TB PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

As we grow older we must be reminded to exercise each day in order to keep muscles in good tone and to keep the blood circulating rapidly. Play is good mental relaxation for an adult. It is fun for all. It takes our minds off the cares of the day and keeps the body in good working order. Colds are commoner among people who live in overheated rooms. Moderate daily exercise, such as walking or playing outdoors, stimulates deep breathing. A rich supply of oxygen is carried into the lungs and helps to stop the T. B. germ. Avoid over-tiring or chilling. Over-exertion and fatigue weaken the body's resistance. Be sure to keep warm after exercising. Don't overdo.

You can take these precautionary measures on your own. But your physician must help to protect you against tuberculosis. You should have a complete physical examination with a chest X-ray at regular intervals, and at the first sign of illness.

The well-known symptoms of coughing, losing weight and spitting blood appear only when tuberculosis has been present for some time. The best time to look for T. B. is before you see any sign! or symptom. And the best way to find' out whether you have the disease is to have your chest X-rayed.

An X-ray takes but a few seconds. You merely take a deep breath, hold it—and that is all. The picture is then developed like a snapshot. The doctor looks at it to see whether T. B. germ? have done any harm to your lungs. T. B can be cured if it is treated in time.

When T. B. germs make a home in the human body they usually enter the lungs. Then one of several things can happen. A healthy body may fight off the germs, especially if they are few
Your body, is on the job all the time getting rid of dangerous germs. Most people do not know when their body has fought a round with tuberculosis germs and come out a winner. Very
often an X-ray picture shows the seal of old battles in the lungs.
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In other cases the body may not defeat all the T. B. germs. Millions of people have T. B. germs living in the! bodies, waiting for body resistance to weaken. The body holds its own against the germs. The battle goes on. Neither side is winning.

A chest X-ray can tell the doctor that a battle is in progress. To keep an eye on how the battle is going, the doctor 'will want to have more X-rays and careful examinations and tests.