SARS – THE VIRUS

You Need to Know

IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS

SARS is one of the most dangerous viruses on the face of the earth. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

It infects the lungs. It is one of the most dangerous and contagious diseases on the face of the earth because it is most often fatal.

The first appearance of SARS was discovered in China recently  in November of late 2002.

Within an extremely important period of time, only six weeks, the SARS virus had spread throughout the entire world. It was mainly spread by international travelers that did not know they had contracted the disease.

During that period of time the World Health Organization or WHO, said that close to 8,000 people were infected. Along with those infections a total of eight hundred people died of the SARS syndrome. During this initial outbreak the entire world was in a complete panic. The world was concerned over the fact that the virus could have turned into a global pandemic. The good thing is that this pandemic never occurred and there has not been an outbreak of SARS since 2004.

SARS has many signs and symptoms that are associated with it.

When someone first contracts SARS they have a low fever.

This symptom usually does not start until ten days after the virus is contracted. Some of the most obvious signs of contraction of the SARS disease is a headache and muscle soreness. Another symptom that some people get is chills or discomfort.

Many people develop a small, dry cough after approximately five days. Some cases of SARS can develop into bad cases of pneumonia resulting in depleted oxygen levels in the blood. If you do have SARS you should stay home because you don’t want to start a global pandemic! After symptoms go away, you should still stay home for approximately ten days to ensure that your illness is gone.

Knowing when to see a doctor can sometimes be difficult. If you have any of the signs or symptoms of SARS you should immediately seek medical assistance. Part of saving yourself from SARS is catching it early. If you let SARS go untreated for a long period of time then you may find that it becomes fatal. There is little chance that SARS will ever turn into another global pandemic. It is still important to monitor people for symptoms of SARS because there is always a possibility that the illness will resurface once again.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009

Tuberculosis or “TB?”

IS IT STILL WITH US?

Tuberculosis was a common and very deadly infectious disease that luckily is affecting fewer people since the world has available to it now a vaccine for it. Unfortunately, there are still a high number of people dying from this infection yearly. This disease, often abbreviated TB, is caused by mycobacteria such as Mycobacterrium tuberculosis. It most commonly attacks the lungs which is why it is associated and classified with other lung diseases and conditions. However, TB can also attack other parts of the body such as the central nervous system, circulatory system, bones, joints, skin and even the lymphatic system.

It may be shocking to know that over 1/3 of the world’s population has been exposed to the bacteria that cause TB at some time. However, not everyone who is exposed will contract TB. Some also have asymptomatic or latent tuberculosis infections. One in ten of these latent infections will develop into active TB. Untreated tuberculosis will kill more than half of people infected with it so if you know or suspect you have it, prompt treatment is crucial.

You should get to a doctor right away to be tested and treated for your TB infection before it worsens and causes death or severe, irreversible lung damage. TB also commonly affects people with AIDS, HIV and other immune-declining conditions. When the immune system is weakened, such as with these conditions, it makes it easier for the person to contract TB and harder for the body to fight it.

Symptoms of TB

Some symptoms of TB are chest pain, prolonged cough for more than three weeks, coughing up blood, fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, pallor and fatigue. These symptoms are also common in other conditions and diseases and other lung conditions so if you think you may have been exposed to TB and are now showing these symptoms, you will need to see your doctor for a definite diagnosis.

How do you get tuberculosis?

There are different ways of contracting TB. It is contagious if you are around someone else who has it. The person with TB may expel the bacteria when they breathe, cough, sneeze, talk, kiss or spit. It can also be contracted from sharing needles with a person who is infected. People in high risk conditions such as health-care workers or those people on immune-suppressant drugs will need to be extra careful of contracting tuberculosis.

Treatment for tuberculosis involves an antibiotic to kill the bacteria that are causing the disease. You may also be given medications to ease your symptoms until the bacteria is gone. You many be quarantined until the active stage is passed and you are no longer contagious. Treatment is very important to ensure you can live a long and healthy life, even after you’ve had tuberculosis.

There have been numerous peoples who have fully recovered from this disease called TB.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 24th August 2009