TB Symptoms and Treatment

The term ‘tuberculosis’ (or TB) has been derived from the name of its causative bacterium Tubercles bacillus. Tubercles bacillus is a strain of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a very deadly and a serious infection.

TB has been found to show fatal results in about 50% of its patients, if left untreated. About one-third of the total worldwide population has been found infected with TB. It is also estimated that every second at least 1 person is infected with TB. The symptoms of Tb are common in Asian and African countries whereas the count is quite less in the US.

The immune system attacks the TB bacteria within 2-8 weeks after a person is being infected. In some cases the bacteria can die and the infection can clear completely, but in others the bacteria can stay in an inactive state in the body and cause no TB symptoms. In still other cases the infection can develop in to active TB.

Symptoms of TB

Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form and coughing is often a common and only initial indication of tuberculosis.

Other signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis includes –

• Severe cough which lasts for three weeks or longer which produce bloody or discolored sputum
• Night sweats
• Slight fever
• Chills
• Fatigue and weakness
• Pain in the chest
• Loss of appetite
• Unintentional weight loss 

TB treatment

• Diagnosis of TB signs and symptoms is usually done by taking samples of sputum or fluids from the lungs or other body parts.
• Modern medication for TB has proved to be very effective TB cures in TB treatment.
• Active TB treatment consists of multiple antibiotics combinations Medication for TB includes drugs combinations to prevent patients suffering from TB becoming resistant to treatment.
• These medications have to be continued for a period ranging from a minimum of six months to a year. Medication for TB cures take time to show their effectiveness.
• The medications for TB treatment are effective only if doses are not missed in between. Any reduction in, or discontinuation of the prescribed dosage can prolong or worsen the symptoms and can cause complications in some cases.
• Nonetheless, besides being viewed as TB cures, these medications carry some side effects.

Some side effects of TB medications that can include:

• Jaundice
• Abdominal pain tenderness or soreness
• Nausea Fever for 3 days or of a longer duration
• Dark colored urine
• Vomiting
• Blurred vision

The most important step is to find, isolate and treat all disease carriers until they are no longer an infective risk to others.

It is always advisable not to get too close to people who are coughing; equally, people with a cough should be aware of those around them and try not to cough near them. Pregnant women with TB must be treated urgently as the disease may progress rapidly with high risk to both mother and baby.

Kidney Stones and Causes

The kidney acts as a filter for blood, removing waste products from the body and making urine. It also helps regulate electrolyte levels that are important for body function. Urine drains from the kidney through a narrow tube called the ureter into the bladder. When the bladder fills and there is an urge to urinate, the bladder empties to the outside through the urethra, a much wider tube than the ureter.

What is a kidney stone?

A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in a kidney out of substances in the urine.

How does the stone form?

When chemicals crystallize in the urine, it form a kidney stone. These stones are very tiny when they form smaller than a grain of sand, but gradually can grow over time to 1/10 of an inch or larger. It obstructs urine from draining.

How do people come to know about it?

When the stone sits in the kidney, it rarely causes problems, but when it falls into the ureter, it acts like a dam, As the kidney continues to make urine, pressure builds up behind the stone and causes the kidney to swell and pain.

Kidney Stone

In Some people, chemicals crystallize in the urine and fprm a kidney stone. These stones are very tiny when they form, smaller than a grain of sand, but gradually can grow overtime to 1/10 of an inch or larger.

The three phases of kidney stone:

• Urolithiasis (presence of stones in the urinary tract)-Rarely causes problems

• Nephrolithiasis (Kidney stones)- Size starts in the ureter)-Acts like a dam & creats pressure which causes swell and pain.

The size of the stone doesn’t matter when it sits in kidney but when it falls in ureter it obstructs or prevents urine from draining which causes pain.

Causes

Kidney stones do not have a single, well-defined cause. When the urine contains more crystal-forming substances than the fluid can dilute, crystals can form. It may be caused by:

Heredity: The majority of kidney stones are made of calcium, and hypercalciuria. The predisposition to high levels of calcium in the urine may be passed on from generation to generation.

Geographical location: There may be a geographic predisposition, and where a person lives may predispose them to form kidney stones. There are regional “stone belts,” with people living in the southern united states having an increased risk of stone formation. The hot climate in this region combined with poor fluid intake may cause people to be relatively dehydrated, with their urine becoming more concentrated and allowing chemicals to come in closer contact to form a atone.

Diet

Diet may or may not be an issue. If a person is susceptible to forming stones, then foods high in calcium may increase the risk; however, if a person isn’t susceptible to forming stones, diet probably will not change that risk.

Medications: People talking diuretics (or “water pills”) and those who consume excess calcium-containing antacids can increase the amounts of vitamins A and D are also associated with higher levels of calcium in the urine. 

Underlying illness: Some chronic illnesses are associated with kidney stone formation, including cystic fibrosis renal tubular acidosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Symptoms & Signs Colicky Pain 

Colicky pain :  The pain typically comes in waves, with a typical wave lasting 20 to 60 minutes.

Nausea/vomiting: Embryological link with intestine-stimulates the vomiting centre. 

Hematuria: Blood in the urine, due to minor damage to inside wall of kidney, ureter and/or urethra.

Pyuria: Pus in the urine.

Dysuria: burning on urination when passing stones(rare).More typical of infection.

Oliguria: Reduced urinary volume caused by obstruction of the bladder or urethra by stone, or extremely rarely, simultaneous obstruction of both ureters by a stone.

Postrenal Azotemia: The blockage of urine flow through a ureter.

Hydroneprosis: The distension and dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces.

Diagnosis

Clinical diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the location and severity of the pain, which is typically colicky in nature. Pain in the back occurs when calculi produce an obstruction in the kidney.

X-Ray

The relatively dense calcium renders these stones radio-opaque and they can be detected by a traditional X-ray of the abdomen that includes the kidneys, ureters and bladder.

About 10% of stones do not have enough calcium to be seen on standard X-rays (radiolucent stones).

Computed Tomography

All stones are detected by CT without contrast is considered in the gold standard diagnosis test except very rare stones composed of certain drug residues in the urine.

Ultrasound

Gives details about the presence of hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidney)

PREVENTION

• Take special research homeo medicine for few weeks helps in prevention of further formation of stone.
• Drink 12 full glasses of water every day.
• The risk forming a stone can be minimized by avoiding dehydration. Making certain that the urine remains clear and not concentrated ( dark yellow) will help minimize stone formation.
• Medication may be prescribed for certain types of stones, and compliance with taking the medication is a must to reduce the risk of future episodes.
• Drinking lots of water helps to flush away the substances that form stones in the kidneys.
• Take lots of water melon juice.
• Take Horsegram powder.
• Take Radish
• Take lots of coconut water

Fish, the Environment and Health

When you consider what the report says, it may make you decide that you prefer to focus on fish as your source of animal protein.

But there are ramifications for this also: both for the environment and for your health.

In fact, there are so many ramifications to eating fish that I will devote an entire series to this subject at another time.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t eat fish, or any animal food at all. That’s your personal choice, but it’s best if you make your choice an informed and educated one.

If you’re not willing to consider becoming a vegetarian, you want to at least cut down on the amount of animal food you do eat, or at least do what Paul McCartney is advocating, of going meat-free on Mondays, or whichever day you want to designate as a meat-free day.

If you watch the above video, which is a trailer to a film called The End of the Line, you will understand what one of the environmental reasons is for considering your fish intake.

A 2008 United Nations reports that 80 percent of the world’s ocean fishing areas are now either fully fished (i.e. incapable of providing more) or overexploited.

This is also what The End of the Line is stating. But besides the overfishing and possible catastrophic results from it that The End of the Line discusses, there are also environmental and health issues.

There are many fish in the ocean that contain dangerous levels of mercury, PCB’s and pesticides, and the trend towards fish farms isn’t necessarily a panacea, as there are troubling environmental and health issues surrounding fish raised that way – from the corn feed, chemical feed and hormones that some farmed fish are given, to the pollutants that are in the waters at these factory fish farms.

And then there are questions as to whether the health claims of fish are overhyped, as a study that came out in March 2009 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal stated.

So what to do about eating fish? You can make your decision by choosing sources that are fished or farmed responsibly, and low in environmental contaminants.

According to the Environmental Defense Fund, you want to choose either wild fish from healthy, well-managed populations, or caught using fishing gear that does little harm to sea life and marine habitats; or choose farmed fish raised in systems that control pollution, the spread of disease, chemical use and escaped fish.

Most fish that the Environmental Defense Fund considers safe to eat are also low in environmental contaminants and can be safely eaten at least once per week.

The list of fish that make this list include: Arctic char, farmed oysters, sablefish (aka black cod), wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, farmed trout and West Coast albacore tuna, anchovies, catfish, soft shell clams, Pacific cod, Pacific halibut, farmed striped bass, tilapia, farmed white sturgeon, and squid.