World Tuberculosis Day: Understanding the phases, complication and ways to prevent tuberculosis

While most people believe tuberculosis only affects the lungs, they are not aware that the disease may also damage other organs. This is why the world recognizes March 24 as World Tuberculosis (TB) Day in order to spread more awareness about the disease.

The cause of tuberculosis is the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is transmitted through the air and usually infects the lungs. Extrapulmonary TB refers to the condition in which the disease spreads from the lungs to other parts of the body, such as the lining of the lungs (pleural TB), the central nervous system (TB meningitis), the bone and joints (musculoskeletal system), the lymph nodes, the abdomen (abdominal TB), the kidney and bladder (urogenital TB), as well as the blood.

The lungs are the most common site of infection for TB, which is a bacterial disease. Kidneys, spinal columns, and the brain are just some of the additional organs that could be harmed.

TB is a dangerous disease, that can spread through the cough of an infected person (Image via Pexels @Pavel Danilyuk)

Most cases of TB spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also reactivate latent infections in previously exposed individuals. A person infected with TB is different from a person having an active TB illness.

Phases of Tuberculosis

Some common symptoms of tuberculosis are cough that lasts longer than two weeks, pain in your chest, weight loss, chills, fever and coughing up sputum or mucus. While symptoms are warning signs of this disease, there are specific phases of the disease that follow a certain progression:

1) Exposure

This happens when a person is exposed to TB bacteria in the air from the coughing or sneezing of someone with active TB of the lungs. The infected person will have a negative chest X-ray and no outward symptoms of the disease.

2) Infection with Latent TB

In this phase, a person carries TB germs but shows no outward signs of the disease. TB bacteria are safe inside the infected person because of their immune system. Most people who contract this disease will have no outward symptoms of the disease at any point in their lives.

This individual would have a positive tuberculosis skin or blood test but a normal chest X-ray due to the immune system's successful battle against the bacterial invasion. There will be no signs of an active infection in any other part of the body.

An X-ray of the chest often does not indicate latent TB, hence it can be quite difficult to diagnose this disease (Image via Pexels @Anna Shvets)

3) Clinical TB

The symptoms of an active TB infection would be present in this person.

A positive chest X-ray, sputum sample showing evidence of active TB, or other results indicating the current illness may contradict a negative skin or blood test for TB.

Complications Caused by Tuberculosis

Long-term (permanent) lung damage can be the result of untreated pulmonary TB. Bones, vertebrae, brain, spinal cord, lymph glands, and other parts of the body can all become infected with this disease.

Staying fit and maintaining good health is the best way to prevent this disease (Image via Pexels @Thirdman)

When TB is not treated, it can be fatal, and this disease is still a leading infectious killer worldwide.

How to Prevent TB?

Some tips from doctors on how to prevent or stay safe from TB are given below:

Strong immunity is the single most crucial factor in staying healthy.
A high-protein diet is recommended (discuss this with your doctor or nutritionist).
Walking or jogging outside, practicing yoga, lifting weights, etc., on a regular basis.
Control any additional medical conditions you may have, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, etc.
If you are taking immune-modulating drugs, it is important to schedule regular check-ups with your doctor (eg: rheumatoid arthritis, chemotherapy for cancer, immune suppressing medicines after organ transplant, etc.)
Prevention of serious forms of tuberculosis in children by administering the BCG vaccine is a crucial intervention.

If you have a cough that lasts longer than two weeks, you will have to undergo treatment for tuberculosis under a doctor's care.

As they say, prevention is the best cure. Hence, you should take every initiative to take care of your health and stay fit. If you wish to learn more, its recommended that you read up on some ways to prevent tuberculosis.