In addition to affecting your lungs, TB also damages other body functions. However, the disease is very treatable, and early diagnosis can be helpful.
The 24th of March is designated as World TB Day each year. Yes! is the theme of World TB Day 2023. We can end TB! Tuberculosis, or TB, is a dreaded bacterial disease that affects the lungs and can result in fatal complications if not treated early. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the disease spreads. When infected, most people do not experience any symptoms of TB and do not require treatment.
However, if they do, they may experience fever, night sweats, cough, and weight loss. India, which has 28% of all TB patients worldwide, has been a growing source of concern recently. Experts say that the H3N2 influenza and Covid may increase the number of these patients even more in the coming days.
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Types:
Pulmonary and extrapulmonary forms of TB are possible manifestations.
Senior Dr. Ambarish Joshi The symptoms of both conditions and the difficulty in diagnosing them are discussed by the consultant in pulmonary and sleep medicine at Primus Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi.
“Pulmonary TB symptoms include but are not limited to a cough, fever, chest pain, shortness of breath, bloody breath, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Examining sputum confirms the diagnosis. It is challenging to diagnose TB because it can disguise itself as other diseases. TB is exceptionally infectious, with individuals with dynamic aspiratory TB possibly tainting 5-15 people each year through close contact. Therefore, treatment is the only means of breaking this cycle.
Signs:
- Continuous Cough – Cough that doesn’t stop for more than two weeks: You should get checked for tuberculosis if you have a persistent cough that lasts for 15 to 20 days.
2. Sputum or blood from a cough: This is yet another warning sign of tuberculosis, and it can also indicate the presence of the dreaded disease in your lungs.
3. Deficit: It’s possible that you have tuberculosis if you experience fever, coughing, and unexplained weakness for several days.
4. Tiredness: Another telltale sign is a lack of energy and the feeling that nothing can be done.
5. Losing weight: The fact that you lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time indicates that you may be battling this disease.
6. A lack of hunger: Patients having it also say they feel hungry less and don’t want to eat.
7. Severe Fever: Most reports of fever in patients come in the evening. It’s time for a checkup if you’re experiencing these symptoms as well.
8. Sweating at night: One of the most important signs of tuberculosis is excessive sweating at bedtime.
9. Breathing hard: In many kinds of respiratory conditions, shortness of breath is common. This symptom indicates that your lung health is deteriorating due to TB, which is a lung disease.
10. Feeling Anxious – One of the other signs is feeling anxious.
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Treatment:
The best thing about is that it can be cured so One will have to take medication till the time the treating doctor prescribes it. The treatment duration ranges from a few months to 2 years depending on case-by-case situations. If one is known to have a drug-resistant TB, the doctor might recommend a combination of medicines that one has to continue to take at least for 2-3 years.
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