What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread by inhaling droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. It primarily affects the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body, including the abdomen (stomach), glands, bones, and nervous system. Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began to increase in 1985, partly due to the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The human immunodeficiency virus weakens a person’s immune system, so it cannot fight the Tuberculosis germs.
In the United States, due to strong control programs, tuberculosis began to decline again in 1993. But it is a cause for concern. Many strains of tuberculosis are resistant to the drugs used to treat the disease. People with active tuberculosis must take several types of drugs for months to get rid of the infection and prevent antibiotic resistance. According to reliable sources of the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease killed 1.5 million people in 2020. Tuberculosis is also known as the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, it is the second leading infectious cause of death after COVID-19.
Types of Tuberculosis
A TB infection does not always mean you will get sick.
Latent TB. There are germs in your body, but your immune system prevents them from spreading. No symptoms appear, and you are not infectious. But the infection is still alive and may become active one day. If you are at high risk of reactivation – for example, if you have HIV, have had an infection in the past 2 years, have an abnormal chest X-ray, or have a weakened immune system – Your doctor gives you medicines to prevent active TB.
Active TB. Germs grow and make you sick. You can spread the disease to others. Ninety percent of active cases in adults come from latent TB infection.
Symptoms of TB
Common symptoms of TB include:
- A persistent cough that lasts more than 3 weeks and usually brings up mucus, which may be bloody
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
- high temperature
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling in the neck
- You should see a GP if you have a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks or if you cough up blood.
When to see a doctor
Check your doctor if you have a fever, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or a persistent cough. These are often signs of TB but can also result from other conditions. Also, see your doctor if you think you may have TB.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people at increased risk of tuberculosis be screened for latent TB infection. This recommendation includes people who:
- There is HIV/AIDS.
- Use IV medications.
- Are you in contact with affected people?
- Are from countries where TB is common, such as Latin America, Africa, and many countries in Asia
- Live or work in areas where tuberculosis is common, such as prisons or nursing homes
- Work in health care and treat people at high risk of TB.
HIV and TB
People living with HIV have a higher risk of contracting the infection and dying from TB. In fact, according to a WHO trusted source, TB is the leading cause of death among HIV-positive people. Untreated latent TB is more likely to develop into active TB in a person living with HIV. This makes TB testing mandatory for everyone with HIV-positive status.
People living with HIV can take some important steps to help reduce the risk of this bacterial infection:
- Get tested for TB.
- Taking HIV medication as advised by a healthcare professional.
- Avoid being close to someone with TB.
- Trying to stop smoking – Smoking can increase the risk of getting TB and reduce the response to HIV and TB treatment.
- Eating a nutritious, balanced diet helps reduce the risk of HIV complications and improves drug absorption.
- Exercise regularly, if possible, to promote immune system health.
Causes of Tuberculosis
Contagious type, but it is usually spread after prolonged exposure to someone with the disease. In most healthy people, the body’s natural defenses against infection and disease (the immune system) kill the bacteria and there are no symptoms. Sometimes the immune system cannot kill the bacteria but manages to stop it from spreading in the body. You may not have any symptoms, but the bacteria will remain in your body. This is known as latent TB. People with latent TB are not contagious to others. If the immune system fails to kill or control the infection, it can spread to the lungs or other parts of the body and symptoms will appear within weeks or months. This is called active TB. Latent TB can develop into active TB disease at a later date, especially if your immune system is weakened.
Treatment
With treatment, TB can almost always be cured. A course of antibiotics will usually last for 6 months.
Many different antibiotics are used because some forms of TB are resistant to certain antibiotics. If you have a drug-resistant form of TB, treatment with 6 or more different drugs may be needed. If you are diagnosed with pulmonary TB, you will be contagious for about 2 to 3 weeks during treatment. You usually won’t need to self-isolate during this time, but it’s important to take some basic precautions to prevent the infection from spreading to your family and friends.
You should:
- Stay away from work, school, or college until your tuberculosis treatment team advises you that it is safe to return.
- Dispose of any used tissues carefully in a sealed plastic bag.
- Open windows whenever possible to ensure a good supply of fresh air where you spend time.
- Avoid sleeping in the same room which is also used by other people.