Contents:
- Medical Video: Tuberculosis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments (Hindi)
- Lean-faced left-handed people are at high risk of developing TB
- How come?
- TB can be prevented easily
Medical Video: Tuberculosis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments (Hindi)
Reporting from the CNN Indonesia page, TB is included in the top 10 diseases that cause the most deaths in the world. Even based on WHO data in 2015, it is known that Indonesia is included in the top 6 countries with the most recent cases of TB disease.
New research suggests that thin-faced left-handed people tend to be at higher risk of developing TB. How come? See the explanation in this article.
Lean-faced left-handed people are at high risk of developing TB
Tuberculosis (TB or TB) is a lung infectious disease caused by bacteriamycobacterium tuberculosis. Anyone can get TB because this bacteria spreads through the air, when people with coughing or sneezing are not closed.
A recent study published in the Journal of Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, states that left-handed people who have a thin face are more at risk of being infected with tuberculosis.
This fact was revealed in a survey conducted by researchers from the University of Washington involving more than 13 thousand people in Washington, United States. As a result, the researchers found that left-handed people tended to have a narrow jaw shape and a high risk of being infected with tuberculosis.
How come?
People who have a narrow jaw (appear to have a thin face) tend to have a high tooth structure, aka overbite. Overbite is a jaw deformity that occurs when the rows of the upper front teeth are more prominent than the lower front teeth.
This jaw structure allows the person to breathe more often through the mouth, apart from the nose. These two airways are reported to increase the risk of transmission of tuberculosis compared to people who have a normal jaw structure.
Then, what is the connection with the left hand? Some studies have found that some regions of the world that have a population of left-handed, gaunt-faced people are quite high, and are also reported as areas that are vulnerable to TB epidemics. For example in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, Eskimos are described as TB-resistant populations because they have large and "sturdy" physical characteristics, and show the dominance of the right hand to move.
No less surprising, the results of this study are in line with previous research carried out by a Greek doctor for more than 2,000 years ago. The doctor found that there was a connection between the owner of a narrow jaw and the risk of tuberculosis. Even so, further research is needed to find more accurate evidence.
TB can be prevented easily
Not that every left-handed and gaunt-faced person will automatically be infected with TB.
TB is caused byMycobacterium tuberculosis which spreads through the air. This bacterium can be inhaled by healthy people if it comes in contact with tuberculosis patients or through the air that has been contaminated with tuberculosis through coughing. In addition, your risk of being infected with TB can increase if you have a weak immune system. For example because of certain chronic diseases, such as HIV / AIDS, diabetes, end-stage kidney disease, or cancer.
Regardless of your risk factors, TB infection can be prevented by simple lifestyle changes, such as:
- Routine hand washing uses soap and running water after doing activities.
- Do not spit and throw phlegm carelessly.
- Make sure if your house has good air circulation to prevent bacteria from staying indoors.
For those of you who have been diagnosed with TB, don't forget to always wear a mask while in a crowded place to avoid spreading germs to healthy people. Cover your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief when sneezing or coughing. This also applies to healthy people wearing masks every time they interact with people with TB. Don't forget to routinely take TB medication and consult a doctor to control the symptoms.
