Consumption is an outdated name for the world-famous terrible disease tuberculosis. It is a chronic infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. In most cases, the respiratory organs are affected by tuberculosis mycobacteria, but tuberculosis of the eyes, joints and bones, peripheral lymph nodes and genitourinary organs also occurs in medical practice.
Statistics
Consumption was widespread in tsarist Russia. Most often, the poorest peasants suffered from the disease, who were subjected to cruel exploitation day after day. A sharp rise in mortality from this disease occurred in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Transient consumption in the 19th century became a real scourge of the country, claiming millions of lives every year. At that time, every 7th inhabitant of Europe died from this disease.
In the middle of the 20th century, consumption continued to be a common disease in all countries of the world. Currently, according to the World He alth Organization, there are approximately 20 million people with consumption on the planet, and 7 million of them have a contagious form of the disease. More than 1 million people annuallydies of consumption, and about 3.5 million fall ill with it.
A bit of history
People in the distant past believed that consumption was a contagious disease, since those caring for the sick soon began to get sick with it themselves. Various assumptions were made about the nature of this disease, but they were all untenable.
Significant progress in understanding the nature of the disease was achieved in the 19th century. A huge role in this was played by such world-famous scientists as Jean-Antoine Villemier, Rene-Théophile Lannec and Robert Koch. So, Lannack created an anatomical and clinical method involving the use of a stethoscope invented by him. Wilmen managed to prove that consumption is contagious. And in 1882, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was discovered by Koch, later named after him. Therefore, in a modern way, consumption is tuberculosis.
For 8 years after the discovery of the bacillus, Koch conducted immunological experiments on tuberculosis cultures. The results obtained have made a huge contribution not only to treatment, but also to the prevention of the disease.
Features of the disease
The causative agent of consumption is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which for a long time (up to six months) can remain viable and rapidly develop resistance to various drugs.
The source of infection is a human carrier of consumption. As a rule, the disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, however, it is quite likely that tuberculosis infection will also penetrate through the intestines intocase of consumption of meat or milk of sick animals.
In the tissues where the pathogen has settled, foci of inflammation are formed, which undergo caseous necrosis and further melting due to exposure to bacterial toxins. With a high degree of immunity resistance, these foci are able to calcify. Under unfavorable conditions, a melting focus of necrosis of the cavity-cavern is observed.
Consumption: symptoms
Consumption can present with a variety of symptoms, including the following:
- Fever. An increase in body temperature is usually tolerated by patients quite easily and often practically does not feel it. Usually during the day the temperature remains normal, and by the evening it rises by 1 or 2 degrees for a short time, and such jumps are not constant and can occur a couple of times a week.
- Excessive sweating. Patients with consumption in the early stages of the disease often complain of excessive sweating on the chest and head. The symptom of "wet pillow" or severe sweating can be observed with miliary tuberculosis, caseous pneumonia and other severe forms of consumption.
- Shortness of breath. The lungs are not able to provide the body with the necessary amount of oxygen, and therefore, during even minor physical exertion, shortness of breath occurs.
-
Consumption: symptoms Cough. In the early stages of the disease, cough as such may be absent, patients only occasionally note the time that occurs.from time to time coughing. With the progression of consumption, the cough intensifies and can be both unproductive (dry) and productive (with sputum). Dry cough is typical for the initial period of the development of the disease, while progressive tuberculosis is accompanied by sputum when coughing.
- Hemoptysis. Usually this symptom is observed in cirrhotic, fibrous-cavernous infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis. As a rule, hemoptysis gradually stops, however, after the release of fresh blood, the patient continues to cough up dark clots for several more days.
- Chest pain. Most often they are noted during a cough. This suggests that in addition to the lungs, the destructive process also affected the pleural sheets.
Time of onset of symptoms
Consumption is a disease that may not make itself felt for a long time. The body of most infected people is able to fight the pathogen, while preventing its growth. However, the infection does not leave the body, but simply passes into an inactive form. A person will not experience symptoms of the disease, moreover, consumption may not develop at all. But as soon as the immune system weakens, the disease can be transformed into an active form. In this case, the symptoms of the disease can make themselves felt months or even years after infection.
Features of treatment
Consumption is a disease that requires complex treatment, including the use of antibacterial drugs and vitamin therapy. For the patient to recover, simultaneoustaking several anti-tuberculosis drugs, since only the combined effect of several drugs can destroy Koch's bacillus.
The main method of combating consumption is multicomponent anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. In the later stages of the disease, it is recommended to carry out surgical intervention - resection of the affected part of the lung.
In modern times, consumption is a curable disease. The main thing at the same time is to remember that the earlier this disease was detected, the easier it will be to get rid of it.
