How to prevent tuberculosis from spreading i.e. TB
Tuberculosis infection is a serious and deadly disease caused by bacteria. It spreads from person to person through air. TB mainly affects the lungs. It also affects other body parts like kidneys, bones and brain. There are two types of TB: Latent TB (Inactive) and TB disease (Active). Latent TB doesn’t spread but the person having latent TB should take medication to prevent it from becoming active. Active TB can spread and affect others. Here are some ways in which you can prevent tuberculosis (TB) from spreading from people who have active TB.
Stay at home
People who are suffering from active tuberculosis should not go outside during the first few weeks of treatment. They should not go to school or work or sleep with other people in the same room.
Wear a mask
When the person infected by TB is around other people then he/she should always wear a surgical mask as it lessens the risk of transmission.
Cover mouth while coughing
A tuberculosis infected person should cover their mouth using a tissue while laughing, sneezing or coughing. The tissue should not be thrown anywhere in the open. It should be collected in a bag. The bag should be sealed and then thrown away.
Ventilation of the room
The room where the person affected by TB is staying should be properly ventilated. This is because it is found that tuberculosis germs spread easily in closed space because there is no movement of air.
Finish the entire course of medication
Patients suffering from TB must always finish the entire medication course, which can last from six months to an entire year. Skipping doses or stopping the medication early would lead the TB bacteria to mutate due to which they can survive the most potent TB drugs. The mutated bacteria cause a more deadly TB which becomes difficult to treat.
Vaccination
Bacile Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccines are used to vaccinate infants and children because it can prevent severe tuberculosis in children. It is not much recommended for general use because it isn’t very effective in adults.
TB prevention in health care facilities
Doctors and other health care workers who treat TB patients should always follow infection control procedure so that it doesn’t affect them.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How to prevent tuberculosis from spreading i.e. TB, we recommend you visit our Diseases & secondary effects category.
- Those most at risk of contracting tuberculosis are people in countries with a high case rate, people using injected drugs, people with HIV, diabetes and renal diseases.
- If you still haven't got medical care and you have TB, it's vitally important to go straight to your doctor.
- If you suspect you may have TB, you should contact your local GP so he/she can perform specific tests.
