Tuberculosis (TB) na serious infection wey di bacteria ‘Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ dey cause. E fit affect di lungs, but e fit also affect oda parts of di body like di spine, kidneys, and brain. TB dey spread through di air when person wey get TB dey cough, sneeze, or even talk. If person breathe in di bacteria wey dey float for air, e fit enter di lungs and begin cause TB infection. Di symptoms of TB fit include cough wey no dey go, chest pain, fever, weight loss, and night sweats. TB fit dey treatable with medications, but e dey important to catch am early and complete di treatment to prevent di spread of di infection to others.
For dis interview wey we get with Dr. Patrick Ezie, di Medical Director for Silver Cross Hospital for Kubwa, Abuja, him yan about tuberculosis (TB) how you fit take prevent am and how pipo wey don gettam fit treat am.
Wetin be the treatments for TB
Tuberculosis cases follow for wetin make HIV infection dey increase for Naija and di symptoms of Tuberculosis include long-term cough wey no dey stop. If person don dey cough reach two weeks, we dey advise dem to do TB test, and once e don confirm, we go start treatment immediately.
Di treatment get two parts: di first one dey last for two months wey dem dey call initiation stage, and di second stage wey dem dey call continuation stage, e dey last for four months. Dem go give four different medications wey dey effective, based on your weight for di initiation stage and two different medication for di continuation stage.
During treatment, dem go dey test you plenty times to check di bacteria for your mouthand dis one na for tuberculosis wey dey affect di mouth and lungs. If you get TB for chest, di treatment fit last from one month to one year. Sometimes e fit even come as drug-resistant strain, meaning di normal drugs no fit work again. Di drug-resistant strain fit happen if person no dey take drugs as dem prescribe am.
How una dey take manage Tuberculosis for your hospital
Contact tracing na important part of TB management wey we dey do at Silver Cross Hospital, because tuberculosis dey spread through contact. If person dey cough, e fit don get am from another person wey get tuberculosis.
Also TB dey spread through droplets, so places wey no get better ventilation dey at risk. E dey important make we dey encourage cross ventilation, especially if person dey cough inside motor or inside room wey di window and doors dey closed
How Person fit prevent tuberculosis
To prevent tuberculosis (TB), make person do di following
- Get Vaccinated: BCG vaccine dey fit prevent severe TB, especially for pikin. Check with health workers if dem get di vaccine for your area.
- Good Ventilation: Make sure say where you dey live and work get good breeze. Open windows and doors make air fit flow well, especially for places wey too many people dey or wey no get enough breeze.
- Respiratory Hygiene: Cover your mouth and nose with tissue or elbow when you dey cough or sneeze to stop TB bacteria from spreading for air.
- Avoid Close Contact: No stay too close to person wey get active TB, especially for place wey no get enough space. E go reduce how TB fit spread.
- Regular Testing: If you dey see signs like cough wey no dey go, fever, weight loss, or night sweats, go hospital quick make dem test you for TB.
- Complete Treatment: If dem diagnose you with TB, make you follow treatment wey dem give you till you finish am. E go stop TB from spreading to other people and e no go turn to drug-resistant one.
- Good Hygiene Practices: Wash your hand well-well with soap and water, especially after you cough, sneeze, or you dey near person wey get TB.
- Healthy Lifestyle: Make you dey chop better food, do exercise, and no smoke. Good lifestyle dey help make your body dey kajad to fight TB infection and prevent serious sickness.
Wetin be your advice to country pipo
My advice to country pipo be say, make dem no dey hide dem symptoms, early diagnosis na di koko wey to take treat tuberculosis wey no go cos plenty damage for person body.
