It may also cause a false positive tuberculin skin test. However, persons who have been vaccinated with BCG can be given a tuberculin skin test or TB blood test. If you have latent TB infection but not TB disease, your doctor may want you to take a drug to kill the TB germs and prevent you from developing TB disease. The decision about taking treatment for latent infection will be based on your chances of developing TB disease.
Some people are more likely than others to develop TB disease once they have TB infection. This includes people with HIV infection, people who were recently exposed to someone with TB disease, and people with certain medical conditions.
TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease finish the medicine, and take the drugs exactly as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon, they can become sick again; if they do not take the drugs correctly, the germs that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs. TB that is resistant to drugs is harder and more expensive to treat.
In some situations, staff of the local health department meet regularly with patients who have TB to watch them take their medications. This is called directly observed therapy DOT. DOT helps the patient complete treatment in the least amount of time.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Tuberculosis TB. Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss. Shortness of breath and chest pain. Symptoms of active TB outside the lungs Symptoms of TB outside the lungs extrapulmonary TB vary widely depending on which area of the body is infected. What Happens Tuberculosis TB develops when Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria are inhaled into the lungs.
Without treatment, active TB can cause serious complications, such as: Pockets or cavities that form in the lungs. These damaged areas may cause bleeding in the lungs or may become infected with other bacteria and form pockets of pus abscesses.
A hole that forms between nearby airways in the lungs. Difficulty breathing because of blocked airways. TB can be fatal if it is not treated. Active TB outside the lungs Active TB in parts of the body other than the lungs extrapulmonary TB is not spread easily to other people. What Increases Your Risk People are at increased risk of infection with tuberculosis TB when they: Have close contact such as living in the same house with someone who has active TB, which can be spread to others. Active TB is very contagious.
Are health professionals who may care for people with untreated TB. Live or work in crowded conditions where they can come into contact with people who may have untreated active TB. This includes people who live or work in prisons, nursing homes, military barracks, or homeless shelters. Have poor access to health care, such as homeless people, migrant farm workers, or people who abuse alcohol or drugs.
People who have an infection that cannot spread to others latent TB infection are at risk of developing active TB if they: Have an impaired immune system. The immune system may be weakened in older adults, newborns, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, and people who have HIV infection, some cancers, or poorly controlled diabetes. Take some types of medicines, such as long-term corticosteroids , biologics used to treat rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease , or medicines to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ.
Have a chronic lung disease caused by breathing in tiny sand or silica particles silicosis or celiac disease. When should you call your doctor? Call your doctor immediately if you have: Symptoms such as a cough that may produce bloody mucus along with fever, fatigue, and weight loss that could be caused by tuberculosis TB.
Been in close contact with someone who has untreated active TB, which can be spread to others, or you have had lengthy close contact with someone you think has untreated active TB. Blurred vision or changes in how you see colours and are taking ethambutol for TB. Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes jaundice or you have abdominal pain and you are taking isoniazid or other medicines for TB. Call your doctor if you: Have recently had a TB skin test and you have a red bump at the needle site.
You need to have a reaction measured by a health professional within 2 to 3 days after the test. This measurement is important in deciding whether you need more tests or treatment. Have been exposed to someone who has active TB.
Who to see Your family doctor or general practitioner can help you find out if you have tuberculosis TB. For treatment of active TB, which can be spread to others, or to treat complications of TB, you may be referred to: Your local public health unit. A respirologist , a doctor who specializes in treating lung problems.
An infectious disease specialist. Examinations and Tests Diagnosing active TB in the lungs Doctors diagnose active tuberculosis TB in the lungs pulmonary TB by using a medical history and physical examination, and by checking your symptoms such as an ongoing cough, fatigue, fever, or night sweats. Doctors will also look at the results of a: Sputum culture. Testing mucus from the lungs sputum culture is the best way to diagnose active TB.
But a sputum culture can take 1 to 8 weeks to provide results. Sputum cytology. Chest X-ray. Symptoms of active TB, such as a persistent cough, fatigue, fever, or night sweats. An uncertain reaction to the tuberculin skin test because of a weakened immune system , or to a previous bacille Calmette-Guerin BCG vaccination. Rapid sputum test. This test can provide results within 24 hours.
Diagnosing latent TB in the lungs A tuberculin skin test will show if you have ever had a TB infection. See a picture of a tuberculin skin test. Rapid blood tests help detect latent TB. A rapid test requires only one visit to the doctor or clinic, instead of two visits as required for the tuberculin skin test.
Rapid blood tests are also called interferon-gamma release assays IGRAs. Tests include: Biopsy. A sample of the affected area is taken out and sent to a lab to look for TB-causing bacteria. Urine culture. This test looks for TB infection in the kidneys renal TB. Lumbar puncture. A sample of fluid around the spine is taken to look for a TB infection in the brain TB meningitis.
CT scan. This test is used to diagnose TB that has spread throughout the body miliary TB and to detect lung cavities caused by TB.
This test looks for TB in the brain or the spine. Tests during TB treatment During treatment, a sputum culture is done once a month—or more often—to make sure that the antibiotics are working. These tests may include: Liver function tests. Eye tests, especially if you are taking ethambutol for TB treatment.
Hearing tests, especially if you are taking streptomycin for TB treatment. Early detection Public health officials encourage screening for people who are at risk for getting TB. Treatment for active tuberculosis Health experts recommend: footnote 7 footnote 4 Using more than one medicine to prevent multidrug-resistant TB.
The standard treatment begins with four medicines given for 2 months. Continuing treatment for 4 to 9 months or longer if needed. The number of medicines used during this time depends on the results of sensitivity testing. Using directly observed therapy DOT.
This means visits with a health professional who watches you every time you take your medicine. A cure for TB requires you to take all doses of the antibiotics. These visits ensure that people follow medicine instructions, which is helpful because of the long treatment course for TB. Trying a different combination of medicines if the treatment is not working because of drug resistance when tests show that TB-causing bacteria are still active.
Using different treatment programs for people infected with HIV, people infected with TB bacteria that are resistant to one or more medicines, pregnant women, and children.
Treatment for latent tuberculosis Experts recommend one of the following: Using one medicine to kill the TB bacteria and prevent active TB. The standard treatment is isoniazid taken for 9 months. For people who cannot take isoniazid for 9 months, sometimes a 6-month treatment program is done. This is an acceptable alternate treatment, especially for people who have been exposed to bacteria that are resistant to isoniazid.
Have close contact with a person who has active TB. Have a chest X-ray that suggests a TB infection and have not had a complete course of treatment.
Inject illegal drugs. Have medical conditions or take medicines that weaken the immune system. Have had a tuberculin skin test within the past 2 years that did not show a TB infection but now a new test points to an infection. Treatment for extrapulmonary tuberculosis Treatment for tuberculosis in parts of the body other than the lungs extrapulmonary TB usually is the same as for pulmonary TB.
You may need treatment in a hospital if you have: Severe symptoms. TB that is resistant to multiple-drug therapy. What to think about If treatment is not successful, the TB infection can flare up again relapse. Prevention Active tuberculosis TB is very contagious. To avoid getting TB: Do not spend long periods of time in stuffy, enclosed rooms with anyone who has active TB until that person has been treated for at least 2 weeks.
Use protective measures, such as face masks, if you work in a facility that cares for people who have untreated TB.
History of Tuberculosis. Part 1 — Phthisis, consumption and the White Plague. Institute of Medicine. Washington D. Lougheed, Kathryn. Murray, JF. Treatment of Tuberculosis: A Historical Perspective.
Ann Am Thorac Soc. Patterson, S. Social and environmental factors affect tuberculosis related mortaility in wild meerkats. Perrin, Pascale.
Himan and tuberculosis co-evolution: An integrative view. Reibman, J. Riva, Michele A. From milk to rifampicin and back again: history of failures and successes in the treatment for tuberculosis. Journal of Antibiotics. Clinical Infectious Diseases. Ruggerio, Dan. TB Notes Towey, Francesca. The Lancet. Tucker, Abigail. Accessed Feb Bovine Tuberculosis Disease Information. Accessed Feb 15 Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Tuberculosis TB.
Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. World TB Day Minus Related Pages. Return to World TB Day. Open All Close All. You will not usually need to be isolated during this time, but it's important to take some basic precautions to stop the infection spreading to your family and friends.
If you're in close contact with someone who has TB, you may have tests to see whether you're also infected.
These can include a chest X-ray , blood tests , and a skin test called the Mantoux test. The BCG vaccine is not routinely given to anyone over the age of 35 as there's no evidence that it works for people in this age group.
If you're a healthcare worker or NHS employee and you come into contact with patients or clinical specimens, you should also have a TB vaccination, irrespective of age, if:. Read more about who should have the BCG vaccine. UK has detailed information on each country's TB rates.
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