Respiratory Diseases Description: Type Of Tuberculosis (Essay Sample)

Respiratory diseases
Name
Introduction
Tuberculosis stands out as the most common deadly infection of the respiratory system in the world today. The disease’ causative agent is a bacterium commonly known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB has become a worldwide problem with such issues as homelessness, famine, war as well as inadequate medical care among the disadvantaged persons increasing the spread of the disease among them. Given the fact that tuberculosis is easily transferable between individuals, the development of the disease in a particular section of the population possess as a significant problem to the rest of the uninfected population. Therefore, the need for the institution and maintenance of appropriate public health measures that encompass screening, vaccination as well as treatment are inevitable. Any form of laxity experienced in the measures of public health is likely to promote an increase in the cases of tuberculosis. The study discusses the various types of the disease as well as its impact on the society.
Type of Tuberculosis
According to Tebruegge et al. (2015), Tuberculosis exists in different kinds with the two common types referred to as active (secondary) or latent (primary) TB. Active tuberculosis occurs when the respiratory disease begins to produce its symptoms and can spread quickly to other individuals. On the other hand, latent TB occurs when a given person gets infected with the disease’s causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the bacteria is yet to begin producing symptoms or does not show any form of tuberculosis bacteria in his or her sputum. At this stage, the bacteria do not produce symptoms because of the activities of the immune system of the body that suppresses the growth and spread of the causative agent.
Individuals with latent tuberculosis have no ability to transfer the bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to other people unless the immune system fails to function by not suppressing the growth of the bacteria (Tebruegge et al., 2015). Such failure leads the development of active tuberculosis making the individual contagious. One can compare latent tuberculosis with chickenpox disease infection that also goes inactive and may, after many years, reactivate. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with the disease include coughing up bloody sputum, night sweats, weight and muscle loss, pain in the chest while breathing, loss of appetite, cough, swollen lymph nodes, fever, as well as shortness of breath (Tebruegge et al., 2015).
Impact of Tuberculosis on the society
TB stands out as one of the primary causes of death among the adults and contributes an enormous financial and social burden not only on the infected individuals but also their families and the society from which they come. Atif et al (2014) states that the economic impact of tuberculosis can be a reasonable drain on the resources owned by a given society. TB mostly affects people in their prime production years, that is individuals aged from fourteen to fifty-four years, thus depriving a society its most valuable resources. Tuberculosis’ impact on various families is usually economically expensive. All the hardships related to caring for the sick person lies with the other members of the family thus exposing them to high risks of infection besides reducing their productivity hence bringing forth poverty in the long run (Atif et al., 2014).
Tuberculosis significantly impacts a given society as it is a major contributor to economic devastation as well as illness and poverty that entangle many countries, communities, and families (Atif et al., 2014). That notwithstanding, the TB causative bacteria is increasingly growing its resistance to the existing drugs used against it making it harder to treat and deadly. Further, there are a lot of costs associated with the management of the disease once one gets infected. An individual suffering from TB has to meet such costs as travel expenses when going to and from the health center, the drugs themselves, the doctor’s labor cost, days absent from work. Similarly, there are also costs relating to the other measures concerning the prevention of TB by a person while at home to ensure the safety of the family members (Ati...