World Tuberculosis Day: Know about the Symptoms and Causes of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious medical condition that primarily affects the lungs. It is recognized as a bacterial infection caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) that generally spreads when the infected person coughs or sneezes.

According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO), tuberculosis is one of the top 10 causes of deaths worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent.

Fortunately, the disease is curable with medications and prescribed pharmaceutical products manufactured by the top pharmaceutical companies in India.

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

Medical experts assert that the human body may harbour the TB causing bacteria and it is the immune system that prevents the person from falling sick. Tuberculosis is typically divided into two categories, i.e. latent tuberculosis and active tuberculosis.

Latent tuberculosis, also known as inactive TB, is referred to as a condition in which the person has TB infection but the bacteria remains in an inactive state and causes no symptoms. Though it is not contagious, it can still develop into active tuberculosis further in time.

Active tuberculosis, on the other hand, is contagious and can make the person fall seriously ill. Experts from the pharma industry in India assert that active tuberculosis may either occur in the initial weeks after the infection or years later. Some of the common symptoms of active TB include:

Apart from the lungs, TB can also affect various other body parts and organs, including the kidneys, spine, and brain. In case TB occurs outside the lungs, the symptoms may vary according to the organs involved. For instance, TB in the spine typically causes back pain while TB in the kidneys may cause blood in the urine.

Causes of Tuberculosis

As mentioned earlier, TB is primarily caused by the bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) that spreads from person to person through microscopic droplets released in the air. These droplets are typically released into the air when a person with untreated and active TB coughs, sneezes, spits, or speaks.

Furthermore, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also claims that people who have HIV/AIDS or use IV drugs share an increased risk of getting latent TB infection.