By Syed Khaled Shahbaaz, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: Passive lifestyle, junk food and weak immune system are leading to Brain and Spine TB. This was disclosed by eminent neurologists at an awareness program organized by the Helping Hand Foundation at the Owaisi Hospital and Research Centre.
Dr. Syed Ameer Basha, Consultant – Neurosurgeon, while addressing the awareness program, warned if not diagnosed in time, the Central Nervous System (CNS) TB could prove lethal citing that 50% of the infected people either die or are left with neurological deficit that paralyzes their regular lifestyle.
People hailing from weaker socio-economic backgrounds and lower financial strata are the most affected due to improper sanitation, unbalanced lifestyle and inadequate medical provisions and awareness.
Dr Basha said the migration of people from rural to developed areas, decreasing drug resistance and reduced resources of treatment and surveillance are factors leading to the resurgence of this disease.
Dr Basha urged the government to provide anti-tuberculosis treatment to the CNS TB patients for a longer duration against the short-term provision under the World Health Organization’s DOTS programme that is currently in place.
Prof. T. Umesh, Consultant – Neurophysician regretfully expressed that it is unfortunate that the masses are incognizant of a disease that has affected over 13.7 million patients worldwide and an annual incident report count of 9.7 million, with Africa and South East Asia the worst hit on global scale.
Urging the medical students to advance their clinical acumen, Prof Umesh, said the disease is often confused with low-grade fever, headache and confusion, symptoms that are concurrent with some other diseases adding that meticulous diagnosis was required to diagnose it in time and prevent fatal consequences.
Mr Mujtaba Hussain Askari, Managing Trustee & President – Helping Hand Foundation exclaimed that youngsters aged 15-25 years, mostly young girls and women, have shown rising incidents of CNS Tuberculosis and spine TB cases.
He said at least 3-4 cases of CNS TB and an equal number of Spine TB from old city alone were reported at their office every month. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, over 1 lakh cases of TB were reported in 2013-14, although the number of CNS TB and spine TB cases is not exactly known.
While Vitamin D consumption that lowers levels of bad inflammatory proteins and adequate exposure to sunlight can help kill the TB bacteria and prevent the disease bacteria from affecting the immune system. Minimum 2-4 weeks of critical care support is required for CNS TB patients to stabilize from the severe morbidity and other complication that arise due to the delay in the initiation of the treatment.
The best way to counter the disease is to prevent it as delayed treatment might warrant surgical interventions, he added.
HHF was formed as an NGO in 2007 to cater to the needs of the economically backward in the medical sector. The organization provides financial aid, guidance, counselling and support to the needy for their medical problems ranging from emergency surgeries, accident/trauma, cancer and kidney disease to HIV/TB etc.
In 2014-15, the foundation which has eminent panel of doctors from various facilities on its panel, has determined to take up “Preventive Health Care” in the form of education and awareness building, by collaborating with the government and other NGOs with focus on holistic child wellness, child cancer, food adulteration and contamination and chronic kidney diseases of unknown etiology.