节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-06-16
难易度:Medium
关键字:treatment, side effect, combination, access, antibiotic, resistance,
prescribe
Welcome today to Studio Classroom Worldwide, friends.
My name is Steve.
Did you know tuberculosis causes more deaths worldwide than any other single
infectious disease except AIDS?
In 1993, tuberculosis was declared a global emergency by the World Health
Organization.
So yes, this "forgotten" disease is still a big problem today.
It still infects and it bears repeating.
It still causes sickness and death.
But don't let all of this scare you.
There is good news.
Let's open our magazines now to page 33 and read about that now.
Tuberculosis.
Until 50 years ago, there were no effective medicines for the treatment of
tuberculosis.
While all of that changed with the introduction of antibiotics, antibiotic
resistance is rapidly becoming a problem in the fight against TB.
At this point, antibiotic-resistant TB can often still be treated.
Unfortunately, doing so requires the use of expensive antibiotics, often with
negative side effects, for up to two years.
(Music).
Hello, everyone.
Thank you for joining us.
My name is Ryan.
And my name is Kaylah.
And we're back talking about tuberculosis, also known as TB.
That's right.
Now yesterday we were taking a little bit of a look at how this disease forms.
If you are sick a lot or if you use any kind of drugs or if you are too thin, if
you do not have enough body weight,
then your immune system could be compromised.
And that is when the bacteria forms into the disease TB.
That's right.
So be aware of your body.
Make sure your immune system stay strong for not only resisting tuberculosis,
but for resisting a lot of diseases.
OK. Now let's take a little bit a look at the history of this disease.
Until 50 years ago, there were no effective medicines for the treatment of
tuberculosis.
That's right, which is why we see it commonly in movies and in dramas because it
was a disease that could not cure.
So it was, if in fact, basically a death sentence, meaning the person would not
live.
So it adds to drama for stories... for historical stories; but it's not
really... it's not something we like to talk about.
Right. Now we do have effective drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis.
And it's interesting, Kaylah, that you used the word "cure" a little bit earlier
because that is kind of what the word "treatment" means.
That means that you are getting medicine in order to try to cure a disease.
That's right. That's using drugs or exercise or a certain kind of diet to help
cure a disease, to get rid of it completely.
So maybe you sprained your ankle.
And you have to go through some sort of treatment that is exercise to build its
muscles again.
Right. So maybe this doesn't always necessarily have to be a disease.
In fact, it can be anything; it doesn't even need to be physical.
There can... you can use different treatments.
For example, if I'm feeling tired and bored, then I can watch a movie as a
treatment for my boredom.
Oh, interesting.
That's an interesting use of the word "treatment." Now there are treatments
today.
That's right. For tuberculosis, there are treatments today.
And all of that changed with the introduction of antibiotics.
So there weren't treatments before, but now there are, with antibiotic
resistance.
And it is rapidly becoming a problem in the fight against TB.
OK. Well, antibiotics, let's go back and catch that word.
"Antibiotic" means a medicine or a chemical that can destroy harmful bacteria.
So you go to a doctor to get an antibiotic because you cannot get those by
yourself.
A doctor has to give those to you.
They're very strong medicines.
OK. So it gets rid of that bacteria.
We already know that it is bacteria that causes TB.
That's right.
Now if you are on "antibiotics," you need to take the entire system, not just
until you feel better.
But you have to take the entire treatment to kill the whole bacteria, or you can
start building up antibiotic resistance.
Exactly. And antibiotic resistance is when the bacteria in your body begins to
resist the antibiotics.
OK, so. Let's talk about that word: resistance.
Now "resistance" means a force which acts to stop the progress of something or
to slow it down.
So if you are going to resist someone pushing you, you're going to push back
against them.
You're trying to stop them really.
So if we're going to push on each other, you'd have to push against each other
to create resistance.
Now this is a different kind of resistance as it's a bacteria.
Right. The word essentially means to fight back.
And so the bacteria is learning how to fight back against the antibiotics if you
don't take all of the antibiotics that you are given.
So if it comes to that, at this point, antibiotic-resistant TB can often still
be treated, which is good because we can still take care of it.
But that's not the best option.
Yeah. And we see why.
We see that if you do try to treat it after you form antibiotic resistance,
then doing so requires the use of expensive antibiotics, often with negative
side effects.
That's right.
So if you don't finish your antibiotics, you can develop this resistance to it.
And then you'll have to take another round of antibiotics that would be higher
doses of drugs, higher doses of chemicals.
So they're going to be much more expensive and have negative side effects.
Yeah. And a side effect is usually an unpleasant effect that you have next to
the main effect.
So if I'm taking cold medicine, the main effect is to get rid of my cold.
But there could be side effects.
It could make me sleepy.
It could make me uh, a little bit unhappy.
That's right.
"Side effects" often include things like an upset stomach or maybe you don't
feel good, maybe you got extra tired.
Maybe you get... get hives, you get an ithing on your skin.
So side effects are... in here we're talking about negative side effects.
So these are not good things.
You need to finish your antibiotics if you ever have to use them.
Yeah. And just like the word "treatment," side effects can be used for other
things, other than medicine as well.
For example, if I watch a movie tonight, maybe a side effect would be that I
feel happier.
Or maybe a side effect could be that you're more tired.
Hmm. That could be another one too.
Positive or negative.
We're here, of course, with TB, talking about negative side effects.
And those could last for up to two years.
That's right.
You could have to take them up... for up to two years spending a lot of money
that you could have saved if you had just done the correct antibiotics in the
first place.
Now we're going to talk more about tuberculosis.
But first, let's watch today's skit.
(Music).
Oh. Tuberculosis, are you still around?
Oh, yes.
Fifty years ago, there was no effective medicine for my treatment.
But all changed with the introduction of antibiotics.
Yes! But I am rapidly becoming antibiotic-resistant.
And that's a big problem in the fight against you.
But you can still be treated and destroyed.
Yes, but it requires expensive antibiotics.
True.
And there are often negative side effects for up to two years.
That's why experts suggest prevention.
That's the best way to deal with you.
Prevention? Oh, no.
Oh, yes.
Education can ensure that doctors prescribe the right medicines.
But patients may not take antibiotics long enough.
So patients must continue to take medicine even after they feel better.
No. Stop the antibiotics.
Mr. T, there is hope fighting against you, even though the fight is a difficult
one.
Ah, yes! Millions of people contract me every year.
Yes, but it's becoming less common.
Why is that?
Well, it's due to a combination of factors.
Agencies are targeting TB like never before.
Stop targeting me!
TB, we will stop you.
Those you affect most will have improved access to healthcare.
No. No!
And we'll increase awareness of TB and effective ways to avoid you.
Stop. Stop.
You're killing me!
Exactly.Now go away.