Why It Is Important To Get Tested For Tuberculosis
I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of DiMe Media for the TB Blood Test.
Visiting the hospital with sick children is never a fun thing to do, especially when you do not know what is wrong. Your child is miserable and you feel helpless!
As a mom, my children come first. When it comes to their health, I don’t want any surprises. I want simplicity so I can focus on what’s most important.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to get your school age children between 5-18 years of age tested for tuberculosis in order to prevent the onset of the illness.
There is a blood test that can help diagnose tuberculosis (TB) infection that is a major scientific advance over the 110-year-old skin test, giving greater accuracy and a more reliable result. Study results suggest that the TB blood test is more reliable than the traditional skin test for identifying individuals with latent TB who will soon progress to active TB, especially in children. The TB blood test is the only available method of testing for TB with completely objective results. Other tests, such as the skin test, are subjective and open to visual interpretation.
Furthermore, with the TB skin test, a tuberculin antigen is injected into the skin of the lower arm to cause an immune system response. Another visit to the doctor for a physical examination is necessary after a few days. If you are infected with TB, a raised lump will develop at the site where the tuberculin was injected. However, a previous TB vaccination is likely to cause a false-positive result and individuals may also experience severe itching at the puncture site.
What are the symptoms of active TB?
Symptoms include chronic cough, fever, unexplained weight loss and, if severe, night sweats and even coughing up blood. TB is an airborne, highly contagious, infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most frequently, TB affects the lungs, however, it can also cause disease in any part of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bones, brain, organs and eyes. Talk about scary!
If you become informed and understand TB, you may then see that it is important to get a blood test. The TB blood test is sooooo easy and won’t take you a lot of time. Because tuberculosis is such a serious disease, I am all for making sure all my kids are tested. I try all I can to be sure that my kids are safe and healthy.
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TB is such a serious disease that it is always worth making sure you get proper testing. I didn’t realize they had a blood test, only the skin pricks.
Knowing that children are sick is a very difficult thing to deal with. I love that this aims to enforce preventative care and early detection.
I’don’t rather have the blood test than the skin test. If it were a requirement for employment (it is where I work), I’d prefer it for my employees too.
My children have been tested and I remember doing this when I was little. It is so important to stay proactive on these sorts of things to keep families safe and happy.
I have never heard of this test before! This information is very useful! As you have said, health always comes first. So this test sounds better than the old one.