Diseases and Health Tips

World Tuberculosis Day: The 3 most common Indian myths about TB!

When it comes to the biggest worldwide killer that kills through a single infectious agent, Tuberculosis comes second only to HIV/AIDS, says the World Health Organization. Despite the gravity of the situation being such, there's still so much hearsay about TB in India that it gets hard to separate truth from fiction. Still, people believe that TB belongs to poor people, it is only a lungs' disease or it is incurable! Because of this, we thought it imperative to dispel the most common myths about Tuberculosis on this World Tuberculosis Day. We got in touch with Dr. Bornali Dutta, Associate Director Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Medanta – The Medicity and Dr Kailash Naath Gupta, Interventional Pulmonologist, Visiting Fellow, University of Pennsylvania. As per their insights, we found the following three to be the most common myths about TB that need to be debunked right 

Tuberculosis means an infection in the lungs.

Dr Bornali says, "Tuberculosis can occur in any organ of the body but the one that is infective is that in the lungs, that is pulmonary tuberculosis. This is the reason it gets the most, and sometimes all, the attention." In fact, TB can occur anywhere in the body: abdomen, lymph nodes, the bones, the sexual organs and even in the urinary tract. Genital TB may also be transmissible but it is very, very rare.

Also, even pulmonary tuberculosis has its types, primarily two - Smear-positive and smear-negative. It is only when the infection is smear-positive that it is highly infectious. When one has smear-positive TB, he spreads it to 12 to 15 people in a year. However, when the disease is smear-negative, it only spreads to 3 to 4 people in a year through an infected person.

Tuberculosis patients need to be isolated.

Dr Bornali couldn't emphasize it enough when she said that TB spreads only through cough or the sputum of the infected person. "It is only through air that it spreads. If a TB patient coughs and his sputum gets released in the air, it is only then that you get the infection." Both the doctors said that it is okay to, and in fact you must, eat with the person and not isolate him. "Bearing the disease in itself is enough. Social isolation will only worsen the matters for the patient," said Dr Bornali. She pointed out that it is imperative for TB patients to cover their mouths with a mask so that any secretion of the lung gets contained and not spread to others.

Getting Tuberculosis means the end of life.

Dr Kailash said that whenever he breaks to his patients that they have TB, they say, "But we never had in it in our family. We can't get it." They go into a denial mode, he said and why so? They fear the disease. For them, TB is incurable. Dr Bornali, equally concerned about the fact, said that, WHO recommends a six-month regimen for the treatment of the disease and post its administration, the patient is completely cured of the disease.

Besides these three, there are a few more myths that were shared by the doctors and need to be mentioned and debunked.

Dr Bornali says that people still call TB a poor man's disease. She, on the contrary, encounters patients from all the economic stratas and in fact, from the middle class mostly during her OPD sessions.

Also, she thinks that people do not know the difference between a TB infection and the disease. She said that if mantoux test is carried, about 40 per cent of the people show positive results for the TB bacteria. However, this does not mean that they have the infection. Their immunity is strong and fighting off the infection and hence, it does not turn into a disease.

Cataract

What Is a Cataract?

A cataract is a dense, cloudy area that forms in the lens of the eye. A cataract begins when proteins in the eye form clumps that prevent the lens from sending clear images to the retina. The retina works by converting the light that comes through the lens into signals. It sends the signals to the optic nerve, which carries them to the brain.

It develops slowly and eventually interferes with your vision. You might end up with cataracts in both eyes, but they usually don’t form at the same time. Cataracts are common in older people.

Symptoms of Cataracts

Common symptoms of cataracts include:

• blurry vision
• trouble seeing at night
• seeing colors as faded
• increased sensitivity to glare
• halos surrounding lights
• double vision in the affected eye
• a need for frequent changes in prescription glasses

What Causes Cataracts?

There are several underlying causes of cataracts. These include:

• an overproduction of oxidants, which are oxygen molecules that have been chemically altered due to normal daily life
• smoking
• ultraviolet radiation
• the long-term use of steroids and other medications
• certain diseases, such as diabetes
• trauma
• radiation therapy
• 
  

Types of Cataracts

There are different types of cataracts. They’re classified based on where and how they develop in your eye.

• Nuclear cataracts form in the middle of the lens and cause the nucleus, or the center, to become yellow or brown.
• Cortical cataracts are wedge-shaped and form around the edges of the nucleus.
• Posterior capsular cataracts form faster than the other two types and affect the back of the lens.
• Congenital cataracts, which are present at birth or form during a baby’s first year, are less common than age-related cataracts.
• Secondary cataracts are caused by disease or medications. Diseases that are linked with the development of cataracts include glaucoma and diabetes. The use of the steroid prednisone and other medications can sometimes lead to cataracts.
• Traumatic cataracts develop after an injury to the eye, but it can take several years for this to happen.
• Radiation cataracts can form after a person undergoes radiation treatment for cancer.
• 
  

Treatment of Cataracts

If you’re unable or uninterested in surgery, your doctor may be able to help you manage your symptoms. They may suggest stronger eyeglasses, magnifying lenses, or sunglasses with an anti-glare coating.

Surgery

Surgery is recommended when cataracts prevent you from going about your daily activities, such as reading or driving. It’s also performed when cataracts interfere with the treatment of other eye problems.

One surgical method, known as phacoemulsification, involves the use of ultrasound waves to break the lens apart and remove the pieces.

Extracapsular surgery involves removing the cloudy part of the lens through a long incision in the cornea. After surgery, an artificial intraocular lens is placed where the natural lens was.

Surgery to remove a cataract is generally very safe and has a high success rate. Most people can go home the same day as their surgery.

Prevention of Cataracts

To reduce your risk of developing cataracts:

• protect your eyes from UVB rays by wearing sunglasses outside
• have regular eye exams
• stop smoking
• eat fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants
• maintain a healthy weight
• keep diabetes and other medical conditions in check

Thank you

Kannan.s Optometrist

Retinal diseases

Retinal diseases vary widely, but most of them cause visual symptoms. Retinal diseases can affect any part of your retina, a thin layer of tissue on the inside back wall of your eye.

The retina contains millions of light-sensitive cells (rods and cones) and other nerve cells that receive and organize visual information. Your retina sends this information to your brain through your optic nerve, enabling you to see.

Treatment is available for some retinal diseases. Depending on your condition, treatment goals may be to stop or slow the disease and preserve, improve or restore your vision. Untreated, some retinal diseases can cause severe vision loss or blindness

Symptoms

Many retinal diseases share some common signs and symptoms. These may include:

• Seeing floating specks or cobwebs
• Blurred or distorted (straight lines look wavy) vision
• Defects in the side vision
• Lost vision

• Types

  Common retinal diseases and conditions include:
• Retinal tear. A retinal tear occurs when the clear, gel-like substance in the center of your eye (vitreous) shrinks and tugs on the thin layer of tissue lining the back of your eye (retina) with enough traction to cause a break in the tissue. It's often accompanied by the sudden onset of symptoms such as floaters and flashing lights.
• Retinal detachment. A retinal detachment is defined by the presence of fluid under the retina. This usually occurs when fluid passes through a retinal tear, causing the retina to lift away from the underlying tissue layers.
• Diabetic retinopathy. If you have diabetes, the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the back of your eye can deteriorate and leak fluid into and under the retina. This causes the retina to swell, which may blur or distort your vision. Or you may develop new, abnormal capillaries that break and bleed. This also worsens your vision.
• Epiretinal membrane. Epiretinal membrane is a delicate tissue-like scar or membrane that looks like crinkled cellophane lying on top of the retina. This membrane pulls up on the retina, which distorts your vision. Objects may appear blurred or crooked.
• Macular hole. A macular hole is a small defect in the center of the retina at the back of your eye (macula). The hole may develop from abnormal traction between the retina and the vitreous, or it may follow an injury to the eye.
• Macular degeneration. In macular degeneration, the center of your retina begins to deteriorate. This causes symptoms such as blurred central vision or a blind spot in the center of the visual field. There are two types — wet macular degeneration and dry macular degeneration. Many people will first have the dry form, which can progress to the wet form in one or both eyes.
• Retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a degenerative disease that affects the retina.

• Treatment

• reatment of retinal disease may be complex and sometimes urgent. Options include:

  • Using a laser. Laser surgery can repair a retinal tear or hole. Your surgeon uses a laser to heat small pinpoints on the retina. This creates scarring that usually binds (welds) the retina to the underlying tissue. Immediate laser treatment of a new retinal tear can decrease the chance of it causing a retinal detachment.
  • Shrinking abnormal blood vessels. Your doctor may use a technique called scatter laser photocoagulation to shrink abnormal new blood vessels that are bleeding or threatening to bleed into the eye. This treatment may help people with diabetic retinopathy. Extensive use of this treatment may cause the loss of some side (peripheral) or night vision.