Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious disease caused by a type of bacteria that is spread through the air. TB is easily spread from person to person through coughs or sneezes. TB usually occurs in the lungs. But it can spread to other parts of the body.
TB is either active or latent.
Active TB means that the TB bacteria are growing and causing symptoms. If your lungs are infected with active TB, it's easy to spread the disease to others.
Latent TB means that you have the TB bacteria in your body, but your body's defenses (immune system) are keeping it from turning into active TB. This means that you don't have any symptoms of TB right now and can't spread the disease to others. If you have latent TB, it can become active TB.
What are the symptoms?
People with latent TB don't have symptoms. Symptoms of active TB may include a cough that brings up thick and sometimes bloody mucus, tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, night sweats, or a fast heartbeat. A few people may have shortness of breath and chest pain.
How is it diagnosed?
TB is found by doing a tuberculin skin test. A nurse will inject TB antigen fluid just under your skin. It will cause a small bump that then becomes flat within an hour. If you have TB bacteria in your body, within the next 2 to 3 days you will get a firm, red bump where the needle went into your skin. The test can't tell when you became infected with TB or if it can be spread to others.
A blood test also can be done to look for TB.
To find TB in the lungs, doctors test a sample of mucus from the lungs to look for TB bacteria. Doctors sometimes do other tests or take a chest X-ray to help find TB in the lungs.
To find TB that's not in the lungs, doctors may check a tissue sample (biopsy) or do imaging tests.
How is it treated?
TB is treated with antibiotics to kill the TB bacteria. These medicines are given to everyone who has TB. This includes infants, children, and people who have a weakened immune system. Before taking any TB medicines, talk with your doctor if you think you are or may be pregnant.
TB can only be cured if you take all the doses of your medicine. If you miss doses, or if you stop taking your medicine too soon, your treatment may not work. Or it may have to go on longer. Your doctor will make a treatment plan that includes the types of medicines to take, how much, how often, for how long, and what side effects to watch for and report back to them.
You may have directly observed therapy (DOT). This means that a health care worker watches either in person or on a video call (vDOT) when you take your medicine. DOT helps you remember to take your medicine. And it helps you complete your treatment as soon as possible.
Surgery is rarely used to treat TB. But it may be used in severe or drug-resistant TB.
Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.
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Clinical Review Board All WebMD Ignite education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.
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The Health Encyclopedia contains general health information. Not all treatments or services described are covered benefits for Kaiser Permanente members or offered as services by Kaiser Permanente. For a list of covered benefits, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or Summary Plan Description. For recommended treatments, please consult with your health care provider.
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