Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that spreads easily in crowds or crowded areas. It’s a condition affecting the lungs and is caused by a specific kind of bacteria. One may contract tuberculosis by simply breathing in droplets of an infected person. Tuberculosis spreads faster to people with HIV/AIDS or those with a weakened immune system as they have a higher risk of developing the condition. While usual medication has the potential to treat tuberculosis, there are some kinds of bacteria that do not get eliminated by treatments.
To understand Tuberculosis better, let us dissect the symptoms into stages since each stage has different symptoms. When TB germs thrive and grow in numbers in the lungs, it is known as a TB infection. There are three stages of TB infection:
Primary TB Infection: This is the first stage of a tuberculosis infection. In this stage, the immune system cells work on finding cells and capturing the germs. While some germs are completely destroyed by the immune system, others may still thrive and multiply. Many people fail to get visible symptoms during primary infection stage but they may complain of having symptoms like flu:
- Low fever
- Fatigue
- Cough
Latent TB infection: The primary TB stage is generally followed up by the latent TB infection where the immune system focuses on building a wall-like structure around the pulmonary tissue with TB germs. If the immune system succeeds in keeping the germs in control, there is no damage done to the body. However, in case of germs surviving, the symptoms of latent TB infection do not show.
Active TB condition: This disease only occurs if the immune system fails to keep the infection under control. This leads to the lungs and other areas of the body getting affected by the germs. Active TB disease may even occur immediately after primary infection. However, it is extremely common for the TB disease to happen after months or even years of latent TB infection. The common symptoms of active TB disease in the pulmonary area generally start developing slowly and get worse over a period of few weeks. The symptoms may consist of:
- Cough.
- Expectoration of blood or mucus.
- Chest discomfort.
- Discomfort with inhalation or coughing.
- Elevated temperature.
- Sweating at night.
- Loss of weight.
- Lack of appetite.
- General malaise.
Active TB disease apart from lungs: TB infection has the potential to travel from lungs to other areas of the body. This condition is known as extrapulmonary tuberculosis and its symptoms vary depending on the affected part of the body. The general symptoms consist of:
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Night sweats.
- Weight loss.
- Lack of appetite.
- Fatigue.
- General unwellness.
- Discomfort near the infection area.
Even if active TB occurs in the voice box which is outside the lungs, it has the same symptoms as one inside the lungs. The general areas of TB away from the lungs consist of:
- Kidney.
- Liver.
- Fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
- Heart muscles.
- Lymph nodes.
- Bones and joints.
- Walls of blood vessels.
- Voice box, also called larynx.
Active TB in children may look different for different age groups. For instance, teenagers have symptoms similar to adults. The age group of 1-12 year-olds suffer from a persistent fever and weight loss. However, infants suffering from Active TB may face:
- Swelling in the liquid surrounding the brain or spinal cord
- Being lethargic or inactive.
- Excessively irritable.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Inadequate feeding.
- Protruding soft spot on the head.
- Weak reflexes.
When To Consult a Physician?
The signs of tuberculosis resemble those of various other conditions. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience symptoms that do not get better after a few days of rest.
Seek emergency care if you experience:
- Chest discomfort.
- Abrupt, intense headache.
- Disorientation
- Seizures
- Breathing difficulties.
Obtain immediate or urgent care if you:
- Cough up blood.
- Notice blood in your urine or stool.