- TB Symptoms
- What Are Symptoms of Tuberculosis?
- Diagnosis/Tests
- How Is Tuberculosis Diagnosed?
- Guide
Tuberculosis symptoms can seem to go away, but the illness often reactivates. Without treatment, tuberculosis can return. Tuberculosis treatment regimens last for months.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria that usually affects the lungs. TB is not common in the U.S., but it is a leading cause of death in other parts of the world.
There are two TB-related conditions:
- Latent TB infection
- The patient has no symptoms
- The body is able to fight the bacteria
- It is not contagious at this stage
- Patients usually have a positive TB skin test reaction or positive TB blood test
- TB disease may develop if treatment is not received for latent TB infection
- TB disease
- Patients are sick and symptomatic
- Patients are contagious
In some cases, the initial infection of tuberculosis can seem to go away on its own, but it often reactivates. Without treatment, the illness can come back. Tuberculosis can go away with proper treatment, but treatment regimens last for months and patients must take all medications for the duration they are prescribed, exactly as prescribed.
- If patients stop taking TB medications before the prescribed course is finished, or they do not take medications as directed, they can become sick again and they may be resistant to the initial medications.
- Drug-resistant TB is more difficult and more expensive to treat.
- Untreated tuberculosis can be deadly.
Treatment for latent tuberculosis infection usually lasts three months or longer and includes:
- Several different drug regimens:
- Isoniazid plus rifampin daily for three months
- Rifampin daily for four months
- Isoniazid plus rifapentine weekly for three months (usually given weekly by a trained health care worker)
- For people who cannot take rifampin or rifapentine: isoniazid daily for six or nine months
- People treated for latent TB infection should be monitored once a month by a doctor to check for signs of medication toxicity, such as liver damage
Treatment for active tuberculosis disease usually lasts six to nine months and includes:
- First-line anti-tuberculosis medications that form the core of treatment regimens are:
- Ethambutol
- Isoniazid
- Pyrazinamide
- Rifampin
- Regimens for treating TB disease have an intensive phase of two months, followed by a continuation phase of either four or seven months (a total of six to nine months for treatment)
What Are Symptoms of Tuberculosis?
Symptoms of active tuberculosis disease include:
How Is Tuberculosis Diagnosed?
Tuberculosis (TB) is diagnosed with a patient history and physical examination along with the following tests:
- Tuberculin skin test, also called a purified protein derivative test (PPD)
- A shot in the arm containing tiny pieces of dead TB bacteria is administered
- Two to three days later, the injection site is examined for a skin reaction (redness or swelling) and the extent of the reaction
- Skin tests are usually positive within 4 to 10 weeks after exposure
- Blood test (interferon-gamma release assays [IGRAs])
- Blood tests are not always available everywhere
Latent tuberculosis infection is diagnosed with a positive skin test or blood test, followed by a physical examination and imaging such as a chest X-ray to make sure TB is not active and causing disease.
References
Image Source: iStock Images
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/tuberculosis-beyond-the-basics?search=tuberculosis&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2
https://www.cdc.gov/tb/default.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK344404/
FAQs
The test does not tell whether you have inactive TB or active TB disease. You will need other tests, such as a physical examination, chest x-ray, and lab work to determine if you have active TB disease. Once you test positive for TB, you will always have a positive skin test even if you complete treatment for TB.
How long does TB stay in the body after treatment? ›
Tuberculosis (TB) may last for several months, with treatment. The length of time it takes to cure the condition can vary. It may depend on whether the TB is latent or active. Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that spreads through the air from person to person.
How do you know if your TB is cured? ›
Once your course of treatment is finished, you may have tests to make sure you are clear of TB. You might need more treatment if tests show there is still TB bacteria in your body, but most people will get the all-clear.
How long does it take for a TB test to fade? ›
Your health care provider will measure the size of the reaction. If there is a bump, it will go away in a few weeks.
Can you have TB for 10 years? ›
TB germs can live in your body for years without making you feel sick. This is called inactive TB. Even if you do not feel sick, inactive TB can become active TB disease at any time and make you sick. If you have inactive TB, treating it is the best way to protect you from getting sick with active TB disease.
Can you get rid of TB forever? ›
Tuberculosis (TB) can be completely cured with the right treatment. Your doctor and health care team will be there to help you every step of the way. The key to a successful recovery is following the treatment as prescribed and communicating any questions and concerns with your doctor.
Do symptoms of tuberculosis go away? ›
Tuberculosis symptoms can seem to go away, but the illness often reactivates. Without treatment, tuberculosis can return. Tuberculosis treatment regimens last for months.
Can you fully recover from TB? ›
Active, drug-sensitive TB disease is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. The vast majority of TB cases can be cured when medicines are provided and taken properly.
Can I live a normal life after TB treatment? ›
At two years after treatment completion, 3.3% of patients had died and another 3.6% had to start another round of TB treatment. This is quite a high rate of fatality and could indicate that even after being microbiologically cured of TB, patients are still pretty sick.
How do I know if my TB is still active? ›
Signs and symptoms of active TB disease
A bad cough, lasting three weeks or longer. Pain in the chest. Coughing up blood or phlegm from deep inside the lungs (sputum) Weakness or fatigue.
If you are in good health, your immune system – your body's defence against illness – is likely to remove all the TB bacteria that you breathe in. If it is unable to do this, it may be able to stop you from becoming ill by forcing the bacteria into a latent (sleeping) state.
Can tuberculosis return after treatment? ›
In this study, 8.3% of cases of smear-positive pulmonary TB cases experienced recurrence and over half of the recurrent cases emerged within 1 year or 2 years after successful treatment.
Will I always test positive for TB after treatment? ›
Once you have a positive TB blood test or TB skin test result, you may still have a positive test result on future TB tests. This includes even after you finish taking all of your TB medicine for inactive TB or active TB disease. Ask your health care provider for a written record of your positive TB skin test result.
How many years is a TB test good for? ›
If you have a negative skin test, you need a repeat test at least once every four years. If you have a documented positive skin test, you must have an initial chest X-ray. After that, you still need to be screened every four years.
What happens if a TB test is positive? ›
A “positive” TB blood test result means you probably have TB germs in your body. Most people with a positive TB blood test have latent TB infection. To be sure, your doctor will examine you and do a chest x-ray. You may need other tests to see if you have latent TB infection or active TB disease.
Is tuberculosis a lifelong illness? ›
Although the bacteria are inactive, they still remain alive in the body and can become active later. Some people can have a latent TB infection for a lifetime, without it ever becoming active and developing into TB disease.
Does TB test disappear? ›
Key Information About Your TB Skin Test
A small bump (similar to a mosquito bite) appears when the serum is injected. This bump may disappear almost immediately or it may linger for a while. There may be some slight oozing of blood from the site, but avoid using a bandaid.
How long is TB test valid until? ›
A one-step TB test requires that you come in for the test, and return 48-72 hours later to have it read. If you arrive more than 72 hours later the test cannot be read, as the result is no longer valid.
