The Tuberculosis Infection: Defining the Common Signs and Symptoms

Tuberculosis is a highly infectious bacterial disease. The bacteria responsible for the tuberculosis condition is known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs, it can affect any body part.

It is estimated that 10-15 million people are infected with the TB bacteria in the United States. 22,000 new cases of tuberculosis occur each year in the United States. Tuberculosis is an opportunistic infection and can affect anyone. However, there are certain risk factors related to the development of the tuberculosis condition. These conditions include being homeless, living in a foreign country with high tuberculosis rates, and being in close contact with anyone who has an active tuberculosis infection. Drug use, HIV, cancer, and diabetes sufferers are also at a higher risk for developing tuberculosis. Health care workers are also at an increased risk. Health care workers are often in close contact with many infected patients.

Tuberculosis is spread through direct contact with infected sputum. The infected sputum particles are introduced into the air whenever the infected person coughs, spits, shouts, or sneezes. Anyone who is nearby may breathe the infected particles into his or her lungs. Tuberculosis is contagious but is not spread through contact with the infected persons clothing or other objects.

When the inhaled tuberculosis bacteria enter the lungs, they can multiply and cause pneumonia. The lymph nodes associated with the lungs may also become involved with the infection and usually become enlarged. Tuberculosis can then easily spread to other parts of the body.

The body will do its best to fight the tuberculosis infection. If the body is able to form scar tissue around the tuberculosis bacteria, the infection is contained in an inactive state. The tuberculosis infection can not be spread when in the inactive state. The tuberculosis sufferer will usually present with no symptoms associated with the tuberculosis condition.

There are times when the tuberculosis overpowers the scar tissue presented by the body's immune system. Certain factors such as increased age and presence of other disease processes may contribute to this event. The kidneys, bone, and lining of the brain and spinal cord are the most common sites affected by the spread of tuberculosis beyond the lungs.

Tuberculosis usually affects the upper part of the lungs. Development of tuberculosis symptoms is linked to the immune system's ability to stop the infection. If the immune system is healthy, it can stop the tuberculosis infection and make the infection in the lungs dormant. If the immune system is weakened, the tuberculosis infection will remain active and continue to reproduce and spread throughout the body system.

Symptoms associated with active tuberculosis infection include fever, weakness, and night sweats. Chest pain, productive cough, and shortness of breath may occur as the active infection worsens. Other symptoms associated with the spread of tuberculosis vary depending upon the body system affected.

The diagnosis of TB involves skin tests, chest x-rays, sputum analysis and PCR tests to detect the genetic material of the causative bacteria.

Treatment of active tuberculosis infections is often achieved through combination drug therapy. Medications such as rifampin , ethambutol, and pyrazinamide are the drugs commonly used to treat active TB in conjunction with isoniazid (INH). Surgery may be indicated for those suffering form medication resistant forms of tuberculosis. Inactive tuberculosis is treated with antibiotic therapy.