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Debosmita Ghosh • 17 Jul 2024

Tuberculosis: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention About The Disease

Check The Symptoms, Causes, Prevention About Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is a condition which causes infection in your lungs and other tissues. While it usually affects your lungs, TB can also affect several other organs of your body like your spine, brain or kidneys. The condition can spread from one person to the other person when the infected person coughs, sneezes or sings.
This puts tiny droplets with the germs into the air and when a healthy person breathes the droplets, the germs enter the lungs which eventually affects a healthy person. People suffering from HIV/AIDS or those who have a weak immune system have a higher risk of contracting TB. There are drugs that can treat the condition, however, there are some forms of the bacteria that don’t respond to treatments.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with TB across the globe in 2022. This also included 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women and 1.3 million children. WHO also says that a total of 1.3 million people died from TB in 2022 which included 1,67,000 people with HIV.

Stages and Symptoms of Tuberculosis

Symptoms of tuberculosis are different at every stage. Here, take a look at the stages and symptoms of tuberculosis.

Primary TB infection

This is the first stage which is also known as primary infection. At this stage, the immune system finds and captures the germs and can completely destroy the germs. However, some of the captured germs still survive and multiply.
Some of the common symptoms of primary TB infection are:
  • Low fever
  • Tiredness
  • Cough.

Latent TB infection

This is a stage that is followed by the primary infection. In this stage, the immune system cells build a wall around lung tissue with TB germs. The germs don’t cause any more harm if the immune system keeps them under control. However, the germs tend to survive. There are no symptoms at this stage of TB infection.

Active TB disease

This happens when the immune system is unable to control the infection which causes infection throughout the lungs and other parts of the body. Active TB can either happen right after primary infection or several months or years after latent infection.
Some of the common symptoms of latent TB infection are:
  • Cough
  • Coughing up blood or mucus
  • Chest pain
  • Pain with breathing or coughing
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Not wanting to eat
  • Tiredness
  • Not feeling well in general.

Active TB disease outside the lungs

TB can also spread from the lungs to other parts of the body which is known as extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Symptoms depend on the infection of the body. The common symptoms of this stage are:
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Not wanting to eat
  • Tiredness
  • Not feeling well in general
  • Pain near the site of infection.

Common sites of active TB disease outside the lungs are:

  • Kidneys
  • Liver
  • Fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord
  • Heart muscles
  • Genitals
  • Lymph nodes
  • Bones and joints
  • Skin
  • Walls of blood vessels.
  • Voice box, also known as the larynx.

Active TB disease in children

  • Symptoms of active TB disease in children vary.
  • Symptoms in teenagers are similar to those in adults.
  • Symptoms in 1 to 12-year-olds may include a fever that doesn’t go and weight loss.
  • Symptoms in infants are the baby doesn’t grow or gain weight as expected. Also, a baby may have symptoms from swelling in the fluid around the brain or spinal cord, including:
  1. Being sluggish or not active
  2. Unusually fussy
  3. Vomiting
  4. Poor feeding
  5. Bulging soft spot on the head
  6. Poor reflexes.

Causes of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Experts say that a person with a latent TB infection cannot pass the disease to other people. A person taking drugs to treat active TB disease usually can’t pass the disease after 2 to 3 weeks of treatment.

Prevention of Tuberculosis

Check here the different ways to prevent TB, as suggested by doctors.
Dr Murarji Ghadge, Consultant ENT and Sleep Disorder Specialist at Ruby Hall Clinic Pune suggested the following ways to prevent tuberculosis.
  • Vaccination: The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine can prevent severe forms of TB in children, although its effectiveness in adults varies.
  • Infection control: TB spreads through the air when someone with TB disease coughs or sneezes. Measures like ventilation, isolation of TB patients, and use of masks (N95 respirators) can reduce transmission.
  • Early detection and treatment: Prompt identification and treatment of TB cases can prevent its spread. This includes screening high-risk populations and providing treatment to those infected.
  • Treatment of latent TB infection: Individuals with latent TB (infected but not yet ill) can be treated with antibiotics to prevent progression to active TB disease.
  • Health education: Educating communities about TB transmission, symptoms, and the importance of seeking medical care can reduce stigma and encourage early diagnosis and treatment.
  • Addressing social determinants: Poverty, malnutrition, and overcrowded living conditions increase TB risk. Addressing these factors through social policies can help prevent TB.
  • Contact tracing: Identifying and testing individuals who have been in close contact with TB patients can help detect latent infection and prevent further transmission.
  • Healthcare worker protection: Ensuring healthcare workers have access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and are trained in infection control measures is crucial to prevent occupational TB transmission.
  • HIV prevention and care: TB is a leading cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS. Preventing HIV transmission and providing care for those infected can reduce TB incidence.
  • Research and innovation: Continued research into new vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment options is essential to improve TB prevention and control strategies.
Dr Lancelot Pinto, Consultant Respirologist at P D Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Khar said, “The prevention of tuberculosis would include paying careful attention to one’s nutrition, making sure that comorbidities such as diabetes are well controlled, and in some instances, starting treatment for latent tuberculosis, or preventive pharmacological treatment, if a close contact is affected with the disease.”
Dr Pinto also says that there is a strong link between smoking tobacco and the development of tuberculosis, and individuals who smoke are at a much higher risk of developing the disease than those who do not. Stopping to smoke reduces one's risk significantly, and is one of the preventive strategies that can be used to avoid tuberculosis.