VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 11 • NOVEMBER 2016
Refreshing Your Health
TB TRUTHS • Symptoms of TB • Diagnosing TB • TB treatment • How to prevent spreading TB • Know someone with TB?
TUBERCULOSIS 2015 WORLD
10.4* 1.8* *Millions
PHILIPPINES
THERE’S NO NEED TO FEAR THIS ENDEMIC BUT TREATABLE INFECTION
>320,000
Tuberculosis, or TB, is so common in our country that you might think it’s found only
14,000 DEATH
TB truths
WITH TB AND HIV
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here. The surprising truth is that TB is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. In 2015, 10.4 million people contracted TB and 1.8 million died from the disease (including 0.4 million people with both HIV and TB). Of these deaths, over 95% occur in low- and middle-income countries. According to estimates, >320,000 people in the Philippines had TB in 2015, and 14,000 people died from the disease – and that’s not even counting TB in HIV-infected people.
A SLICE OF ORANGE
What is TB anyway? TB is a bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs but
VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 11 • NOVEMBER 2016
Lung infected with tuberculosis (TB)
can also affect other body parts (e.g., lymph nodes, bones, digestive system, etc.). It’s caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spread when infected people cough, sneeze or spit and propel tiny droplets with the TB bacteria into the air and someone inhales it. Prolonged exposure to someone with TB, like someone you live with, puts you at risk of getting infected. This means that if someone in your home gets TB, the whole household could possibly get it too, if proper treatment is delayed and if precautions aren’t followed.
Symptoms of TB
Symptoms
Without knowing it, some people have latent TB, which means they don’t know they’ve been infected with the TB bacteria, are not yet actually sick and cannot transmit the disease. These people may or may not develop the active TB infection later in life. However, when these people’s immune systems are compromised, like from having HIV or diabetes, or being malnourished, the risk of having active TB increases. The typical symptoms of pulmonary (lung) TB are listed below, but sometimes you can have TB without exhibiting any
Diagnosing TB
of these. Sometimes, the symptoms are so mild that you don’t know you’re sick and already infecting others. • A persistent cough that lasts >2
TB treatment You are presumed
Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
to have pulmonary
Your doctor will prescribe a number of
TB if you have
antibiotics that should be taken following
persistent cough
a specific schedule for 6 months. This
and if you have
will usually be composed of 2 months of
weeks with or without bloody phlegm
chest x-ray findings suggestive of TB,
intensive therapy with 4 drugs, followed
• Weight loss
plus any of the symptoms above. Your
by 4 months of 2 drugs as continuation
• Night sweats
doctor may also want to confirm TB
phase. This schedule and the kind of
• High fever
by testing your sputum, either under the
antibiotic may differ depending on your
• Fatigue
microscope or using special tests. The
particular case, like if you have TB that
• Loss of appetite
tuberculin skin test cannot be used to
is resistant to some antibiotics, or TB that
• Difficulty breathing
diagnose active TB.
involves more than just your lungs.
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VOLUME 10 • ISSUE 11 • NOVEMBER 2016
How to prevent spreading TB Remember that you will still be contagious up to 2-3 weeks after starting antibiotics. Take some basic precautions to prevent spreading TB. • Stay away from work (or school or frequent social gatherings) until your doctor advises that you can go back. • Always cover your mouth with a disposable tissue when coughing, sneezing or laughing. • Dispose of any used tissues in a sealed plastic bag. • Do not sleep in the same room as other people. • Open windows when possible.
Know someone with TB?
Contact your doctor if you observe these while on TB treatment:
People with TB should inform their close
• Jaundice or yellowing of your skin and whites of your eyes
contacts, like people they live with, as
• Unexplained fever
well as friends and co-workers, about
• Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet
their disease so they could go to a doctor as soon as able to check if they’ve been infected.
• Rash or itchy skin • Blurred vision or other vision changes
Helping Your People in the Path to Progress Benefits Made Better Email us at inquiries@activelinkbenefits.com or call us at 8174606, and let us know when we can share our strategy. Let us help you make your benefits better!
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelinkbenefits.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2016 ActiveLink
Benefits Made Better
ActiveLink 7/F Electra House Building 115-117 Esteban St., Legaspi Village, Makati City www.activelinkbenefits.com
A Slice of Orange
is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Anna de Guzman, MD