What is Tuberculosis

YYOGYM: Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious disease that usually affects the lungs, although it affects every organ in the body. This can happen if the bacteria is spread by droplets of air. TB can be fatal, but in many cases it can be prevented and treated. Tuberculosis can usually be treated - and prevented - under the right conditions. Tuberculosis is also the 13th most common cause of death worldwide. It is currently the second most common infectious cause of death after COVID-19.

Symptoms
Active TB often causes many symptoms. While the symptoms are usually airway-related, they can affect other parts of the body depending on where the TB bacteria grow.
Symptoms caused by pulmonary TB are:
• a cough that lasts for more than 3 weeks
• coughing up blood or mucus
• pain in the chest
Common symptoms of TB are:
• unexplained fatigue
• woodiness
• fever
• Cold
• night sweats
• no sense of food
• weight loss
Along with common symptoms, the spread of TB to other organs can also cause:
• blood in the urine and loss of kidney function if TB affects the kidneys
• back pain and stiffness, muscle tremors and irregular spine because TB affects the spine
• nausea and vomiting, confusion and loss of consciousness as TB spreads to the brain

The risks that can increase your chances of getting infected with bacteria that cause TB are:
• you have diabetes, end stage kidney disease or certain types of cancer
• nutrition
• long-term use of tobacco or alcohol
• a diagnosis of HIV or another situation that threatens the immune system
Drugs that suppress the immune system can also put people at risk of developing active TB. These include drugs that help prevent organ transplant rejection.
Other medicines that may increase your risk of active tuberculosis include those used to treat:
• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• Crohn's disease
• psoriasis
• lupus
According to the WHOTrusted Source, more than 95 percent of all TB-related deaths occur in developing countries.
Traveling to areas with high levels of TB can also increase your risk of getting a bacterial infection. These regions include:
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• India
• Mexico and other Latin American countries
• China and many other Asian countries
• parts of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union
• Southeast Asian islands
• Federated States of Micronesia
Many low-income households in the United States have limited access to the resources, including health care, needed to diagnose and treat TB, putting them at greater risk of developing active TB. Homeless people and people living in congregational institutions, including prisons, jails and correctional facilities, are at higher risk of contracting bacterial infections.

What causes tuberculosis?

A bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes TB. There are several types of TB and some of them have become resistant to this drug.
TB bacteria are transmitted by infected air droplets. When these drops get into the air, anyone around them can expel them. A person with TB can transmit bacteria:
• split
• cough
• talk
• sing
People with a well-functioning immune system may not experience symptoms of TB, even if they are infected with the bacterium. It is known as a latent or inactive TB infection. About a quarter of the world's population has latent TB.
Latent TB is not contagious, but may become an active disease over time. Active TB can cause the disease and can be passed on to others

TB diagnosed?
Healthcare professionals can diagnose TB through a variety of tests, including a skin test, a blood test, or both.
You may need both if:
• the skin test is positive
• there is a possibility that you have a false negative skin test result.
False negative results may occur if your immune system is not working properly or if less than 8 weeks have passed since you were exposed to TB.
Skin test
Your doctor may use a skin test with a pure protein derivative (PPD) to see if you have been infected with TB. During this test, your doctor will inject 0.1 milliliter (ml) of PPD (a small amount of protein) under the top layer of your skin. Between 2 and 3 days later, you will return to your doctor's office to read the results.
A lump on the skin that is larger than 5 millimeters (mm) to the site where the PPD was applied can be considered a positive result. Reactions between 5 and 15 mm in size can be considered positive depending on risk factors, health and medical history. All reactions larger than 15 mm were considered positive, regardless of risk factors. However, the test is not perfect. It can only tell you if you have a TB infection, not if you have an active TB disease. In addition, some people do not respond to the test, even though they have TB. Some responded to the test and did not have TB. People who have recently received a TB vaccine may have a positive test but no TB infection. Blood test
Your doctor may use a blood test to monitor your skin's TB results. They may also recommend a blood test first, especially if you have a medical condition that could affect your response to a skin test.
The two blood tests for TB that are currently approved in the United States are Quantiferon and T-Spot. Blood test results can be positive, negative or indeterminate. Like a skin test, a blood test may not show whether you have active TB or not. Chest x-ray
If the result of the skin or blood test is positive, your doctor will probably order an X-ray of your breast to find some small spots on your lungs. These spots, a sign of TB infection, indicate that your body is trying to isolate TB bacteria.
A negative breast X-ray may indicate latent TB, but it is also possible that your test results are incorrect. Your doctor may recommend additional tests.
If the test shows that you have active TB, you will start treatment for active TB. Otherwise, your doctor may recommend treatment for latent TB. This will prevent the bacteria from reactivating and causing you nausea in the future.