Tuberculosis?

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Can anybody help me to understand why Tuberculosis usually affects the top of the lungs more than elsewhere in the lungs?

Thanks...
Sorry, i cant find anything to clarify why it only affects the top of the lungs....Never heard that b4 anyway:)  (+ info)

tuberculosis ?

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well when i was younger i was diagnosed with tuberculosis (and treated it)and my doctor said that every 10 years i would need an x ray of my upper body to make sure it is still latent TB, 10 years later i had a new doctor and i asked about it but he said that it wasn't needed and that i would have to watch out for other warning signs like coughing up bloody mucus. but im kind of worried, what if the TB affected something else other than my lungs? how else am i supposed to know? can anyone help me?
I think you would get symptoms in your lungs before it spread...
But I'm not 100% sure about this... I'd like to know because I have a bit of a TB-fear (for no reason) so I like to have all the information...

Can you try and get a second opinion?
If not try not to worry, latent TB only becomes active in a small amount of cases, keep yourself healthy and watch out for anything unusual...  (+ info)

Tuberculosis screening for volunteer work at a hospital?

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I'm going to volunteer at a hospital and tomorrow I'm going because they need a blood test for tuberculosis screening. What's the point of that? Don't you kind of know when you have tuberculosis...?
And do they just test for tuberculosis or do they use the blood for other diseases/drug test?
You can be a carrier of TB and never have had symptoms. All hospital personnel have to get TB tests to be sure you're not going to pass it on to patients. It's really no big deal. The nurse will inject a small amount of liquid just barely under your skin so that it creates a little bubble, then you go back in 48 hours to have them look at it. If it turns red and has bumps then you likely have been exposed, which is not what you want. If there isn't any reaction, then you're good to go. They don't actually take blood from you so no, they can't test for drugs or other diseases. Hope that helps!  (+ info)

What are some diseases similar to tuberculosis and could be mistaken as Tuberculosis?

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So I am researching tuberculosis, and I have to answer the question:

If it isn't your exact disease, what else could it be?

So essentially I have to find diseases with the same signs and symptoms, ones that may act in the same way or cause your body to look the same way as tuberculosis.

I then have to talk about how they are similar and why. Any help would be great. Thanks.
So other mycobacterium would look the same on stains:
Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium kansasii
and other mycobacteria

Other bacteria can cause similar lung disease (but look different on stain and culture):
Nocardia
Rhodococcus equii
and other bacteria
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How much does tuberculosis treatment cost in the Philippines?

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I am helping a family out in the Philippines. Their 20 year old son has tuberculosis. A small spot in the lung.

They have told me it costs about USD 1,200 per month to treat it. For about 9 months. How much does TBC treatment really cost?

He contracted the disease working in a laboratory.
in a community health center, its for free!!!! seriously. there's this project called Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) by the WHO and DOH where they treat TB patients for free. just go the nearest community health center and inquire. they will tell you the steps to do. even the homeless could avail this treatment.

http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/1458
http://www.doh.gov.ph/faq/show/477
http://www.doh.gov.ph/programs/tb

but the down side is that he should go to the facility everyday to take his pills. usually, in a private hospital, you get to take your pills at home but you'll end up paying more. i'm not sure if they could make some arrangement that could make him go to the facility in less frequency.  (+ info)

How do you get tested for tuberculosis and hepititous?

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I'm going to the docotor's and I need to be checked for tuberculosis and hepititous b or something like that? (sorry about the spelling) Is it a shot or do they need to draw blood?
p.s.
Whats s sputum test?
For tuberculosis, you will get a PPD (purified protein derivative) shot. The solution is injected just under your skin, so it'll look like a small raise on your skin. You will have to have the result within 72 hours. Positive reaction means that you've been exposed to TB, and you need further testing (i.e., x-ray and sputum test).

For Hepatitis B, you need to provide a blood sample.

Answer to follow on question:
Sputum test will show if you have the TB bacteria called "tubercle bacilli" growing in your lungs. Treatment for TB is fairly easy -- all you need is compliance to the medication regimen.  (+ info)

Show one treat a latent tuberculosis during the pregnancy?

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I made a PPD test and it gave a positive result. But I have no symptoms and feel myself well. So, I probably have a latent tuberculosis. I am on the eighth week of pregnancy. Should I treat this latent tuberculosis or it is better to do that after the delivery?
  (+ info)

Is a fully treated tuberculosis a problem for USA migration?

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If a person planning to migrate to USA, who has completed treatment for the tuberculosis. Is it a problem?
It may be if you have had any exposure to TB. Check to see if there is a waver of some type.

  (+ info)

How long did people survive with tuberculosis?

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In the old days when there wasn't any cure for consumption (or tuberculosis), how long could people last after diagnosis? Was it a question of years or months? I'm not interested in modern day rates as it's easier to treat nowadays, but I need a time frame for a history project. It doesn't say anything relevant on wikipedia as I've looked there already.
TB is such an interesting disease!

The belief that TB is/was necessarily a deadly disease is a misconception. Many people who are exposed never develop any symptoms at all. Of the people who do develop symptoms, some just loose a little weight and feel crappy for months. Others have the typical lung "consumption" and others manifest symptoms in places other than their lungs!

So, let's talk about TB historically. Historically, there were no ways to test a healthy person for TB, so the only way to diagnose the disease was to test sputum, the bloody mucus that people suffering from traditional TB cough up. By the time a person is coughing up sputum, they are in the advanced stages of the disease. So, they might only have a matter of weeks or months to live by the time the disease is caught and recognized.

Historically, people lived with the bacteria without ever having symptoms or knowing they'd been exposed. They died of unrelated causes.

Historically, some people had mild forms of TB and recovered.

Historically, the best way to treat/prevent TB is good nutrition and environment.

Hope that helps.   (+ info)

What are the sequence of events that happen when you have tuberculosis?

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If you have have tuberculosis what happens to your body and what is the order in which they happen? Also, what are the intervals of time in which they happen?
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