13 useful herbal remedies for tuberculosis in children

There are many deaths caused by tuberculosis in children. Therefore, parents cannot underestimate and need to be equipped with knowledge to early identify this disease.

In 2015, 1 million children aged 0-14 were infected with tuberculosis. Of which, 170,000 cases died from tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a serious and fatal disease. However, if caught early, you can prevent the possibility of a successful cure.

What is TB?

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a type of bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis that attacks, destroys body tissue and is transmitted through the air. When entering the body, the TB bacteria follow the bloodstream and the lymph can colonize, grow, and cause illness in any organ. Depending on the location of the disease, tuberculosis is divided into two main types: tuberculosis and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis includes tuberculosis of the kidneys, tuberculosis of the joints ... these TB forms are less contagious than tuberculosis.

Children are more likely to develop TB forms such as tuberculosis of the lymph nodes, tuberculosis of the peritoneum, tuberculosis of the pancreas, tuberculosis of the liver, and tuberculosis of the spleen.

In addition, this bacterium can also affect the genitals and stomach.

Millet TB in children is often associated with tuberculosis infection and is considered to be a complication of primary TB disease. This form of tuberculosis is common in children 3 years of age and younger. Millet tuberculosis damages many organs, but it can be cured.

Primary TB infection is easily spread from person to person through the air. Therefore, if a child who is around someone with TB is sneezing, coughing, singing or even talking, it is very easy to become infected.

The incubation period is the time when TB bacteria start to work and cause symptoms, usually 2 - 12 weeks. A child with TB can only spread it when the TB bacteria are active.

The three stages of tuberculosis

Exposure: The child has been in contact with an infected person.

Latent TB: TB bacteria have entered many parts of the body but they are still sleeping. Germs sleep while the body can fight them off. When the body is no longer able to fight off the germs, they wake up and begin to grow.

Tuberculosis: The baby begins to show TB symptoms and is positive with test results.

At what age are children often prone to TB?

Although TB ​​is not as common today as it used to be, it is still a disease that can be encountered at many different ages. This disease is common in people from 25 to 44 years old, the age most infected with HIV. Children with weak immune systems are often more vulnerable than others. In addition, a child is more likely to get TB if:

Living in a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis

Live in a place where many people have TB

HIV positive

Living in a house that is too narrow, lacks fresh air.

Causes of children with tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria are the main cause of infections in children. If a child has a healthy immune system, his body will automatically destroy the bacteria before it spreads.

If the bacteria is already active, it will spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph nodes. TB bacteria are usually slow growing and prefer places with lots of air. As a result, it usually resides in organs such as the lungs, bones, and kidneys.

TB is easily transmitted from person to person through the air. Understanding TB symptoms in children is the only way to catch the disease early and prevent it from spreading.

Symptoms of tuberculosis

Symptoms only appear when the TB bacteria are awake and active. Most children infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis will develop tuberculosis, but the time at which the bacteria first starts to appear will vary. This means that a baby develops these symptoms after 2 months, while some other babies develop symptoms 2 years after being infected. Common symptoms of tuberculosis:

Cough that lasts 3 weeks or more

Not good

Lost weight

Fever

Sweating and chills

Tired

Other symptoms: chest pain, bloody sputum, lymphadenopathy.

Your baby may have some or all of the above symptoms. This makes it very difficult for you to determine if your child has TB infection.

When to see a doctor?

You should take your child to see a doctor when the above symptoms persist and do not disappear after 1-2 weeks. Night sweats, cravings or even a cough are not necessarily the result of your baby's TB disease. However, these symptoms may be due to the child's illness and you should also see your doctor.

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in children

TB symptoms are very common. Hence, they are easily overlooked. It is best to determine if your child has TB or not, take him to the doctor for diagnosis. Diagnosis includes:

Test for sputum or biopsy

Perform tests to check bacterial activity. This helps the doctor know how much antibiotics the baby can take.

Take X-rays to see how far the bacteria have spread.

The tuberculosis subcutaneous test (the Mantoux test) is done to check if a child has previously been exposed to the TB bacteria. This test is done by injecting a small amount of the tuberculin protein (called an antigen) into the skin layer of your arm. If you have been exposed to the tuberculosis bacteria, your skin will react to the injected antigen manifested by a red bump at the injection site within 2 days.

In addition, your doctor also asks you to have your baby perform an interferon-gamma release test (IGRAs) to determine if your baby has latent TB infection.

Treatment of tuberculosis in children

TB can cause serious health complications for adults and children if it is not caught and treated early. Treatment can last from a few weeks to several months. However, it takes at least 6 months of treatment, including medication and home care, to completely remove the TB bacteria from the body.

Tuberculosis is often treated with antibiotics and other drugs to fight the TB bacteria. Children can take isoniazid, the drug used to treat latent tuberculosis, from 6 to 9 months. Sometimes babies don't need to drink for up to 6 months either.

If the TB bacteria are active, the doctor will give your child 3 to 4 different medications such as Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide and Ethambutol. These medications help kill the bacteria and prevent them from spreading to other parts of the body.

The exact treatment for each person will depend on the severity, stage of the disease, and the organ affected.

Prevention of tuberculosis in children

The best way to prevent tuberculosis is to get your child vaccinated with Bacillus Calmette - Guerin (BCG), the only vaccine available to prevent tuberculosis today. BCG vaccine helps protect children from different types of TB. If someone in your family has tuberculosis or HIV, do not let your child contact that person until they are completely sick.

How to care for a child with TB

Besides treatment, children with tuberculosis need careful care to recover early. Usually, children are quarantined if they have drug-resistant TB bacteria. When this is the case, the child is hospitalized until the symptoms subside.

If your child has other TB diseases, rest assured that the medicine will help cure it for a short time. You can take your child home and give him medicine. Here are a few tips to help you care for sick children at home:

Make sure your baby is taking the correct dose as prescribed by the doctor. If you have any of these side effects, get your child to the hospital right away.

A nutritious diet and a healthy lifestyle will help children regain the weight they lost during the illness.

Give your child as much rest as possible as the illness can make them tired.

Useful herbal remedies for children with TB

You can use natural herbs to help relieve the symptoms of TB while undergoing treatment as prescribed by your doctor. Here are some methods you can try:

1. Garlic contains compounds allicin and ajoene, which are resistant to and prevent the growth of TB bacteria. In addition, the sulfuric acid in garlic also helps to kill the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. Besides, garlic also helps to strengthen the immune system. You can give them raw garlic or add to their foods.

Nautilus has a number of medicinal herbs that are very useful to treat tuberculosis. This fruit also helps relieve the symptoms of the disease.

Boil the custard-apple meat.

Stew until water comes out.

Then, filter the water and give it 2 times a day to reduce TB symptoms.

3. Oranges have the ability to help children breathe easier by breaking down mucus. In addition, oranges also help strengthen resistance, improve children's health.

4. Bananas are a great cure for tuberculosis. Give your child a banana juice 2 times a day to reduce TB symptoms.

5. Moringa leaves have anti-tuberculosis properties. Boil the moringa leaves, let cool, and add a pinch of salt and lime. Give your baby a drink every morning on an empty stomach.

6. Peppermint helps to support the immune system and strengthens the body's resistance to infections.

7. Pineapple is a natural remedy that helps to remove mucus produced by bacteria. A glass of fresh pineapple juice per day helps to speed up the recovery process.

8. Celery has antispasmodic properties, helping to treat tuberculosis in children and adults.

9. Black pepper is used to relieve chest pain and eliminate mucus in the airways. In addition, it also has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces coughing and inflammation caused by bacteria.

10. Walnuts help strengthen the immune system, help children fight bacteria and prevent spread.

11. Green tea is rich in antioxidants that boost immunity. This makes green tea an excellent natural remedy for tuberculosis.

12. Sunlight also helps kill TB bacteria. Regular sun exposure is also a good idea.

13. Milk contains a lot of calcium. Give your child a glass of whole milk every day to support TB treatment.

Whether the disease is latent or already active, you need to take careful care of your baby to make sure he gets all the nutrients he needs to fight off the bacteria. You also need emotional support for your child as the illness has a strong and long-term impact on them. Children may think they will not be able to function like normal children. Your support and care will help your child to have enough confidence and energy to overcome the illness.