The parents of every child dream that he will never get sick. But sometimes it is not possible to avoid diseases even with constant monitoring of the he alth of your child. It is especially bad when a child becomes infected with an adult disease - tuberculosis. The children's body is not yet fully formed, so the pathology is much worse tolerated than at a more mature age. This carries the risk of developing serious complications, which are often even more dangerous than the disease that caused them.
Tuberculosis in a child: features and causes
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Koch's bacillus and other types of mycobacteria that are spread by talking, coughing, sneezing an infected person by airborne droplets. If a child with a weak immune system becomes ill with tuberculosis, the disease can be severe and cause various complications. It is especially dangerous when babies who are not yet two years old fall ill with tuberculosis - in this case, the likelihood of the disease spreading to the wholebody is higher. In older children, immunity is stronger, so the disease usually affects only the lungs and does not affect other areas of the body. Conditions conducive to infection with tuberculosis, in addition to weakened immunity, are malnutrition, poor living conditions, beriberi, frequent overwork.
Tuberculosis in a child: symptoms
Depending on the location of the infection and the form of the disease, the symptoms will also differ. When pulmonary tuberculosis develops, children do not stop coughing for a long time, fever is observed for no apparent reason, there is a decrease in attention, loss of appetite, fatigue, and a decrease in interest in learning. If there is tuberculous meningitis or miliary tuberculosis, more pronounced signs of intoxication will appear: high fever, shortness of breath, impaired consciousness. Parents often mistake the symptoms that tuberculosis causes in a child for signs of SARS or bronchitis. Please note that with tuberculosis, fever and cough persist for a long time.
Tuberculosis in a child: diagnosis
At school, all children periodically do a skin test for tuberculosis - Mantoux. If she gave a bad reaction, the child is sent to the doctor. If you yourself noticed suspicious symptoms in your child, also do not postpone going to the doctor. The specialist will conduct an external examination and, if there is suspicion, will prescribe the child to conduct studies such as x-rayslungs and the study of coughed up sputum under a microscope. Based on the results obtained, it will be possible to make an accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, begin urgent treatment.
Tuberculosis in a child: treatment
There are no particular differences in the treatment of this disease in adults and children. The schemes and drugs during therapy are the same. The child will be prescribed a so-called tuberculostatic drug. Get ready for the fact that the therapy will be long - it can last from six months or more. Nevertheless, in most cases, small patients tolerate the treatment quite well. After the end of the treatment course, it is worth going with the child to a sanatorium located in a dry climate.
