Tuberculosis

Q. What is Tuberculosis?
A. Tuberculosis or TB is an illness caused by a germ called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The lung is the organ most commonly infected. The germ may occasionally infect the lymph glands, bones and joints and many other parts of the body.

Q. How do you catch it?
A. TB is mostly caught by breathing in the tiny drops coughed up or sneezed by a person who has TB. These drops are invisible and may contain TB germs. Once inhaled, the germs invade the lungs and slowly multiply.

Q. What are the symptoms of TB?
A. The symptoms of TB include fever, cough, loss of weight and being tired. There may also be sweats, particularly at night. The cough may produce phlegm and sometimes blood.

Q. How is it diagnosed?
A. TB can only be diagnosed with certainty if the TB germ is found in the body fluid or organ. Finding the germ allows the lab to find out which drugs will be most effective in treating the TB germ. It may not always be possible to isolate the TB germ in which case treatment can be started based on other corroborative evidence.

Q. How is it treated?
A. TB is treated with four or more antibiotics taken together, for a period of many months. The exact length of time varies and depends on various factors. People who take TB drugs need regular follow-up to monitor for side effects.

Obstructive Sleep Aponea (OSA)

Q. 1. Who gets OSA?
A. OSA is more common in overweight middle aged population who snore. OSA can also present in people who are middle aged or overweight in such people a blocked nose, small jaw, enlarged tongue, big tonsil and uvula leads to blocking of the upper airway during deep sleep.

Q. What are the symptoms of OSA?
A. Although a person with OSA may not be aware of the many arousals from deep sleep, they suffer from poor quality sleep in spite of long periods of time spent in bed. Such people wake feeling that they have not had a full refreshing night's sleep. They often report difficulty maintaining concentration during the day, have a poor memory and suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness which is often progressive.

Q. What problems can happen due to OSA?
A. It is an important and treatable risk factor for high blood pressure, heart attack, heart failure, diabetes and stroke. It also increases the risk of accidents in the workplace and on the roads.

Q. How is OSA assessed?
A. This is done by an overnight sleep study. During this the sleep quality and breathing are measured while the person sleeps. More than one overnight study if often needed. The first is to measure what is going on , and the second is to start the treatment if needed.

Q. How is OSA treated?
A. General measures like losing weight, avoiding alcohol and good sleep hygiene is recommended for all patients. Specific measures include positive pressure airway pressure pump (CPAP/ BiPAP) overnight.

Asthma

Q. What Is Asthma?
A. Asthma is a disease that affects the breathing passages, or airways, of the lungs. Asthma is a chronic (ongoing, long-term) inflammatory disease that causes difficulty breathing. When an exacerbation or "attack" of asthma takes place, the inflammation in the airways causes the lining of the breathing passages to swell. This swelling narrows the diameter of the airway, eventually to a point where it is hard to exchange enough air to breathe comfortably. This is when coughing, wheezing, and the sensation of distress start.

Q. What Causes Asthma?
A. While there is no known specific cause of asthma, what all people with asthma have in common is chronic airway inflammation. Their airways are highly sensitive to various triggers. When their airways come into contact with a trigger, the airways become inflamed (they fill with mucus, swell, and narrow).

Q. How is asthma diagnosed?
A. This often involves performing breathing tests and blood tests to search for and rule out other causes of the symptoms (not all wheezing is asthma). A chest X-ray may also be taken to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.

Q.4. What Are Medications for Asthma?
A. There are two types of asthma medications relievers & preventers. Controller medications are for long-term control of persistent asthma. They help reduce the inflammation in the lungs that is behind asthma attacks. Controller medications should be taken every day whether someone is having symptoms or not. Rescue medications are taken after an asthma attack has begun. They stop the acute attack