SYMPTOMS OF TUBERCULOSIS

Every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB). Despite being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year – making it the world's top infectious killer. TB is the leading cause of death of people with HIV and also a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. World Tuberculosis Day occurs yearly on March 24.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs and is caused by a type of bacteria. It spreads through the air when infected people cough, sneeze or spit.

Tuberculosis is preventable and curable.

How is TB Spread?

TB germs are put into the air when a person with TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. These germs can stay in the air for several hours, depending on the environment. Persons who breathe in the air containing these TB germs can become infected; this is called latent TB infection.

What Are the Symptoms of TB?

The general symptoms of TB disease include feelings of sickness or weakness, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. The symptoms of TB disease of the lungs also include coughing, chest pain, and the coughing up of blood. Symptoms of TB disease in other parts of the body depend on the area affected.

People with latent TB infection don’t feel sick and aren’t contagious. Only a small proportion of people who get infected with TB will get TB disease and symptoms. Babies and children are at higher risk.

Certain conditions can increase a person’s risk for tuberculosis disease:

• diabetes (high blood sugar)
• weakened immune system (for example, HIV or AIDS)
• being malnourished
• tobacco use.

Unlike TB infection, when a person gets TB disease, they will have symptoms. These may be mild for many months, so it is easy to spread TB to others without knowing it.

Common symptoms of TB:

• prolonged cough (sometimes with blood)
• chest pain
• weakness
• fatigue
• weight loss
• fever
• night sweats.

The symptoms people get depend on where in the body TB becomes active. While TB usually affects the lungs, it also affects the kidneys, brain, spine and skin.

What is the Difference Between Latent TB Infection and TB Disease?

People with latent TB infection have TB germs in their bodies, but they are not sick because the germs are not active. These people do not have symptoms of TB disease, and they cannot spread the germs to others. However, they may develop TB disease in the future. They are often prescribed treatment to prevent them from developing TB disease.

People with TB disease are sick from TB germs that are active, meaning that they are multiplying and destroying tissue in their body. They usually have symptoms of TB disease. People with TB disease of the lungs or throat are capable of spreading germs to others. They are prescribed drugs that can treat TB disease.

What Should I Do If I Have Spent Time with Someone with Latent TB Infection?

A person with latent TB infection cannot spread germs to other people. You do not need to be tested if you have spent time with someone with latent TB infection. However, if you have spent time with someone with TB disease or someone with symptoms of TB, you should be tested.

What Should I Do if I Have Been Exposed to Someone with TB Disease?

People with TB disease are most likely to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day, such as family members or coworkers. If you have been around someone who has TB disease, you should go to your doctor or your local health department for tests.

Prevention

Follow these steps to help prevent tuberculosis infection and spread:

• Seek medical attention if you have symptoms like prolonged cough, fever and unexplained weight loss as early treatment for TB can help stop the spread of disease and improve your chances of recovery.
• Get tested for TB infection if you are at increased risk, such as if you have HIV or are in contact with people who have TB in your household or your workplace. 
• If prescribed treatment to prevent TB, complete the full course. 
• If you have TB, practice good hygiene when coughing, including avoiding contact with other people and wearing a mask, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and disposing of sputum and used tissues properly.

Special measures like respirators and ventilation are important to reduce infection in healthcare and other institutions.

Treatment

Tuberculosis disease is treated with antibiotics. Treatment is recommended for both TB infection and disease.

The most common antibiotics used are:

• isoniazid
• rifampin
• pyrazinamide
• ethambutol
• streptomycin.

To be effective, these medications need to be taken daily for 4–6 months. It is dangerous to stop the medications early or without medical advice. This can allow TB that is still alive to become resistant to the drugs.

Tuberculosis that doesn’t respond to standard drugs is called drug-resistant TB and requires more toxic treatment with different medicines.

References

WHO

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention