Treatment for Tuberculosis

Treatment for Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis has many forms that can invade the body. Many cures involve drugs and multiple combinations of the drugs. Drugs are used in combinations because tuberculosis can travel to different parts of the body. One of the causes for the spread of tuberculosis around the world is the emergence drug- resistance strain. Tuberculosis can become resistant to most, if not all, of the drugs that are used to treat tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a bacteria infection that affects many people over the world. Treatment for the disease helps people but it is limited. Vaccination is sought but, like treatment, is limited. Because of these limitations Tuberculosis spreads and kills easily. Tuberculosis can be cured by constant drug therapy.

One of the first steps to treating Tuberculosis is identifying which form has developed in the body. The two forms that could progress in the body are latent Tuberculosis infection and active Tuberculosis infection (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Latent Tuberculosis is the dormant form of the bacteria, meaning that it is inactive and doesn?t cause an infectious reaction in the body. Even if the latent form enters the body, treatment should be sought (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Latent Tuberculosis can become active Tuberculosis easily though, especially if the immune system is compromised by another infection, like HIV (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Active Tuberculosis infects the body immediately. Symptoms show in the body meaning the bacteria is effecting the cells of the body. Identifying the form is important because treatment is dependent upon it. Testing for TB involves a skin test, usually within seven work-days of contact with the bacteria. Without knowing what is in the body, the drugs won?t be as effective and might even cause drug-resistance.

After diagnosing which form is in the body, treatment and therapy can begin. After the test, an infected person should inform the health-care provider with information about other people that might be infected. This will help control the spread of Tuberculosis (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports). Treatment for the infected person means continual drug therapy.

Treatment for active Tuberculosis and latent Tuberculosis is usually similar because both forms of the bacteria invade multiple environments of the body. Tuberculosis originates in the lungs, because it enters through air, and sometimes spreads to other organs, called extrapulmonary Tuberculosis (World Health Organization19).