Important Points of Tuberculosis Treatment

Keep the body clean by frequent bathing. The clothes should also be kept clean. Keep the teeth clean by brushing them night and morning. Great care must be taken not to move about so much that it causes fatigue or a fever. In order that others do not contract the disease from him, the patient should have his own knife, fork, spoon, cup, dishes, towels, and bedding. They should not be washed along with the articles that the other members of the family use.

No tuberculosis patient should kiss or fondle any child, and he should never handle any food that is to be eaten by others. Keep flies out of the patient's room, if possible, but by all means do not allow them to get at the patient's sputum, which should be kept covered: Another important thing in the cure of tuberculosis is cheer­fulness. The one who is afflicted with tuberculosis will find that great benefit is secured by trusting in God; for God can heal all of man's diseases. If one loses hope and believes he will die it is very possible that he will die.

It is important that the patient's bowels move daily. Several glassfuls of water should be drunk every day in order to assist in washing out poisonous waste matters from the body. If there is much fever the patient may be sponged with a small amount of cold water. Continue the sponging with cold water for half an hour or more. When there is spitting of blood the patient should keep very quiet. The spitting of blood is often caused by the patient's lifting something heavy or exercising too vigorously. If there is spitting of a large amount of blood, cloths wet in ice water should be applied to the front of the chest. The cloths should be re-wet frequently in order that they may be kept constantly cool. If no ice can be obtained the cloth may be wet with cool water and then held by two of its corners and swung back and forth in the air a few times. This will make it very cool. Be careful not to chill the body. When one is ill with tuberculosis or any other wasting illness, one must be careful not to carry out too vigorous treatment.

After one has had tuberculosis and has apparently re­covered, he should remember that there is great danger of a recurrence of the disease, and the greatest care must be taken to guard the health and to avoid all those things mentioned in this chapter which lead to contracting the disease.(healtharticles.lk)