Tuberculosis Symptoms

Tuberculosis (TB) is a life threatening bacterial infection that primarily attacks the lungs. However the germ – mycobacterium tuberculosis can also cause damage to other parts of the body. Tuberculosis is contagious and spreads through air borne droplets when an infected person with TB talks, coughs or sneezes. In general a prolong exposure to the infected person and a compromised immune system is needed to become infected yourself. Tuberculosis may not show symptoms till many years and if left untreated then it can be fatal.


A strong immune system can prevent you from becoming infected even though your body may harbor the bacteria.
Tuberculosis can be distinguished between TB infection and active TB. TB infection also called latent TB – this form is not contagious and may cause no symptoms.


Active TB however is contagious and can make you sick. Even though active TB causes damage, the infection can be asymptomatic for years.

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

The immune system attacks the TB bacteria within 2-8 weeks after a person is being infected.


In some cases the bacteria can die and the infection can clear completely, but in others the bacteria can stay in an inactive state in the body and cause no TB symptoms. In still other cases the infection can develop in to active TB.
Pulmonary tuberculosis is the most common form and coughing is often a common and only initial indication of tuberculosis.


Other signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis includes –

• Severe cough which lasts for three weeks or longer which produce bloody or discolored sputum
• Night sweats
• Slight fever
• Chills
• Fatigue and weakness
• Pain in the chest
• Loss of appetite
• Unintentional weight loss and
• Pain with breathing or coughing

Tuberculosis can also spread outside your lungs and can target almost any part of the body like bones, joints, muscles, central nervous system, urinary tract, lymphatic system and bone marrow. Infection can spread in one organ like kidney or spine and can simultaneously attack many organ systems at a time. Depending on the organ involved tuberculosis symptoms shall vary (when the infection occurs outside lungs). For example an infection in the kidneys can cause blood in urine or an infection in the spine can cause severe backache.

When left untreated tuberculosis can be fatal; however with proper medications and care tuberculosis can be treated effectively. Several medications or antibiotics for a long period of time are needed to cure active TB, and people with latent TB should also be on medications to prevent the development of active TB.

TB symptoms and treatment

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that has been identified since the late 1800’s. In years gone by, tuberculosis used to claim many lives around the world. Today, there are plenty of different medications that can easily tackle tuberculosis. When left untreated, tuberculosis gradually takes over the body of the individual and leads to death. For this reason, the condition was formerly known as consumption.

Tuberculosis is transmitted through the release of infected materials from the mouth and nose of an individual who is carrying the bacteria or suffering from an infection of the bacteria. Therefore, individuals with tuberculosis who spit, sneeze, cough or shout may release infected particles into the atmosphere. Most of the released material falls to the ground, but small particles may remain airborne. These airborne particles are inhaled by others which leads to the transmission of the disease. Formerly, symptoms of tuberculosis in children were common. This is because unpasteurized milk may contain similar bacteria to air borne tuberculosis. In modern times, it is rare to find symptoms of tuberculosis in children because of better milk processing methods.

There are a range of different tuberculosis symptoms that may affect patients. Common tuberculosis symptoms include weight loss, fever, loss of appetite, a congested cough and lack of energy. As one may notice, these tuberculosis symptoms are very generic. For this reason, the diagnosis of tuberculosis is often delayed. Another factor that slows down treatment for tuberculosis is the fact that the tuberculosis symptoms only appear after the disease has set in considerably.
Tuberculosis, although quite a serious disease, does not produce any tuberculosis symptoms in most of the cases where the infection has entered the body. Many individuals may host the bacteria but remain unaffected by their presence. There are also many complications and different forms of tuberculosis that can cause different tuberculosis symptoms. Tuberculosis may affect the lungs causing a condition known as pulmonary tuberculosis. Tuberculosis symptoms may be mild as well, especially if a dormant condition acts up. Patients report symptoms of tuberculosis that include a dry cough and the presence of blood in the cough.

Because of the vague nature of the symptoms of tuberculosis, it is essential that the condition be diagnosed properly. There are two basic tests for tuberculosis. The use of chest X-ray scans will reveal any abnormal lymph nodes which are indicative of the infection having penetrated the area. The other commonly used test for tuberculosis is the Mantoux Skin Test. A patient will experience symptoms of TB skin test when undergoing this test. The symptoms of this TB test include itching on the injection site and a raised bump on the site. Patients sometimes experience mild fever as a response to the tuberculosis skin test.

The TB skin test is performed by injecting a small amount of the disease into the skin surface. When this is attacked by the immune system, it indicates that the system is already primed for fighting tuberculosis symptoms. This means that the individual already has antibodies present in his or her system which is what leads to the diagnosis of tuberculosis.
Both the tests mentioned above are used to corroborate the symptoms of tuberculosis disease. However, these tests, and the symptoms of tuberculosis disease are not completely accurate. One therefore needs to test the sputum of the patient to come to a proper conclusion that the patient is indeed suffering from the condition. The testing of the sputum only takes place after the patient has experienced symptoms of tuberculosis disease. This indicates that the disease is in its active stage.  Only active tuberculosis will produce enough bacteria in the sputum that can be diagnosed. A sputum culture test may be performed to confirm the diagnosis of tuberculosis.

The symptoms of tuberculosis in children are fairly similar to those experienced by adults. Children tend to have lesser developed bodies which may struggle with the symptoms of tuberculosis. This means that children are often considered to be in a medically critical condition when they suffer from tuberculosis. Parents of children suspected to have tuberculosis must make a TB symptoms checklist which they can make with the help of their doctor. A TB symptoms checklist will ensure that parents notice the telltale signs of the condition that may otherwise be missed. This can help with prompt treatment which is essential, especially for the symptoms of tuberculosis in children.

Modern day medical care has progressed significantly from the time when tuberculosis used to be a fatal disease. Under modern medical care, patients will recover completely from tuberculosis symptoms when they are given the right kind of medication. In most cases, tuberculosis is diagnosed well in time for simple anti-biotic treatments to be effective. There are specific medications that are used to kill the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. The use of these medications will quickly rid the patient of tuberculosis symptoms. However, this does not mean that the condition has been wiped out from the body.

Most treatment regimes last for over 6 months as the doctors fight both the active and dormant infections. The TB symptoms and treatment last for so long because it takes a long time to kill the bacteria as they tend to be very hardy and tough. The treatment of tuberculosis usually involves the use of more than one medication. This will ensure that even certain drug resistant strains of tuberculosis are dealt with effectively. With this being done, the likelihood of a repeat infection is reduced. One must remember that this likelihood always remains. Patients who have contracted tuberculosis may experience the same condition again if they are exposed to the disease once more. This is why individuals who contract the disease must try and understand where they have developed this problem. Exposure to unhealthy working conditions may also cause tuberculosis symptoms to develop. People who regularly indulge in unhealthy practices such as spitting may also be responsible for spreading the infection to others. Individuals should therefore try and avoid such situations so that they can avoid the repeat development of symptoms of tuberculosis disease.