{"id":20318,"date":"2020-02-08T11:57:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-08T11:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=20318"},"modified":"2020-02-27T11:31:23","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T11:31:23","slug":"14-signs-of-tuberculosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/14-signs-of-tuberculosis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Signs of Tuberculosis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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According to the World Health\nOrganization (WHO), the year 2018 saw as much as 10 million people diagnosed\nwith various forms of tuberculosis worldwide. Also known as TB, it’s one of the\nworld’s most commonly spread infections – and it’s not just a condition that\naffects the developing world, but can be found everywhere in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Characteristics signs of a TB infection can include a cough that lasts for more than 3 weeks at ta time, and it’s like to include other symptoms and signs including fever, sweating, shivering, losing weight and eventually coughing up blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuberculosis can be treated, but\nis highly infectious and requires immediate treatment as well as proper use of\nthe medication for a certain period of time. Treatment for TB is only entirely\neffective when the patient finishes the course of medication exactly as\nprescribed – and not one skipped dosage can be risked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn’t just affect the\nlungs, but can affect any other “tubes” of the body, including the\nreproductive system: An advanced tuberculosis infection can settle in any part\nof the body that isn’t restricted to the lungs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you suspect you have TB, seek\nout immediate medical attention for treatment and tests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 14 characteristic signs\nof TB that can help you to identify when it’s time to be tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. A Fever<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The presence of a fever is one of the first things that a doctor will test for when they suspect any kind of immune system response, infection or illness to be there. Getting a fever means that your body is reacting to something – either external or internal – that it sees as a potential intruder in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fever is a sign that your\nimmune system is readying itself to fight off a perceived threat, which in some\ncases can be the body’s own immunity attacking healthy cells along with other\nones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fever that doesn’t go away is\na signal of a slightly more serious infection that’s affecting your body, or of\na chronic condition that triggers this response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combined with any of the other\nsymptoms on this list, a fever could mean that you have tuberculosis and should\nhave yourself tested for it as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Night Sweats<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Night sweats is a common symptom\nthat accompanies a fever and together has the potential to mean that your body\nis actively trying to rid itself of a very serious infection or illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also one of the symptom\ncombinations that can potentially signal a tuberculosis infection, especially\nif it can be combined with enough of the other potential symptoms in this\narticle – particularly with a long-lasting cough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The combination of night sweats\nand a fever won’t automatically mean that you have tuberculosis, but the most\nimportant thing to realize is that it might. If you experience other symptoms,\nthis is more likely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also common for TB symptoms to become far worse at night, in particular coughing, sweating and fever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you\nexperience any of these symptoms for more than a few weeks. It takes a simple\nblood test or x-ray to establish the possibility of infection, and it takes\njust a few weeks of treatment to cure from there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Temperature Change Intolerance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Changes in the way your body\nreacts to external temperatures is a potential infection and illness symptom\nthat you should always be aware of. Sometimes it can signal the presence of a\nfever or the potential build-up to one, but it can also mean that you are\nsuffering with an infection or chronic condition that interferes with the\nbody’s natural temperature sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience a sudden\nintolerance to hot or cold temperatures together with other symptoms on this\nlist (and specifically with night sweats, a fever and a cough that lasts for\nseveral weeks), it could mean that you are at risk of having contracted\ntuberculosis and the first recommendation is to have yourself tested for it\nimmediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience temperature\nintolerance in the absence of any other characteristic TB symptoms, it can mean\na chronic condition is causing it. It’s still recommended to see your doctor if\nthis is the case!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Shivers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shivering is a common sign or\nsymptom that can be seen in the event where the body is battling off a severe\ninfection; sometimes shivering seen in the absence of any other common\ntuberculosis symptoms described in this article can point to other physical\nconditions, other infections or towards a condition related to environmental\nexposure (such as hypothermia).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shivering becomes a concern as a potential TB symptom if it gets worse at night, if you can combine it with coughing that lasts for several weeks, flu-like symptoms that seem to last longer than the average bout of flu, a generally lowered immunity and fever that seems to spike at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you combine enough symptoms\nor signs on this list at the same time (or see them in someone who is currently\nin your care), the need for an official TB test becomes extremely important –\nand from there, the condition can be cured by finishing simple TB treatment as\ndirected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Appetite Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Appetite changes are one of the most common symptoms that will go together with a tuberculosis infection; this usually means wanting to eat much less than usual or not at all, and it’s usually as a consequence of the severity of the other symptoms that the patient is experiencing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a sudden change in appetite doesn’t mean that you should automatically start worrying about the possibility of tuberculosis. There are plenty of other things – including digestive conditions or generalized infections – that can affect your appetite and cause your body to stop wanting to eat (or to want to naturally avoid certain types of foods). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you can combine several\nof the symptoms that appear on this list with a loss of appetite that’s\nuncharacteristic for you, consider seeing your doctor and asking to be tested\nfor TB – especially if a persistent cough and fever are symptoms that stick\naround. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Lowered General Immunity <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lowered immune system is one of the symptoms that commonly accompanies a tuberculosis infection, and means a cause for worry if you are experiencing fever, night sweat, flu-like symptoms and a cough that doesn’t go away for at least three weeks at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are some chronic health\nconditions that can also affect your immune system; there are also other\nenvironmental factors (such as your diet) that could mean your immune system\nisn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these (and the term\n“lowered immunity” itself) means that you are likely to get sick from\nregular conditions like colds and the flu more often and stay sick for longer\nthan everyone else as a result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you can\ncombine symptoms on this list with other infections and illnesses that you\nmight have picked up over the past few months. It could mean an underlying and\nserious immunity-related condition, which could additionally make conditions\nlike TB easier and more likely to contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Chest Pain <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chest pain is a very common symptom that might accompany any illness and infections that affect the lungs. Sometimes this refers to the common cold or flu which most people will get at a rate of a few thousand people per year, but serious chest pain together with a cough that lasts for longer than 3 weeks could be a sign that points to potential tuberculosis infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experiencing chest pain and a\npersistent cough are serious symptoms: It might be tuberculosis, or it might\npoint to another type of chronic or respiratory infection or illness that you\nwill need to have diagnosed and treated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best thing you can do for\nchest pain as a sign is to see your doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where it’s not caused by\ntuberculosis or a respiratory condition, chest pain can signal the presence of\nother conditions, many of which might be related to the heart (and some of\nwhich can be a warning sign of an impending heart attack). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Fatigue<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fatigue is a general sign that\nis likely to point to a chronic condition or a persistent infection or illness.\nIt doesn’t just mean that you are tired, it means that you are completely run\nout of energy – and it means that you feel tired even when you might have\ngotten enough sleep, or more sleep than your body would normally ask you for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where it can be a warning sign of a tuberculosis infection, fatigue is likely to go together with other symptoms like fever, night sweats, persistent cough that sticks around for more than three weeks at a time – and some of the other symptoms that appear on this list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where it indicates something\nelse, it can still point towards serious conditions affecting your health and\nimpairing your ability to function properly and get through the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See your doctor if you\nexperience persistent fatigue, whether or not it goes together with any of the\nother most common tuberculosis symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Lasting Cough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important symptoms of tuberculosis that you should know about (and one of the symptoms that’s most commonly experienced by people who are diagnosed) is a persistent cough, and usually, one that lasts for more than three weeks without stopping.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cough that lasts for a few\ndays is likely to be a cold, flu, respiratory infection, allergic reaction or a\nbout of asthma. Bouts of coughing can point to a repeated infection or chronic\ncondition like asthma or bronchitis; serious bouts of coughing lasting longer\nthan flu but shorter than three weeks are likely to be temporary infections or\nchronic conditions with flare-ups. See your doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A cough that crosses into lasting for several weeks is more likely to be a serious respiratory infection, serious illness or a condition like tuberculosis with a cause. If you’re coughing up sputum or blood, or this symptom goes with several mentioned on this list, get yourself tested for tuberculosis with immediate effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Coughing Sputum<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Other than a lasting cough, one more sign of either a serious respiratory infection or a potential tuberculosis infection is coughing up sputum, mucous or any thick substance from the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Where it appears green in color, it’s likely to point towards any number of respiratory infections and illnesses that might be cured with a course or two of antibiotics – but where it is thick, white and eventually includes the presence of blood (although might not) it can point to tuberculosis infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the presence of\n“coughing up” anything from the throat or lungs can be seen, see your\ndoctor immediately. It could be a serious infection requiring immediate\ntreatment, or it could potentially be tuberculosis that could also benefit from\nimmediate treatment by a medical professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not seeing a doctor puts you at more risk and could increase the risk of your infection worsening and the condition you have spreading to those around you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Weight Loss<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Weight loss might seem like an\nideal effect to anyone who is following a diet and trying to shed off some\npounds, but the real truth is that weight loss could be the worst thing for you\nin many circumstances – and instead of pointing towards a good diet, serious or\nsudden weight loss almost always points to the presence of a serious physical\ncondition (whether an infection or a chronic one) that might be causing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience weight loss without any seeming reason for it in your lifestyle, health or diet, see your doctor find the potential cause: It also increases your likelihood of being able to treat the condition that might be causing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you experience weight loss\ntogether with a persistent cough, fever, night sweats, chills and some of the\nother symptoms on this list, see your doctor and ask to be tested for the\npotential of TB. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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    12. Coughing Blood<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Coughing blood is one of the most medically worrying symptoms there are, and it’s a sure sign that you should see a\u00a0 doctor find the cause as soon as possible even though not all of the things that could make you cough blood areas potentially serious as you might imagine them to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes the symptom of\ncoughing blood is a temporary one associated with repeated coughing or a\nserious bout of colds or the flu: If this happens only once or twice, it could\nmean that you coughed hard enough to rupture tiny capillaries in the lungs or throat\n– but if it happens with repeated frequency and combined with a\nthree-week-or-more cough, the right thing to do is have yourself tested for\ntuberculosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Coughing blood appears in the\nmore advanced stages of a TB infection, although can still be treated in the\nsame way (and using the same treatment) as TB diagnosed in earlier stages than\nthis. See your doctor and seek testing and treatment if you experience this\nsymptom or any other ones mentioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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    13. Other Extended Symptoms <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Some of the signs that are\nmentioned in this list are ones that can indicate the presence of a serious\ninfection that can give your immune system and the rest of your health a\nserious knock: If you experience more than one or two of these symptoms\ntogether and you don’t suspect that it indicates tuberculosis but think it\nmight be something else, see your doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most of the things that cause\nthese symptoms will have a root cause or condition – and most of these things\ncan be either managed or treated from there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you see the symptoms on this\nlist in combination with a cough or exposure to an area where TB has been\ndiagnosed, it’s time to see your doctor for an examination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other extended symptoms might\nappear, both in the case of TB and general infections: It’s up to either the\npatient to report these symptoms to their doctor when they experience them or\nthe doctor to spot these symptoms where the patient might not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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    14. Positive Tuberculosis Test <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The only sure way to know whether or not the signs or symptoms you are experiencing are due to tuberculosis or another unrelated type of condition or infection is to have it officially tested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In some cases, you might\nexperience only some of the symptoms mentioned on this list – other cases might\nexperience more of the symptoms and in different ways; this happens because\nsymptoms are individual things experienced differently by everyone who goes\nthrough them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have been to an area\nwhere other cases of tuberculosis have been diagnosed, if anyone around you\ngets diagnosed with tuberculosis or if you show enough of the symptoms on this\nlist to think that you might have it, see your doctor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tuberculosis is a serious condition that was left untreated, but it’s easy to diagnose and easy to treat providing that the course of treatment is completed exactly as directed with no missed days or dosages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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