Tuberculosis: Symptoms and Causes

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the bacteria that causes tuberculosis or TB, as it is popularly referred to. Up until nearly 50 years ago, tuberculosis rarely affected any person in developed countries; but since 1985, TB started to spread even in the developed nations. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, was partly the reason why tuberculosis began to spread. HIV is known to weaken the human body’s immune system, eventually destroying its capacity to fight virus, germs, and bacteria.

Tuberculosis is an airborne pathogen and is transmitted like the common cold or the flu virus. A healthy individual, upon inhaling such germs over a prolonged period, can contract TB. However, TB germs do not reside on the surface and sharing food and shaking hands won’t infect you with tuberculosis.

What Are The Types of Tuberculosis?

The human body can harbour the TB-causing virus and it may remain dormant and harmless for a long time.

Hence, medics classify tuberculosis to be of two types:

Latent Tuberculosis is when the bacteria remain in the body of the affected person in a dormant or inactive state. Such people do not show any real symptoms until the bacteria becomes active. According to a study by Mayo Clinic, two billion people are estimated to have latent tuberculosis.

Active Tuberculosis, on the other hand, occurs when an active TB bacterium enters your body or when the dormant bacteria in your body become active. This type of TB spreads and infects others around the infected individual.

What Are The Symptoms Of Tuberculosis?

The following are tuberculosis symptoms as commonly noticed:

• Prolonged coughing over three or more weeks
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chills/cold flushes
• Drastic loss of appetite
• Chest pain
• Pain while breathing or coughing
• Blood while coughing

TB symptoms are not only noticed in the lungs but may occur in other parts of the body like the kidneys, spine, or the brain. Tuberculosis symptoms in the kidney may cause blood to flow through your urine or that in the spine may cause immense back pain.

What Are The Causes of Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is caused by airborne bacteria spread through coughing, sneezing, saliva, or even speaking. On coming in contact with such infected bacteria over a prolonged duration, you may contract tuberculosis. The chances of contracting tuberculosis are higher at your home and workplace as you have more prolonged interactions here.

How To Prevent Tuberculosis?

Taking a BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is the best option to prevent TB. Alternatively, if you’re infected with the latent form of the virus, you can begin your TB treatment by staying indoors for at least two or three weeks. Keeping the room ventilated can help the germs flow outside. Covering your face while coughing or wearing a face mask are some basic remedies that go a long way in preventing TB from spreading among your friends and family.

What Is The Cure for Tuberculosis?

TB treatment takes longer than most infections and infected individuals are advised to complete the entire course of their medication. Skipping or intermittent consumption of the medication causes the bacteria to develop a mutation that helps them survive the treatment. As a result, drug-resistant strains are formed that are difficult to treat. Latent tuberculosis is treated with medication that is prescribed over six months so as to completely eliminate the virus from the human body. As this is a long process the costs of TB treatment are very high. It would be a smart move to cover yourself with a critical illness health insurance policy.

You must identify and take proper care over a prolonged duration as TB can lead to fatal complications like meningitis, spinal pain, joint damage, kidney damage, liver damage, and disorders of the heart too. Early identification can not only help you but also your family.

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