Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infection that has affected humans since ancient times. Although it was contained and almost completely eradicated in the twentieth century thanks to vaccines and antibiotics, HIV and antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria have triggered a return of the disease. If you think you have TB symptoms, see your doctor right away and undergo antibiotic treatment that can last up to two years.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Recognizing Tuberculosis
Step 1. Be careful if you know or live with someone who has contracted TB
In its active form it is extremely contagious, it is transmitted from person to person with the droplets of breath present in the air.
You can have tuberculosis without showing symptoms. You can have latent TB when you are infected, but it does not manifest itself by remaining in a dormant phase. It is not a contagious or fatal state, but it can turn into active disease
Step 2. Check if you have lung problems
Symptoms of TB are initially in the lungs: cough, pulmonary congestion and chest pain are typical signs.
Step 3. Keep track of any flu-like symptoms you experience, such as fever, night sweats, chills and fatigue
An active TB can be confused with a seasonal flu, a cold or other similar pathologies.
Step 4. Check your weight
Patients often report unexplained and rapid weight loss.
Step 5. See a doctor immediately if you have any symptoms, especially if you are HIV positive
HIV-infected patients are at high risk of contracting a strain resistant to antibiotics and should always contact their doctor if they come into contact with TB patients.
- Immunosuppressed people are also at risk of contracting tuberculosis. Diabetics, those suffering from malnutrition, cancer patients and those with kidney disease are at risk, as are the elderly and infants.
- When your immune system is compromised, latent TB can turn into active disease. At this point you are contagious and you could run into even fatal symptoms.
Method 2 of 3: Diagnosing Tuberculosis
Step 1. Make an appointment with your doctor
He will likely order lab tests if needed.
Step 2. Get a skin test
The doctor or laboratory technician injects an antigen under the skin. If you show a positive skin reaction, it means you have active or latent TB.
- An antigen is a substance that binds with antibodies in the blood. An antibody is your immune system's defense against all kinds of diseases.
- A red bump under the skin indicates a positive test. Usually, the larger the wheal, the more active the TB is.
Step 3. Take a blood test
If you have had the tuberculosis vaccine in the past, you may show false positives on the skin test. Then your doctor may prescribe a blood test that is able to differentiate the antibodies caused by the vaccine from those caused by the disease.
Step 4. Get a chest x-ray
The radiologist can determine if you have active TB from the images of your lungs.
Step 5. Give a spit sample to the doctor
The testing lab can tell from your mucus if you've developed antibiotic-resistant TB.
Method 3 of 3: Treating Tuberculosis
Step 1. Start with a first course of antibiotics
You will be prescribed isoniazid or rifampicin for a period of 6-12 months. Always conclude the entire treatment cycle.
If you stop taking your medications, the tuberculosis bacterium can develop resistance to antibiotics and become even more aggressive and deadly
Step 2. Follow a second and third course of therapy if your doctor deems it necessary and if the disease appears to be resistant to medication
It may take up to two years of treatment.
Step 3. Get injections
If you have multi-drug resistant TB, regular injections of specific drugs will be needed. Although this is a very rare case, it is the deadliest.
The tuberculosis bacterium seems particularly prone to mutations that make it resistant to treatment. For this reason, during treatment, you must always be followed by a doctor to make sure you get rid of the infection completely
Step 4. Go to your doctor for regular checkups
Only he can determine how long you need to take the drugs. However, if you have contracted the most common strain of TB, you stop being contagious after 2 weeks of treatment and you are not a risk to others until you stop the course of antibiotics.
Warnings
- Don't stop taking tuberculosis too early unless your doctor tells you to. You risk developing an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria.
- Remember that TB medications cause fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and jaundice. Contact your doctor before stopping treatment.
