Contents:
Medical Video: 5 Common Signs of Tuberculosis
- Definition
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis aka TB or TB is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bacteria usually attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack every part of the body such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB can be fatal
What are the signs and symptoms?
Symptoms of TB depend on the location in the body where the TB bacteria grows. TB bacteria usually grow in the lungs (pulmonary TB). TB in the lungs can cause symptoms such as:
- Bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or more
- Pain in the chest
- Bloody cough or sputum (phlegm from inside the lungs)
Other symptoms of tuberculosis are:
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Shivering
- Fever
- Sweating at night
Symptoms of tuberculosis in other parts of the body depend on the affected area.
People who have latent TB infections do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot transmit TB to others.
- How to overcome
What should I do?
If you think you have contracted someone with TB, you should contact your doctor or local health department for a TB skin test or a special TB blood test. Be sure to tell your doctor or nurse when you spend time with people who have TB disease.
It is important to know that people who are exposed to TB bacteria will not immediately spread bacteria to others immediately. Only people with active TB disease can spread TB bacteria to others. Before you can spread TB to others, you must breathe in the TB bacteria and become infected. Then active bacteria will multiply in your body and cause active TB. At this point, you might be able to spread TB bacteria to others. People with TB are most likely to spread bacteria to people who spend time with them every day, such as family members, friends, coworkers, or school friends.
Some people can contract TB immediately (within a weekly period) after being infected, before their immune system can fight TB bacteria. Other people may get infected many years later, when their immune systems become weak for other reasons. Many people who actually have TB infection never develop symptoms of TB.
When do I have to see a doctor?
If you think you have contracted TB, you should contact your doctor or local health department to get a TB skin test or a special TB blood test. Be sure to tell your doctor or nurse when you spend time with people who have TB disease.
- Prevention
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB). This vaccine is often given to infants and small children in several countries where TB is a common disease. However, BCG does not always protect people from TB transmission.
BCG vaccination should only be considered for children who have a negative TB skin test and who are constantly exposed, and cannot be separated from adults who:
- Ineffective treatment or treatment due to TB disease, and children cannot be given primary preventive treatment for long-term TB infection; or
- Having TB disease caused by voltage resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin.
Health Workers
BCG vaccination for health workers must be considered individually in certain environments, especially if there are:
- A high percentage of TB patients infected with strains of TB that are resistant to isoniazid and rifampicin
- There is ongoing transmission of strains of drug-resistant TB for health care workers and the possibility of subsequent infection
- Comprehensive TB infection control prevention measures have been implemented, but have not been successful
Health workers considered for BCG vaccination should be counseled about the risks and benefits associated with both vaccination and treatment of BCG latent TB infection.
Preventing TB Disease Exposure When Traveling Abroad
Tourists should avoid close or long-term contact with TB patients in crowded and closed environments (for example, clinics, hospitals, prisons, or homeless shelters).
Travelers who will work in clinics, hospitals, or other health care environments where there may be many TB patients should consult regarding control of infection with an occupational health risk management expert. They must ask about administrative and environmental procedures to prevent TB exposure. After the procedure is implemented, additional steps can include the use of personal respiratory protective equipment.
Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB. But some people who have latent TB infections are more likely to develop TB disease than others. Those who are at high risk for developing TB disease include:
- People infected with HIV
- People who have suddenly been infected with TB bacteria in the last 2 years
- Babies and children
- People who inject drugs
- People who suffer from other diseases that weaken the immune system
- Elderly people
- People who are not treated properly for a history of TB
If you have latent TB infection and you are in one of these high-risk groups, you should take medication to keep from developing TB disease. There are several treatment options for latent TB infection. You and your doctor must decide on the best treatment for you. If you take medication according to instructions, this can prevent you from getting TB. Because it only involves a few bacteria, treatment for latent TB infection is much easier than treatment for TB disease. Someone with TB has a large number of TB bacteria in the body. Some drugs are needed to treat TB disease.
