Tuberculosis is a chronic multisystemic disease. Lungs are the main target organs but it can also affect any organ of the body, commonly the brain, abdomen, kidneys, and adrenal glands being involved. A person may recover his health completely after finishing antitubercular chemotherapy but all are not so lucky. Some may suffer from complications and sequel of the disease, while some may suffer from drug toxicity. Anorexia or loss of appetite is one of the salient features of tuberculosis which along with low grade fever raises suspicion of tuberculosis. This anorexia results in chronic malnutrition in the sufferer. He not only becomes malnourished but also cachexic in most of the cases. Medicines add to the nausea and loss of appetite. The result is some of the persons continue to be very weak even after finishing the course of medicine and the infection being eradicated. If treatment has been delayed lungs are at risk of permanent damage. Even after completion of treatment, due to healing by fibrosis and many other factors there is impaired ventilation of the lungs. Victims off suffer breathlessness on exertion, working efficiency is decreased, he one is prone to tiredness. These persons are also at high risk of sudden death due to respiratory failure. Impairment of ventilatory capacity of the lungs is further aggravated in case of smokers or persons working in places of excess exposure to dust such as in mines, factories or in fields. A person with lung damage is more prone to recurrent respiratory tract infections, because the lungs can no longer effectively expel infectious germs and potential toxic substances. In chronic cases there are more chances of malignancy developing in the affected lung. Those suffering from tuberculosis of intestines or peritonitis (i.e. tuberculosis of the peritoneal cavity) are prone to suffer from chronic constipation and pain in abdomen even after completion of therapy because of adhesions formed around intestines. If one has suffered from tubercular meningitis, or any other affection of the brain, the neurological damage and sequel may take much longer to heal and sometimes the unfortunate person may suffer from life long handicap. A person, who has finished full course of therapy for T.B. pericarditis i.e. covering of the heart, may continue to suffer from cardiac failure because of the increased burden on the diseased heart. Ironically the above mentioned sequels of tuberculosis masquerade as reinfection or incompletely treated tuberculosis, thus at times making the person take another 3 to 6 months of anti tubercular chemotherapy. Inadvertently, the person is exposed more to the medicines as well as their toxic effects. On one hand these medicines eradicate the dangerous tubercle bacilli but on the other hand they also produce toxic effects which may sometimes persist even after duration of therapy is over. Particularly troublesome is peripheral neuritis induced by isonex in which one suffers from severe burning pain in the feet. This problem is further aggravated in diabetics and smokers. Alcoholics are susceptible to develop chronic liver damage by alcohol which is further potentiated by some antitubercular drugs. Some tips Eat well Attention to nutrition is vital in a patient suffering from tuberculosis. Even if he suffers from anorexia, he should be made to eat small frequent meals. Food taken should be balanced and containing essential nutrients. Intake of water in large amounts along with green vegetables and fruits ensures that constipation does not develop. Proteins are very necessary to repair the tissue breakdown, while vitamin B. complex helps in combating peripheral neuropathy. Deep breadths Regular breathing exercises help build the ability to ventilate in the damaged lung and also enhance the function of the intact lung. Thus a person will not suffer from breathlessness and will be able to carry out his routine work. It should go without saying that smokers should give up. Contact: rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk
