Priyanka Ganwani
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Written By: Priyanka Ganwani | Published : October 26, 2014 3:56 PM IST
Satyamev Jayte based its latest episode on the treatment of tuberculosis and the various challenges that come with it. Salman Khan was invited to show his support towards the cause and patients suffering from the disease. Salman has been associated with the cause of TB as he has been ensuring his contribution to the patients in Asia's biggest TB hospital, the Group of TB Hospitals, Sewree, Mumbai. Dr Lalit Kumar Anande, chief medical officer from the hospital, thanked Salman for all his encouragement and support to this cause. Salman further appreciated and honoured the efforts made by some DOTS providers from Chandigarh, Chennai, West Bengal and other cities from the country.
One of the reasons Salman is dedicated to this cause is because his grandmother suffered from TB and was unable to identify her very own son, Salim then aged 7-8 years old. Know all that happened on this episode.
How to prevent TB
Dr Ashwin Mallya trained in general, gastrointestinal surgery and also hepatobiliary surgery, who works at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi explains how TB can be prevented:
By maintaining good health and immunity, you can prevent getting infected with tuberculosis. Nutritious food, adequate sleep, exercise and leading a life with minimal stress go a long way in helping our immunity fight any infection well including TB. Work on improving your immunity by including diet rich in antioxidants. Anti-oxidants help fight free radicals produced in the body due to any kind of disease/stress and help in cell repair.
Fresh air and sunlight can help prevent TB. The microbes in TB thrive in cold, damp places. Whether you are at home or office, remember to open all your windows for a major portion of the day to let the sunlight and air in.
With the BCG vaccine, you cannot be resistant to TB throughout your life. It also doesn t help in secondary forms of TB. That said, one still needs to get the BCG vaccine soon after birth.
TB is a fully treatable disease if the full course of medications are taken properly and regular follow-ups are done with the doctor. The TB control program in India, was started as RNTCP (Revised national tuberculosis control program) in 1993. The program has made great progress over the last two decades. Having collaborated with private hospitals and medical colleges the reach of the program is 100% in India. The mainstay of the program is prompt diagnosis (by sputum testing and X ray of the chest), commencing the treatment as early as possible and making sure that the patient is compliant with the treatment (Directly observed treatment-DOTS). The main drugs used for TB are Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol and Streptomycin. But always take these medicines under the doctor s supervision because indiscriminate use can lead to jaundice and liver failure, kidney failure.The duration of the treatment varies from case to case and is at least for 6 months. Testing and treatment is available free of cost at all government hospitals, primary and community health centres.
Not taking the full course of TB medicines as per the doctor s prescription is one of the major hurdles faced by the TB prevention programs. It can lead to the organisms developing resistance to the first-line drugs used in treatment causing MDR-TB (multi-drug resistant TB). Read here to know more.
Image source: Getty Images
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