Tuberculosis is a contagious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and these bacteria are transmitted through air.

These disease causing bacteria are discharged into the atmosphere or air in the form of minute droplets when patients infected with tuberculosis cough, speak, or sneeze. These droplets have a tendency to evaporate quickly but the bacteria continue to be air borne for a very long time.

People exposed to this air run the risk of getting infected by the disease. Having said the above, one must note that tuberculosis bacteria die when exposed to sunlight and ultraviolet light.

Before going into detail on how to prevent tuberculosis, we need to know the two main forms of tuberculosis; latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis.

Latent tuberculosis is not contagious mainly because it has not yet turned into full blown infection. However, if a person’s immunity is weak, latent tuberculosis could turn into active tuberculosis, which is highly contagious.

This is common among patients suffering from AIDS mainly because of their immune system is not strong enough to fight infections and their resistance is very low.

For people who test positive for tuberculosis, but are not showing any specific signs and symptoms of active TB, conventional medicine advises the use of certain medications to prevent getting infected by active tuberculosis. The treatment given in such cases is referred to as preventive treatment or therapy.

Preventive treatment involves taking medication like isoniazid (INH). This drug has the ability to destroy the disease-causing bacteria that are lying dormant in people with latent tuberculosis.

The duration of preventive therapy is for a period of six months and in high-risk patients which primarily include HIV/AIDS patients this treatment should be continued for a longer duration.

Active tuberculosis is the stage during which tuberculosis is highly contagious and patients with active tuberculosis can spread the disease to other people who are in his or her vicinity. It is therefore important to isolate patients suffering from active tuberculosis once they have been diagnosed with the disease.

In children, especially below the age of 1year, the Bacillus Camille Guerin (BCG) vaccine has been used for preventing certain types of tuberculosis. In adults, however, no vaccine is found to completely effective. Hence, extra caution needs to be exercised while treating patients with tuberculosis.

Also, an important point to note is that the use of vaccines has been linked to many conditions in children. Natural health and healing does not advocate the use of chemical drugs as there can always be safe and natural solutions which are just as effective as drugs. What is of foremost importance is to keep the body and its immune system clean, healthy and strong.

At healthcare facilities, hospitals, and other treatment centers, certain standard ventilation and air purification or filtration mechanisms are followed in an attempt to curb tuberculosis from spreading further.

Family and friends who were in close contact with patients diagnosed with tuberculosis are recommended to exercise additional caution. Conventional medicine may advise the use of antibiotics as a preventive measure toward how to prevent tuberculosis, but such people should work towards keeping their immune systems strong. Other herbal antibiotics such as garlic can be used.

In an attempt to minimize the risk of spreading tuberculosis and getting infected by the same, one must meet and interact with tuberculosis patients only after at least two weeks of treatment.

Nurses, physicians, other healthcare staff, family, and friends of patients might be advised to wear a micro filtration mask while interacting with patients suffering from tuberculosis mainly to protect themselves from catching the infection.

People suffering from persistent cough should try and avoid close interaction with people until they have been tested for TB, and others might want to maintain a safe distance from people with persistent coughs because there is a possibility of catching the infection.

Advise people who have a persistent cough to eat well and get exposure to morning sunlight. If the cough continues beyond three weeks and shows no signs of decreasing; it is best to consult a physician.

When in contact with patients suffering from tuberculosis or people with persistent coughs, it is advisable to wash your hands periodically with a disinfectant and warm water.

While traveling to countries where tuberculosis is not completely eradicated, conventional medicine might advise one to get vaccinated.

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