Tuberculosis (TB)
What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis -- or TB, as it’s commonly called -- is a contagious infection that usually attacks your lungs. It can spread to other parts of your body, like your brain and spine. A type of bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes it.
In the early 20th century, TB was a leading cause of death in the United States. Today, most cases are cured with antibiotics. But it takes a long time. You have to take meds for at least 6 to 9 months.
In the 20th century, TB was a leading cause of death in the United States. Today, most cases are cured with antibiotics. But it takes a long time. You have to take meds for at least 6 to 9 months.
Tuberculosis Types
A TB infection doesn’t mean you’ll get sick. There are two forms of the disease:
Latent TB. You have the germs in your body, but your immune system stops them from spreading. That means you don’t have any symptoms and you’re not contagious. But the infection is still alive in your body and can one day become active. If you’re at high risk for re-activation -- for instance, you have HIV, your primary infection was in the past 2 years, your chest X-ray is abnormal, or your immune system is compromised --- your doctor will treat you with antibiotics to lower the risk for developing active TB.
Active TB. This means the germs multiply and can make you sick. You can spread the disease to others. Ninety percent of adult cases of active TB are from the reactivation of a latent TB infection.
Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms
There aren’t any for latent TB. You’ll need to get a skin or blood test to find out whether you have it.
There are usually signs if you have active TB disease. They include:
A cough that lasts more than 3 weeks
Chest pain
Coughing up blood
Feeling tired all the time
Night sweats
Chills
Fever
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
If you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor to get tested. Get medical help right away if you have chest pain.
Tuberculosis Causes and How TB Is Spread
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread through the air, just like a cold or the flu. When someone who has it coughs, sneezes, talks, laughs, or sings, tiny droplets that contain the germs are released. If you breathe in these germs, you can get it.
TB can spread from person to person, but it isn’t easy to catch. You usually have to spend a lot of time around someone who has a lot of bacilli in their lungs. You’re most likely to catch it from co-workers, friends, and family members.
Tuberculosis germs don’t thrive on surfaces. You can’t get the disease from shaking hands with someone who has it or by sharing their food or drink.
Tuberculosis Diagnosis
There are two common tests for tuberculosis, but they don’t tell you whether you have latent or active TB:
Skin test. This is also known as the Mantoux tuberculin skin test. A health care worker injects a small amount of fluid into the skin of your lower arm. After 2 or 3 days, they’ll check for swelling in your arm to determine your results. If your results are positive, you probably have been infected with TB bacteria. But the results can be false positive. If you’ve gotten a tuberculosis vaccine called bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the test could say you have TB when you really don’t. The results can also be false negative, saying that you don’t have TB when you really do, if your infection is recent. You might get this test more than once.
Blood test. These tests, also called interferon-gamma release assays or IGRAs, measure the response when TB proteins are mixed with a small amount of your blood.
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Tuberculosis Treatment
Your treatment will depend on whether you have latent TB or active TB.
If you have latent TB, your doctor will probably give you medications to kill the bacteria so you don’t develop active TB. If you start to see any of the symptoms of active TB, call your doctor right away.
Your doctor will treat active TB with a combination of medications. You’ll take them for 6 to 12 months.
Whether you have latent or active TB, it’s important to finish taking all of your medications, even if you feel better after starting them.
