Q. What is the cause of tuberculosis?

A. Tuberculosis is not a hereditary disease. It is an infectious disease. Any person can get afflicted with TB. Whenever, a patient having active tuberculosis coughs or sneezes in an open manner, bacteria causing TB come out in the aerosol. This aerosol can infect any person who happens to inhale it.

Q. What are the symptoms of this disease?

A. Characteristic symptoms of TB are persistent cough of more than three weeks duration, cough with expectoration of sputum, fever, weight loss or loss of appetite etc. If any of these symptoms persist beyond three weeks, the person concerned should visit the nearest DOTS TB Center or Health Center and get his sputum examined.

Q. What are the investigations done for diagnosing TB and where are they available?

A. It is essential to get sputum examined on three consecutive days for TB bacteria in order to diagnose TB. In the NCT of Delhi, DOTS centers have been established at various places. The services provided at these centers are absolutely free.

Sputum for examination should be given after coughing properly. It is important not to give saliva in place of sputum. If saliva is submitted for examination, the disease may not be diagnosed.

Q. What is the treatment of TB?

A. If a full course of anti-tubercular drugs is taken on a regular basis, this disease is fully curable. A TB patient has to take medicines for a minimum period of six months continuously. The drugs may continue up to on year in some cases. It is important that the drugs are discontinued only on the advice of the doctor. Patients who do not take a complete treatment or take drugs on an irregular basis, their disease turns incurable or even life-threatening.

Q. Is the disease of TB curable?

A. Yes, this disease is fully curable if the treatment is taken on a regular and continuous basis for adequate duration.

Q.How can we prevent tuberculosis?

A.The disease of TB spreads whenever, patients cough or sneeze without covering their faces or spit here and there.

Hence, patients should always cover their faces while coughing or sneezing. One should not spit here and there and always use spittoon for coughing.

At home also, patients should spit in a box which is covered by a lid. Before disposing off the sputum, it should be boiled.

It is very important not to get scared or to hide the disease whenever someone develops the symptoms of TB. It is necessary that the person concerned may get himself/ herself examined and take adequate period.

Q. What is the diet to be given to a TB patient?

A. As per one’s liking, TB patient can eat any type of food. There are no special diets necessary for a TB patient. One should avoid any foodstuff which causes any problem in that particular individual.

Q. What are the things to be avoided by a TB patient?

A. A patient of TB should avoid consumption of bidi, cigarette, hookah, tobacco, alcohol or any other intoxicating drug.