I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of DiMe Media for the TB Blood Test.
As a mom and grandmother, the health of my kids and grandkids is very important. That's why I spend countless hours not just taking my nine-year-old to her annual visits and other doctor appointments, I'm also the chauffeur for all of my grandkids doctors appointments. This past winter we were hit with illness after illness and were constantly at the doctors office and urgent care. As trying as it can be to always be at the doctors office, I do realize how lucky we are to have access to healthcare for our entire family.
A disease that has always worried me as a parent of five children, and now a grandmother of six kids, is tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a very serious disease that kills up to 1.5 million people per year worldwide.
TB is an airborne, highly contagious, infectious disease caused by a bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB infection, occurs when a person has the bacteria that causes TB in their body, but the bacteria are not causing any disease or symptoms. If you are diagnosed with latent TB there is a chance that the bacteria may cause disease in the future, so you are likely to be offered treatment to prevent this from happening.
We probably don't hear about TB on the news regularly so we might think that it's not a serious health problem, but did you know?
TB continues to be a major Health problem worldwide:
- 30% of humans are infected
- A new infection happens every three seconds
- And every 21 seconds, someone dies of TB
Those are some pretty scary facts. I was relieved when I heard that there is now a blood test that can help diagnose tuberculosis infection. This blood test is a major scientific advancement compared to the old TB test that we took as children, giving greater accuracy and a more reliable result.
With the TB blood test, a small blood sample is taken and then tested in a laboratory with no need to return to the doctor to get a result a few days later. Reliable results can be obtained within 24 hours and, if necessary, provided to you by telephone. The TB blood test is a more convenient way to test for TB, while being confident that we will receive an accurate, laboratory-based result.
Visit the TB Blood Test Website to get full information on the TB Blood Test.
These children are the most important people in my life, that's why I will make sure that they have been or will be tested for TB. All school age children between 5 – 18 years old need to be tested for tuberculosis in order to prevent the onset of the illness. Simplify the process by asking your doctor about the TB test during their next doctors appointment and find out more here.
