All You Need to Know About Tuberculosis Treatment

Tuberculosis is one of the most infectious diseases. It is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria affects our lungs mainly. This can also spread to other vital organs like the brain or spine. In most cases, TB is treatable, but it can be fatal too. A person gets this fatal disease when it comes in contact with contaminated air or with an infected person. 

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Types of Tuberculosis

There are two types of TB- latent and active. In latent TB, a person might be infected but does not show any symptoms due to which it becomes unnoticeable. In this, the person may not be having an active TB disease. The risk of transmitting these bacteria to others is low in latent TB disease. While in the active TB case, the individual has various symptoms like cough, fever, chills, night sweats, etc. when the immune system of the person is weak, TB bacteria affects severely causing the active case. They are also at high risk of transmitting the virus to others. 

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Risk factors of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis affects people who have a weak immune system. Apart from this, there is a huge range of risk factors that are prone to get this fatal disease. Here are the risk factors of TB is higher in the following groups:

• Those who have a weak immune system
• Who had a pre-existing infection
• Old people and children
• Those who take drugs frequently
• Having HIV infection
• Having Diabetes, severe kidney disease
• Low body weight
• Had organ transplants

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

With the types of Tuberculosis, the active disease shows specific symptoms that one often ignores. It is recommended to observe the basic signs that are occurring and are unusual. Here are the basic symptoms of Tuberculosis that one needs to consider before time.

• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Consistent cough that lasts for more than three weeks
• Fever and chills
• Night sweats
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the neck

Treatment for Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is treated through medications. One should take a proper course of medications to treat their disease. It takes a longer period of time to heal rather than any other bacterial disease. For the active case of Tuberculosis, it is necessary to take antibiotics for at least six to nine months. 

In latent TB, the patient needs to take only one or two types of TB drugs, while those who have active Tuberculosis need to take several drugs in one go. 

These long-term medications have side effects and are harmful to the liver. While taking the medications, the person might feel nausea, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin, dark urine, fever, etc. if the patient experiences any of these side effects, they need to consult their doctor immediately. 

Conclusion

Tuberculosis has been in control in recent decades due to proper treatment and medical facilities. The treatment course for Tuberculosis is longer than any other bacterial disease. But one needs to be cautious while taking these medications and should not skip them for a single time. With adequate treatment, it is possible to treat and fight this deadly bacteria. It is recommended that you get health insurance because the treatment is lengthy and costly.

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Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.