Skip to Content

Tuberculosis – Spiritual Meaning, Symptoms, Causes, And Prevention

By: Author Bulgarea Candin

Posted on Last updated:

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria (which commonly affects the lungs) which are spread through the air from person to person, when an infected person sneezes, coughs or laughs.

Less frequently, this disease develops in areas outside the lungs, like – the joints and bones, the small glands which are part of the immune system, the reproductive system and bladder, the digestive system, and the nerves and brain.

About 9 million individuals get sick with this condition every year and 1.5 million people will die per year from this disease (most in less developed countries), according to the World Health Organization.

In 2017, an estimated 1 million children became ill with TB.

In the present day, it is estimated that a quarter of the worldwide population is infected with latent TB. But, since 1993, the number of TB cases has decreased in the US; however, this condition remains a concern worldwide.

Countries most affected by TB are:

  • Uzbekistan;
  • Armenia;
  • Ukraine;
  • Azerbaijan;
  • Turkmenistan;
  • Belarus;
  • Turkey;
  • Bulgaria;
  • Tajikistan;
  • Estonia;
  • Romania;
  • Georgia;
  • the Republic of Moldova;
  • Kazakhstan;
  • Lithuania;
  • Latvia;
  • Kyrgyzstan.

Not everyone who has the TB germ (approximately 2.2 billion individuals carry the germ and most of them have latent TB, meaning that their immune system protects them from getting sick) develops clinically active TB disease.

Individuals at the highest risk for developing this condition are those with a weak immune system, such as:

  • people suffering from a medical condition that weakens their immune system, including – diabetes, AIDS, or HIV;
  • people who undergo treatments that also weaken their immune system, like – chemotherapy;
  • children;
  • people who live in countries where there is a lot of patients with this condition;
  • people who work close to someone with the active form of this disease.

Symptoms

If you have the active form, you do have signs and symptoms as well as you can spread the disease to other people.

Nevertheless, in some cases, signs and symptoms might not develop until months or even years after the initial infection.

The Rarest Zodiac Signs: Is It You?
Trending
The Rarest Zodiac Signs: Is It You?

Symptoms include:

  • a cough for a month or longer. This cough usually starts out dry but later produces sputum (thick liquid from deep inside the lungs) or blood;
  • a loss of appetite;
  • night sweats;
  • weight loss;
  • coughing up blood;
  • fever;
  • chills;
  • a lack of energy or extreme tiredness;
  • chest pain;
  • high temperature.

If you have the latent form, you do not have signs and symptoms as well as you cannot spread this condition to other people.

Furthermore, sufferers with bone TB are commonly not contagious since it spreads through coughed-up active virus particles.

Causes

The TB bacterium can spread through only individuals with active TB infections. Coughing, sneezing, or talking can release the bacteria in the air, which can infect other people who are breathing the same air.

Note – TB bacteria can remain active in house dust for weeks, plus, it stay airborne for up to eight hours in closed spaces, like – movie theatres, classrooms, and airplanes.

Risk Factors

The following factors increase the risk that latent disease will develop into the active disease:

  • silicosis, a respiratory condition caused by inhaling silica dust;
  • infection with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS;
  • the use of corticosteroids or certain medications used for vasculitic or autoimmune diseases that suppress the immune system;
  • smoking tobacco;
  • Hodgkin’s disease (a type of blood cancer);
  • leukemia;
  • low body weight;
  • diabetes mellitus.

Diagnosis

This condition is commonly diagnosed by examining a specimen of your phlegm and a chest X-ray.

Also, examination with a stethoscope may reveal bronchial breathing, diminished breath sounds, coarse crackles, or tracheal deviation.

Spiritual Meaning of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis indicates a severe conflict of the Ego with all the life surrounding you.

You want too much from yourself and that has made you forget the wonderful breath of life.

20 Spiritually Inclined Celebrities (Russell Brand?)
Trending
20 Spiritually Inclined Celebrities (Russell Brand?)

Breathe again and open yourself to life in its unity and diversity and realize that there is enough for anything and anyone.

Treatment

Treatment of the active form will always involve a combination of many prescription medicines.

Note – all these medications can be highly toxic to your liver.

READ MORE: Asthma – Emotional & Spiritual Meaning

Prevention

Boosting your immune system is the best prevention for this condition and many others. You can simply do this by:

Exercise

Regular moderate physical exercise, which may include – walking (minimum 45 minutes), running, cycling, etc.;

Sleep

Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night.

Vitamin D

Spend time outside daily for at least 30 minutes to get natural vitamin D.

Destress

Practice at least 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation daily to reduce your stress levels.

Do not Smoke

Do not smoke cigarettes and avoiding second-hand smoking.

Nutrition

Have a diet rich in antioxidants, like:

  • peppers;
  • carrots;
  • red cabbage;
  • red kidney beans;
  • tomatoes;
  • sweet potatoes;
  • mangoes;
  • papayas;
  • squash;
  • pineapples;
  • apples;
  • pears;
  • bananas;
  • garlic;
  • red onions;
  • cherries;
  • strawberries;
  • broccoli;
  • cauliflower;
  • grapes;
  • kiwis;
  • apricots;
  • avocados;
  • lemons;
  • limes;
  • radishes;
  • turnips;
  • turmeric;
  • blueberries.

Image credit – Shutterstock

READ THIS NEXT: Cataracts – Spiritual Meaning

References

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(17)30703-X/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5477446/