Tuberculosis or TB is a highly contagious airborne disease, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It typically affects your lungs and is characterized by the formation of greyish, hard nodules or tubercles.

Pathology of Tuberculosis

Diagnosis of the disease depends essentially on identifying the bacteria from the tissue. Methods of diagnosis usually include the following  

Skin Test   The most common test for detection of tuberculosis is the skin test. During the procedure, a small dose of PPD tuberculin is injected onto the skin of the forearm. The injection site needs to be monitored after a couple of days. Swelling in the forearm, usually, a hard, red bump could mean that you have contracted tuberculosis.
An X-ray of the Chest   Chest X-ray can reveal calcification, cavitations, and nodes in the upper lobes
Sputum Cultures and Smears   These are mostly used to detect pulmonary tuberculosis. Three specimens of sputum early in the morning are collected on three separate days. The specimen is prepared on a slide and stained with an acid-fast dye before being observed under the microscope. The slide may show the characteristic AFB or acid-fast bacilli.
Gastric Aspirates Test   This involves placing a tiny nasogastric tube in the abdomen early in the morning and gastric contents are suctioned and processed for culture and smears.
Lymph Node Biopsy   The procedure involves removing an enlarged lymph node and culturing a portion of it. The remaining section is sent for staining and examined under a microscope.
Biopsy   Biopsy is conducted when an abnormality develops in the airways during bronchoscopy. This involves threading a thin wire through the bronchoscope and attaching tiny biopsy forceps to its end in order to remove multiple tissue samples from the bronchi. The samples are sent to the laboratory for complete analysis.
Treatment of Tuberculosis

Studies show that in the majority of cases, patients were cured with the help of the right medication. The type and dosage of antibiotic treatment precisely depend on factors like   the patient s age, health condition, and potential resistance to certain drugs, whether the disease is active or latent, and the infection site.
Patients with latent TB may require one type of antibiotic, while those having active TB   particularly MDR TB   are often prescribed multiple drugs for about 6-9 months.
Patients who received proper treatment on time have shown vast improvement on the health aspect. After a few weeks of undergoing treatment, you might be tempted to quit taking your TB medications, but it is important that you complete the full treatment course. Skipping doses may allow the bacteria to become drug-resistant, leading to tuberculosis that is more severe and difficult to cure.



Tuberculosis - All You Must Know!

Copd, which is short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a severe form of lung disease that is characterized by increased breathlessness and obstruction of airflow from the lungs. People who are suffering from copd are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, heart diseases and many other conditions. It includes progressive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, few forms of bronchiectasis and refractory (non-reversible) asthma. The former two are the most common conditions contributing to copd. 

Chronic bronchitis induces inflammation in the airway that carries air to the lungs and fills it with mucus. This either completely blocks the airway or narrows it, causing difficulty in breathing. However in emphysema, the air sacs inside the lungs which inflate and deflate as you breathe in and out, lose their elasticity due to which less air comes in and goes out leaving you breathless.

The best way to treat copd is to quit smoking. Your doctor may also prescribe you medications or ask you to enroll in a lung rehab program. 
Causes:
1. Smoking
Smoking is one of the most common causes of copd. This is because smoking is known to destroy the stretchy fibers in people's lungs and irritate the airways. Even passive smoking is unhealthy. About 90% of the people having copd are current or former smokers. 
2. Genetics
Some individuals suffer from copd even after refraining from smoking. Genes might be at the helm of copd in such a case. Aatd i. E. Alpha -1 antitrypsin deficiency, is a protein in the lungs, the lack of which is one of the most common genetic factor causing emphysema. 
3. Environmental factors
Breathing in harmful pollutants present in your environment is also one of the causes of copd. Fumes, dust or certain chemicals are a few examples of harmful lung irritants. Organic cooking fuel may also cause copd. Exposing yourself to the aforementioned environmental factors for a prolonged period of time increases your risk of developing copd substantially. 

Symptoms:
1. Shortness of breath especially after exercising
2. Wheezing
3. Tightness in your chest
4. Unintended weight loss
5. Lack of energy
6. Frequent respiratory infections
7. Wheezing
8. Cough accompanied by mucus

Diagnosis:
1. Physical exam where your doctor monitors the functioning of your lungs. 
2. Questioning about your past health (smoking or other harmful lung irritants).
3. Spirometry and other breathing tests.
4. Chest x-rays and other tests to eliminate other problems which could be causing your symptoms.

All About COPD!

Sinuses are cavities in our skull behind the nose which spread out in a pattern. These cavities are lined with tissues and mucosal membranes and are essential for our breathing process. Sinusitis is a condition where the tissues within the cavities become inflamed which results in the sinus cavities being blocked due to a buildup of fluid.

What are the conditions that can lead to sinusitis?
Some of the conditions that can cause nasal polyps are explained as follows:

Nasal polyps are small growths of tissue within the lining of the nose which may block the sinuses, resulting in sinusitis.
Common cold is also a culprit which may result in sinusitis
If your septum or the bridge between the holes of the nose is deviated (this condition is referred to as a deviated septum), you may be prone to developing sinusitis.
The lining of the nose may swell in a condition known as allergic rhinitis and cause sinusitis as well.
Types of sinusitis
There are multiple types of sinusitis which may affect people and also on how long they last. The various types of sinusitis are explained below:

Acute sinusitis: This is the most common form of sinusitis that lasts usually between 2 to 4 weeks. It starts with a cold, blocked nose and turns into facial pain that usually starts very suddenly.
Chronic sinusitis: This is a form of sinus infection which can have a debilitating effect on your life and may last for 12 weeks or longer.
Sub-acute sinusitis: This is somewhere between acute and chronic sinusitis and may last from anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks.
Recurrent sinusitis: This form of sinus infections tend to be a variation of acute or sub-acute sinusitis which tends to occur multiple times a year.
Symptoms of sinusitis
The manifestation of the symptoms of sinusitis may be different from person to person and also on the type of sinusitis you are suffering from. However, there are some generic symptoms that are common to all forms which are mentioned as follows:

Smelling senses may be dulled
Facial pain
Congestion accompanied by a cough
Nose may be blocked, stuffy and may also be runny
Other symptoms may also include bad breath, fatigue, or even dental pain
Nasal cavity may have pus and it may drain from time to time
It is best to consult a doctor quickly, if you have been having any of these symptoms. The doctor can prescribe nasal decongestants and antibiotics which can help. If you have chronic or recurrent sinusitis, then more aggressive and advanced treatments may be required.

Sinusitis - Conditions That Lead to It!

Benign growth of abnormal cells is characteristic of a uterine fibroid. It grows on the walls of the uterus and occurs in 70% of women. However, most of the times, they go undetected as they are non-intrusive, painless and recede on their own. 99% of the cases reported for fibroids in the uterus are the ones which progress into painful tumors.

Fibroids occur due to elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body; therefore women who are inching closer to menopause are most susceptible to developing fibroids due to elevated and prolonged exposure to these hormones.

The symptoms include:

Pain during urination
Pain during coitus
Constipation
Excessive bleeding and extended menstruation
Fertility problems
Fibroids in the uterus can very easily be treated with various methods. Ayurvedic treatment remains to be one of the most popular choices among women for these illnesses. Ayurvedic treatment involves the use of naturopathic methods to reduce and cure diseases rather than the use of medicinal or surgical methods which may be intrusive, and carry potential risks of side effects and failure rates. It aims to strengthen the immune system of the body and allows the system to mend the infection internally. Ayurvedic methods include the use of herbs, medicinal plants, roots and body enhancing/strengthening practices. Ayurvedic practitioners offer a wide array of treatment methods to battle uterine fibroids naturally with household alternatives, or other readily available remedies.

Ayurvedic treatments for uterine fibroids:

Daily intake of Aloe Vera (with milk, or honey)
Guggul and Asoka herbs (with ghee, or milk)
Douching with herbal decoctions
The ingestion of turmeric in meals
Foods rich in fiber and detoxifying elements (such as spinach, banana) are also recommended as they increase the metabolism rate.

Along with that, if a healthy lifestyle, sound sleep patterns and a regular workout regime are also advised by Ayurvedic practitioners. By taking proper care of one s self, maintaining proper hygiene and taking preventive measures, one can ensure that the recurrence of uterine fibroids do not present itself.

Fibroids - Best Natural Ways It Can Be Managed!

Does your baby s skin taste too salty when you kiss him or her? Did he or she not poop after being born? These symptoms indicate cystic fibrosis in your baby, which is a condition that changes the way your body makes sweat and mucus. It also affects the functioning of the lungs and digestive system. The condition occurs from a flawed gene. If you have cystic fibroids, your mucus may be too thick or your sweat can be too salty. Heavy mucus clogging in your lungs may affect your ease of breathing. This is a serious and life-threatening disease, but it affects different people in different ways.

Causes
The gene known as CFTR is present in everybody. It makes a protein which controls the amount of salt and water that are moved in and out of the cells of the body. In case of cystic fibroids, the CTFR gene is broken, which occurs if you inherit two bad copies of the gene. A bad CFTR gene may lead your cells to make the wrong amount of water or salt. This makes the body incapable of getting sufficient oxygen and nutrients, as the body loses them via sweating.

Symptoms
Apart from the primary symptoms, several other symptoms are also likely due to cystic fibroids. The common symptoms which your child may experience are as follows:

Coughing up thick mucus, wheezing and shortness of breath
Sinus infections, pneumonia, or very frequent bronchitis
Development of polyps in the nose
Bulky, oily and foul-smelling stool
Low bone density, widening and rounding of the fingertips and weight loss
In later life, cystic fibroids may cause liver disease, gallstones or pancreatitis.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for cystic fibroids. Several treatments are followed for relieving the symptoms and help patients feel better, breathe easier and have lesser infections or stomach problems.

Airway clearance technique can help you with breathing as the mucus from the lungs is cleared in the process. There are several ways to undertake airway clearance and special devices can be used for assistance.
Several inhaled drugs such as salt solutions, steroids and antibiotics are used in thinning the mucus, clearing the lungs and fighting infections.
Several medicines are used for fighting the inflammation and reducing swelling in the lungs.
In case your pancreas are not working properly, you can take enzyme pills for digesting proteins and fats for absorbing more nutrients from the food you take.
Vitamin A, E and D supplements provide the nutrients, which your intestine cannot absorb.
In case you experience the symptoms of cystic fibroids, you should visit a doctor immediately. This will allow you to go for an early diagnosis and effective treatment.

Cystic Fibrosis - Can it be Life Threatening?

Without our lungs, it would be impossible to breathe. People suffering from chronic lung diseases have compromised lung functioning. This leads to shortness of breath, fatigue and weakness. In turn, this can make the person avoid anything that exerts the lungs such as exercise. While this may seem like a good idea, it is actually detrimental. Not exercising can further weaken the lungs and muscles and make this a vicious cycle. This is where physiotherapy can help with lung rehabilitation or pulmonary rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy is a branch of medicine that treats diseases and health conditions with exercise and manual therapy. Physiotherapists may also use radiation, sound waves, electric therapy, prosthesis and assistive devices. The aim here is not to cure the disease but to improve lung functioning and the patient s quality of life. Pulmonary rehabilitation can help in a number of ways.

It reduces breathlessness: As the lung muscles weaken, their ability to pump oxygen and transport it to the other parts of the body reduces. This can make a person feel breathless even with the slightest exertion. Lung rehabilitation works on strengthening the lung muscles to reduce this breathlessness.
It increases muscle strength in the arms and legs: When oxygen does not reach the limbs, they, in turn, get weaker. By strengthening the lungs, lung rehabilitation increases the muscle strength in the patient s arms and legs.
It increases stamina and endurance: Stamina is directly linked to lung functioning. By helping the patient breathe more comfortably, lung rehabilitation increases the patient s stamina and helps him or her endure more physical exercise.
It helps patients understand your condition: Physiotherapy is part exercise and part education. By helping patients get an insight into their condition, physiotherapy helps them come to terms with their limitations and motivates them to work harder towards overcoming them.
It increases self-confidence: Feeling breathless and tired all the time can make people feel frustrated. This is especially so because these things cannot be controlled without help. Physiotherapy teaches patients how to deal with these issues and thus increases their confidence in dealing with their medical issues.
It makes patients more independent: A lack of energy can make people dependent on others. Even simple tasks like getting a bottle of water from the fridge can seem like a tiring task. Physiotherapy improves lung functioning and hence makes the person feel less tired doing everyday tasks. This makes the person more independent and improves their quality of life.

Lung Rehabilitation With Physiotherapy!

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