World TB Day Understand Tuberculosis Symptoms and Causes and its Cure
World TB Day & Health Insurance
Tuberculosis or TB is a life-threatening lung-related disease that is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculi bacterium. If left untreated, the disease can spread to other parts of the body, including the brain. One of the most dangerous aspects of this disease is that it is highly contagious. This means the person suffering from the disease can easily spread it to others. TB spreads through the droplets released in the air when the person diagnosed with the disease coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms of TB
If you get infected with TB, the lungs may get affected first. The bacteria can also infect other body parts such as the kidney, liver and brain. The symptoms may vary from person to person. In some cases, even if you are infected with bacteria that causes TB, your natural immunity can prevent you from becoming sick.
For this reason, the medical experts categorise TB into two types.
Latent TB
In this case, you have the infection but the bacteria in the body remains inactive and causes no symptoms. Latent TB, which is also known as inactive TB, is not contagious. However, it can turn into active TB eventually. Hence, you must take proper medical care and treatment.
Active TB
This condition can make you feel sick and is highly contagious. Generally, the symptoms occur within weeks or years after you get infected with TB bacteria.
Signs and symptoms of TB
• Persistent cough for more than 3-4 weeks
• Stream of blood while you cough
• Unintentional weight loss
• Fever
• Constant feeling of fatigue
• Night sweat
• Loss of appetite
Treatment of Tuberculosis
If you are diagnosed with latent TB infection, the doctor may advise you to take medications for a few weeks to reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis.
For active TB, you may have to take antibiotics. This helps in the complete cure of the infection and avoid relapse. At times, the bacteria can become resistant to certain antibiotics. In such cases, the treatment can extend for a couple of years. Apart from taking the drugs, the doctor may recommend a series of diagnostic tests such as MRI, and CT scan to learn about the disease prognosis.
TB and Health Insurance
If you or any of your family members is diagnosed with TB, you may require prolonged treatment and may have to be admitted to the hospital for a long time. This means you would have to incur huge costs on treatment. This is where health insurance policy plays a vital role.
Having a robust health insurance cover can help you get financial support against the expenses and thereby keep your savings protected. Also, with a health insurance cover, you can ensure that you get the best medical care without worrying about the cost.
Kotak General Insurance offers a wide range of comprehensive health insurance policies. You may also choose to invest in a critical illness insurance policy to safeguard yourself and your family.
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Disclaimer: The content provided is for education and informational purpose only, none of the information contained in our blog amounts to any form of opinion or advice. Please go through policy related documents carefully or consult an expert before making any insurance-related decisions.