Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is highly infectious as it is airborne. When a person with TB in their lungs coughs, laughs, sneezes, sings or talks it is spread into the air and anyone who breathes in the germs is susceptible to contracting the disease. A person can be infected with TB and not have the disease, as our bodies are often able to fight it off.
What is Tuberculosis?
TB is an infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs and is spread from person to person through the air.
Causes
TB disease is caused by a TB infection to may remain dormant for a number of years. When the body’s ability to protect itself is damaged, the infection can turn into the disease. In other cases, the body is unable to defend itself when it first breathes in the germs and the disease is contracted immediately.
Symptoms
A person with a TB infection has no symptoms. A person with the disease may show symptoms including a cough that will not go away, constant drowsiness, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, coughing up blood and night sweats.
Treatment
A person with the TB infection who does not have the disease may be given preventative therapy in the form of a daily dose of isoniazid. The TB disease can be treated with drugs and hospitalization time is often short compared to in the past. It is very important for patients to take their medication for the entire length prescribed. More on our Tuberculosis programs
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What is Tuberculosis?
TB is an infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs and is spread from person to person through the air.
Causes
TB disease is caused by a TB infection to may remain dormant for a number of years. When the body’s ability to protect itself is damaged, the infection can turn into the disease. In other cases, the body is unable to defend itself when it first breathes in the germs and the disease is contracted immediately.
Symptoms
A person with a TB infection has no symptoms. A person with the disease may show symptoms including a cough that will not go away, constant drowsiness, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, coughing up blood and night sweats.
Treatment
A person with the TB infection who does not have the disease may be given preventative therapy in the form of a daily dose of isoniazid. The TB disease can be treated with drugs and hospitalization time is often short compared to in the past. It is very important for patients to take their medication for the entire length prescribed. More on our Tuberculosis programs
Back to the Encyclopedia
