World Tuberculosis Day: Watch out for these TB symptoms

Tuberculosis infects two patients every three minutes in India. The disease is caused by the microbe tuberculosis bacterium and is spread through air. While the disease is completely curable, doctors face issues as patients often don't complete their medical course.

While TB mainly affects lungs, it can also affect other organs too. But before we go to the symptoms, we need to know about types of TB.

Latent TB

One-third of the world's population is believed to have latent TB. But latent TB isn't contagious. The person doesn't feel ill and there are no symptoms. But this can turn into active TB.

Active TB

This type of TB make you sick and the condition is contagious. 

Here are the main symptoms of tuberculosis that affects lungs:

— A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
— Pain in the chest
— Coughing up blood or sputum (mucus from deep inside the lungs)

Other symptoms

— Weakness or fatigue
— Weight loss
— No appetite
— Chills
— Fever
— Sweating at night

People who are vulnerable to TB

— People recently infected with TB bacteria.
— People with medical conditions that weaken the immune system.
— People who have spent time with someone affected with TB or visited a country or places (homeless shelter, prison or jail, or long-term care facility) where it is highly prevalent.
— People who are in healthcare and deal with patients who have highly prone to TB.
— People with HIV infection.
— Children under five years of age.
— People who had the disease in the last two years.
— People with health issues that affects immunity.
— People who smoke or drink alcohol or do drugs.
— People who have not been treated for TB in the past.