 and 15 people every year.

People infected with TB will not necessarily become sick with the disease. The TB bacteria can lie dormant for years, protected by a thick waxy coat. When someone’s immune system is weakened, the chances of becoming sick are greater.

In the South African context, this has serious consequences. Approximately 5.7 million South Africans are HIV-infected, meaning that their immune systems are weakened. It is estimated that 1.8 million of these people living with HIV or Aids will get TB. In fact, by 2005 the number of TB cases has increased by 300% since 1989. TB is the most common opportunistic infection and the leading cause of death among people living with HIV or Aids.

How infection takes place

TB is an infectious bacterial disease caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.

In healthy people, infection often causes no symptoms, since the person’s immune system acts to “wall off” the bacteria.

Symptoms

The symptoms of active TB of the lung are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.

Way forward

Tuberculosis is treatable with a six-month course of antibiotics. However, the course must be completed as prescribed or the bacterium becomes resistant, which makes is very difficult and sometimes impossible to treat the disease.

There is a global plan in place to deal with TB, namely the The Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006–2015. This plan together with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, Target 8 aims to “Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of TB by 2015”.

Other targets are to:

Targets linked to the MDGs and endorsed by the Stop TB Partnership
Detect at least 70% of new sputum smear-positive TB cases and cure at least 85% of these cases by 2005
Reduce TB prevalence and death rates by 50% relative to 1990 by 2015
Eliminate TB as a public health problem (1 case per million population) by 2050

Currently someone in the world is newly infected with TB bacilli every second. The South African government recognises that TB is preventable and curable, yet people still die from this disease. To fight TB, the government has formulated this pledge through which South Africans can combine their efforts and stand together to help eradicate this disease:

I will go for an examination if I cough for longer than two weeks
I will advise anyone who coughs for more than two weeks to go for an examination
I will take my treatment until the end if I am diagnosed with TB
I will help TB patients take their medication everyday
I will ensure that my action does not stigmatise TB patients.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EWP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about the use of medicines.

2021-03-15T16:47:50+00:00

Focus – TB