Tuberculosis: Avoid sharing rooms with family, Physician warn patients
HEALTHDIGEST– The Director, Health Services, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Rasheed Odunola, has advised people with tuberculosis to avoid sleeping in the same room with their family members.
He gave the advice while speaking with journalists on Friday, noting that this would help to reduce the chances of spreading the disease.
He encouraged TB patients to protect their loved ones and friends by always staying at home.
The expert urged TB patients to always ventilate the room they stay to use a tissue to cover their mouth while sneezing or coughing.
“There is need for them to wear a face mask when around other people, especially during the first three weeks of treatment,” he added.
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Dr. Odunola said early diagnosis and treatment is the most potent way to curb the spread of TB.
He appealed to individuals to immediately visit the hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment once they observe symptoms like unexplained weight loss, fever, persistent cough, general feeling of fatigue, and whenever they have been exposed to TB.
“A person may develop this preventable disease after inhaling mycobacterium tuberculosis which can be spread to others through air droplets. And this can happen when a person with TB talks, sneezes, coughs, laughs or spits,” he said.
The medical expert also advised cigarette smokers to quit smoking, adding that cigarette and other forms of smoking increases the risk of developing TB, adding, “The habit of smoking makes treatment of TB harder.”
(NAN)
