If the recurrent case responds to the drugs, then it can be successfully treated. Again, the regimen must be followed to the letter. You can't always prevent tuberculosis , be it a primary or recurrent infection. But you can take steps to reduce your risk. Once treatment for tuberculosis is completed, a course of preventive antibiotics might be an option to reduce the risk of tuberculosis reinfection in HIV-positive people.
The best way to prevent tuberculosis from striking again is to always take medications exactly as recommended by your doctor. And as obvious as it sounds, limiting exposure to people who may be contaminated with tuberculosis also reduces the risk of reinfection. By subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Health Topics. Health Tools. Reviewed: December 16, Medically Reviewed. The Lengthy Tuberculosis Treatment Regimen It's very common for people with tuberculosis to relapse during treatment. The immune system may be weakened in older adults, newborns, women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, and people who have HIV infection, some cancers, or poorly controlled diabetes.
Take some types of medicines, such as long-term corticosteroids , biologics used to treat rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease , or medicines to prevent rejection of a transplanted organ. Have a chronic lung disease caused by breathing in tiny sand or silica particles silicosis or celiac disease. When should you call your doctor? Call your doctor immediately if you have: Symptoms such as a cough that may produce bloody mucus along with fever, fatigue, and weight loss that could be caused by tuberculosis TB.
Been in close contact with someone who has untreated active TB, which can be spread to others, or you have had lengthy close contact with someone you think has untreated active TB. Blurred vision or changes in how you see colours and are taking ethambutol for TB. Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes jaundice or you have abdominal pain and you are taking isoniazid or other medicines for TB.
Call your doctor if you: Have recently had a TB skin test and you have a red bump at the needle site. You need to have a reaction measured by a health professional within 2 to 3 days after the test.
This measurement is important in deciding whether you need more tests or treatment. Have been exposed to someone who has active TB. Who to see Your family doctor or general practitioner can help you find out if you have tuberculosis TB.
For treatment of active TB, which can be spread to others, or to treat complications of TB, you may be referred to: Your local public health unit. A respirologist , a doctor who specializes in treating lung problems. An infectious disease specialist.
Examinations and Tests Diagnosing active TB in the lungs Doctors diagnose active tuberculosis TB in the lungs pulmonary TB by using a medical history and physical examination, and by checking your symptoms such as an ongoing cough, fatigue, fever, or night sweats. Doctors will also look at the results of a: Sputum culture. Testing mucus from the lungs sputum culture is the best way to diagnose active TB. But a sputum culture can take 1 to 8 weeks to provide results. Sputum cytology.
Chest X-ray. Symptoms of active TB, such as a persistent cough, fatigue, fever, or night sweats. An uncertain reaction to the tuberculin skin test because of a weakened immune system , or to a previous bacille Calmette-Guerin BCG vaccination. Rapid sputum test. This test can provide results within 24 hours. Diagnosing latent TB in the lungs A tuberculin skin test will show if you have ever had a TB infection.
See a picture of a tuberculin skin test. Rapid blood tests help detect latent TB. A rapid test requires only one visit to the doctor or clinic, instead of two visits as required for the tuberculin skin test. Rapid blood tests are also called interferon-gamma release assays IGRAs.
Tests include: Biopsy. A sample of the affected area is taken out and sent to a lab to look for TB-causing bacteria. Urine culture. This test looks for TB infection in the kidneys renal TB. Lumbar puncture. A sample of fluid around the spine is taken to look for a TB infection in the brain TB meningitis. CT scan. This test is used to diagnose TB that has spread throughout the body miliary TB and to detect lung cavities caused by TB.
This test looks for TB in the brain or the spine. Tests during TB treatment During treatment, a sputum culture is done once a month—or more often—to make sure that the antibiotics are working.
These tests may include: Liver function tests. Eye tests, especially if you are taking ethambutol for TB treatment. Hearing tests, especially if you are taking streptomycin for TB treatment. Early detection Public health officials encourage screening for people who are at risk for getting TB. Treatment for active tuberculosis Health experts recommend: footnote 7 footnote 4 Using more than one medicine to prevent multidrug-resistant TB.
The standard treatment begins with four medicines given for 2 months. Continuing treatment for 4 to 9 months or longer if needed.
The number of medicines used during this time depends on the results of sensitivity testing. Using directly observed therapy DOT. This means visits with a health professional who watches you every time you take your medicine. A cure for TB requires you to take all doses of the antibiotics. These visits ensure that people follow medicine instructions, which is helpful because of the long treatment course for TB. Trying a different combination of medicines if the treatment is not working because of drug resistance when tests show that TB-causing bacteria are still active.
Using different treatment programs for people infected with HIV, people infected with TB bacteria that are resistant to one or more medicines, pregnant women, and children. Treatment for latent tuberculosis Experts recommend one of the following: Using one medicine to kill the TB bacteria and prevent active TB. The standard treatment is isoniazid taken for 9 months.
For people who cannot take isoniazid for 9 months, sometimes a 6-month treatment program is done. This is an acceptable alternate treatment, especially for people who have been exposed to bacteria that are resistant to isoniazid. Have close contact with a person who has active TB. Have a chest X-ray that suggests a TB infection and have not had a complete course of treatment.
Inject illegal drugs. Have medical conditions or take medicines that weaken the immune system. Have had a tuberculin skin test within the past 2 years that did not show a TB infection but now a new test points to an infection. Treatment for extrapulmonary tuberculosis Treatment for tuberculosis in parts of the body other than the lungs extrapulmonary TB usually is the same as for pulmonary TB.
You may need treatment in a hospital if you have: Severe symptoms. TB that is resistant to multiple-drug therapy. What to think about If treatment is not successful, the TB infection can flare up again relapse. Prevention Active tuberculosis TB is very contagious.
To avoid getting TB: Do not spend long periods of time in stuffy, enclosed rooms with anyone who has active TB until that person has been treated for at least 2 weeks.
Use protective measures, such as face masks, if you work in a facility that cares for people who have untreated TB. Face masks must be certified by the U.
If you live with someone who has active TB, help and encourage the person to follow treatment instructions. Can the TB vaccine help? The vaccine is not very effective in adults who receive it. This complicates the use of the tuberculin skin test to check people for TB.
Home Treatment Home treatment for tuberculosis TB focuses on taking the medicines correctly to reduce the risk of developing multidrug-resistant TB. Keep all your medical appointments. Take your medicines as prescribed. Report any side effects of the medicines, especially vision problems. If you plan to move during the time that you are being treated, let your doctor know so that arrangements can be made for you to continue the treatment. Healthy eating and exercise During treatment for TB, eat healthy foods and get enough sleep and some exercise to help your body fight the infection.
If you do not feel like eating, eat your favourite foods. Eat smaller meals several times a day instead of a few large ones. Drink high-calorie protein shakes between meals. Or try nutritious drinks, such as Ensure. If you feel sick to your stomach, try drinking peppermint or ginger tea. Ask your doctor when it is safe for you to exercise. When you can go outside, walking is good way to get exercise.
Start slowly if you have not been active. Try one minute or two minute walks to start. Slowly increase your time. Try to walk as often as you can. Emotional issues Because TB treatment takes so long, it is normal to: Be embarrassed about having TB and worried that other people will find out about it.
Feel bad because people have to wear a mask to keep from getting infected when they are near you. Feel isolated and alone because you cannot go to work, school, or public places until you can no longer infect other people. Be worried about losing income or losing your job during treatment.
Feel guilty about the stress this is causing to family members or friends who are worried about getting TB or already have it. Feel depressed. Protecting others Don't go to work or school while you can spread TB. Sleep in a bedroom by yourself until you can no longer infect other people. Open windows in a room where you must stay for a while, if the weather allows it. This can help get rid of TB bacteria from the air in the room.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Until you have been on antibiotics for about 2 weeks, you can easily spread the disease to others. After coughing, dispose of the soiled tissue in a covered container. Talk with your doctor about other precautions you can take to prevent the spread of TB. Medications Active tuberculosis TB Several antibiotics are used at the same time to treat active tuberculosis TB disease. Extrapulmonary TB TB disease that occurs in parts of your body other than the lungs extrapulmonary TB usually is treated with the same medicines and for the same length of time as active TB in the lungs pulmonary TB.
Latent TB One antibiotic usually is used to treat latent TB infection, which cannot be spread to others but can develop into active TB disease. Medicine choices Multiple-drug therapy to treat TB usually involves taking four antibiotics at the same time. What to think about If you miss doses of medicine or you stop treatment too soon, your treatment may go on longer or you may have to start over.
Surgery Surgery is rarely used to treat tuberculosis TB. Surgery is used to: Repair lung damage, such as serious bleeding that cannot be stopped any other way, or repeated lung infections other than TB.
Remove a pocket of bacteria that cannot be killed with long-term medicine treatment. Surgery for TB outside the lungs Surgery sometimes may be needed to remove or repair organs damaged by TB in parts of the body other than the lungs extrapulmonary TB or to prevent other rare complications, such as: TB infection of the brain TB meningitis. Your doctor may surgically place a tube shunt that drains excess fluid from the brain to prevent a buildup of pressure that can further damage the brain.
This is known as latent TB. People with latent TB are not infectious to others. If the immune system fails to kill or contain the infection, it can spread within the lungs or other parts of the body and symptoms will develop within a few weeks or months.
This is known as active TB. Latent TB could develop into an active TB disease at a later date, particularly if your immune system becomes weakened. With treatment, TB can almost always be cured. A course of antibiotics will usually need to be taken for 6 months. Several different antibiotics are used because some forms of TB are resistant to certain antibiotics.
If you're infected with a drug-resistant form of TB, treatment with 6 or more different medications may be needed. If you're diagnosed with pulmonary TB, you'll be contagious for about 2 to 3 weeks into your course of treatment.
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