Tuberculosis Causes

Tuberculosis symptoms and causes are diverse. It is mainly caused by infectious bacteria that are contagious.


However, it is not that easy to contract this disease. People with weak immune systems are more likely to contract TB. Strong immune systems are capable of killing the mycobacterium tuberculosis once they enter the system.


Still others may suffer from a latent form of tuberculosis where the bacteria will be present in their system, but will not be contagious. The main symptoms of active tuberculosis are fever, cough, and chills, breaking out into sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, extreme fatigue and problem in breathing.
Tuberculosis cause and effect relation is also important to note. People with HIV – the Human Immunodeficiency Virus are more susceptible to contracting TB as their immune systems are weak.


If they suffer from latent TB, it is more likely that it will quickly turn into active TB. If TB is left untreated is can lead to meningitis which is a disease of the brain. Pulmonary TB is another result of TB which can cause severe respiratory problems.

Tuberculosis causes and treatment also go hand in hand as people with certain medical and health conditions are more prone to contracting this disease. Certain lifestyle factors such as travelling and living in areas where the rate of TB is high or drug and alcohol abuse also increase the risk of tuberculosis. Therefore treatment will be based on the underlying cause of TB. Most common treatment procedures include administering antibiotics for long periods, in some cases for as long as 12 months till the disease is wiped off completely. It is important to follow the treatment completely till the patient is totally cured and not discontinue the medications as soon as he or she starts feeling better. Isoniazid, Rifampin, Pyrazinamide and Ethamnutol are the standard TB medications.

The most common TB is that of the lungs. However there exist other forms of TB such as stomach tuberculosis, intestinal tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. The main stomach tuberculosis cause or abdominal tuberculosis cause is the bacterium mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is also called gastrointestinal TB. Sadly, this type of TB is not always properly diagnosed as the symptoms resemble those of other diseases. It is highly contagious and the most common symptom is stomach pain. As for intestinal tuberculosis causes, they are primarily linked to infection of the intestines. For example, Intestinal TB can be contracted by drinking the milk of infected cattle. This type of TB is very painful as the patients often have difficulty in digesting the food they eat and therefore suffer from loss of appetite and weight loss. Some may even suffer from anorexia. Again, the main pulmonary tuberculosis cause is the M. tuberculosis bacterium which spreads through the air. This strain of bacteria is present in the respiratory system of a person suffering from TB and is expelled from his/her body when the individual coughs. If an uninfected person in the vicinity breathes in these bacteria, he/she may get infected and consequently suffer from TB. Pulmonary TB affects the pulmonary system, that is, mainly the lungs. Main symptoms of pulmonary TB are pneumonia like symptoms – fever, coughing, chest pain, problem breathing and sometimes even the presence of blood in the cough and wheezing. TB vaccines exist for children, but in adults no real effective is available yet although ongoing research promises to come up with a vaccine to prevent TB even in adults.