Warning Signals

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 63

Warning Signals So you can see that a wide use of X-rays will in itself help the Maori people very greatly in solving their T.B. problem. The second point I wish to make is the need to pay heed to the Warning Signals. These are: Any cough lasting for more than a month. Any blood in the spit. Persistent tiredness and lack of energy. Steady loss of weight—getting thinner and thinner. A wet pleurisy, especially in a young person. Shortness of breath when the heart is not at fault. Profuse sweating during the night. An afternoon temperature which is not otherwise explained. Sometimes anaemia (lack of blood) and chronic indigestion are symptoms which show up. Now it may not be T.B. which is causing the trouble, but it is a wise step to make sure. There ought to be an X-ray as an ordinary medical examination may not reveal the presence of disease. The important thing is not to waste time before going to the doctor. The earlier T.B. is seen to, the better. It means a speedier and more successful result. With our new treatments the disease may indeed disappear entirely if treated soon enough. It also means that the risk of infecting others, usually the folk in the home, is very greatly reduced. Now both aims—quick recovery and diminished infection—are very desirable and in themselves will help greatly to solve the T.B. problem amongst the Maori people. There are lots of other things I could write about on this subject of tuberculosis. Some were dealt with in a 1953 number of Te Ao Hou. In my own booklet on T.B. which has recently been revised there is a section on Tuberculosis and the Maori people. If you are interested your