Table of contents:
- When will the first symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis appear?
- 1. Primary infection
- 2. Latent infection
- 3. Active infection
- Symptoms of active pulmonary tuberculosis that need to be watched out for
- 1. Cough continuously for more than 2 weeks
- 2. Chest pain and shortness of breath
- 3. Night sweats
- 4. Fever
- 5. Weight loss drastically
- Distinguishing the cough symptoms of tuberculosis from other coughs
- Symptoms of complicated pulmonary TB
- When do you need to see a doctor?
According to WHO, every second there is at least one person infected with tuberculosis (TB) in the world. TB in Indonesia has even become an infectious disease that causes the number one death. Unfortunately, there are still many who do not recognize the symptoms of TB disease. Understandably, many think that the characteristics of tuberculosis that appear are common respiratory diseases, such as colds or flu. In fact, there are distinctive signs of TB disease. It is important for you to recognize the signs of TB as early as possible so that you do not be late for treatment.
When will the first symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis appear?
The center for disease control and prevention in the United States, the CDC, writes that transmission of TB occurs through the air when patients with active pulmonary TB excrete droplet contains bacteria when coughing, sneezing, or screaming.
Droplet itself is a fluid that comes from the respiratory system, such as phlegm or mucus. Droplet can last several hours in the air and may be inhaled via the upper respiratory tract.
The initial symptoms of TB itself do not appear immediately when the body is infected. Most of the new sufferers feel symptoms after years of contracting the tuberculosis bacteria that causes TB.
This is caused by the first stages of tuberculosis bacterial infection in the body. To find out exactly when the initial symptoms of TB appeared, you need to know the stages of the infection mechanism first.
In the book Tuberculosiswritten by Diana Yancey, when they enter the body, bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis will go through three stages of TB infection, namely:
1. Primary infection
This stage occurs when a person inhales droplet and bacteria enter through the mouth or nose to the outside of the lungs, namely the alveoli. Subsequently, the bacteria began to multiply and a small portion of the number entered the lymph gland. At this point, there may not be any initial symptoms that appear.
2. Latent infection
After the primary stage, the macrophage cells in the immune system begin to defend themselves. Macrophage cells themselves are tasked with "fighting" the TB bacteria. TB or MTB bacteria have a strong cell wall structure. That is why, even though the macrophages continue to try to destroy, these bacteria are still able to survive.
The immune system then looks for other means of defense by forming a hard layer as a protective wall that prevents the spread of infection.
If strong enough, the defense cells are able to destroy bacteria. Conversely, if not, the bacteria will go into a dormant state or not actively reproduce, aka "sleeping".
The bacteria can "lie dormant" for a long time and cause no symptoms at all. That is why, people who contract TB may not immediately show the early features.
This asymptomatic phase is also known as latent TB. Even though there are tuberculosis bacteria in their body, people with latent TB cannot transmit TB disease.
3. Active infection
The weakened immune system can cause the collapse of the layer of defense cells that have been built up to protect the body from the spread of tuberculosis bacterial infection. As a result, the bacteria wake up from their sleep or return to active infection.
Of course, the first thing the bacteria do is destroy the defensive cell walls that surround them. After that, then the bacteria multiply freely.
The world health agency, WHO, stated that the reactivity of TB bacterial infection is the onset of active TB disease. That is, it is at this phase that bacterial infection begins to show the emergence of the initial symptoms of TB.
Only then does the typical symptom of a respiratory problem appear here, such as a cough. However, there are no specific characteristics or specific early symptoms of TB.
The change from latent TB to active TB can take several months to years. Statistically, only 1 in 10 people with latent TB will eventually develop active TB.
Symptoms of active pulmonary tuberculosis that need to be watched out for
Based on the organs that are attacked by tuberculosis bacteria, TB disease can be divided into pulmonary TB and extra pulmonary TB.
Extra-pulmonary TB occurs when a bacterial infection spreads to organs other than the lungs. However, in the early stages of an active infection, the bacteria will first multiply in the lungs. Therefore, the main characteristics of tuberculosis will be related to problems with the respiratory system.
On the book Tuberculosis in Adults and Children, write down the duration of pulmonary tuberculosis symptoms that vary widely. Can be several weeks to months.
The following are typical symptoms of active pulmonary TB disease that are commonly experienced:
1. Cough continuously for more than 2 weeks
Almost all diseases that attack the respiratory tract will cause coughing symptoms, as well as tuberculosis. This is because of an infection that interferes with breathing.
Coughing is the body's natural reflex, which clears the respiratory tract of infectious organisms.
Tuberculosis infection in the lungs will cause excess mucus production, causing you to cough up phlegm. However, there are also those that do not trigger an increase in mucus production and make TB patients experience a dry cough.
If the condition is more severe, the TB patient may also experience coughing with blood.
2. Chest pain and shortness of breath
The development of a bacterial infection in the lungs causes inflammation that increases mucus production in the lungs. Not to mention, the buildup of dead cells in the lungs caused by the attack of tuberculosis bacteria further inhibits the entry and exit of air into the lungs. This condition raises the initial symptoms of tuberculosis which makes it difficult for sufferers to breathe smoothly.
3. Night sweats
One of the main and typical symptoms of tuberculosis apart from coughing is excessive sweating at night. This characteristic of tuberculosis is usually followed by a weak body and experiencing pain in the muscles and joints.
4. Fever
Fever indicates that the immune system is reacting against a bacterial infection. This is why TB sufferers often experience fever in the early stages of an active infection. This one characteristic of tuberculosis then disappears and recurs in some time. Fever that is a sign of TB disease can usually be felt in more than 3 weeks.
5. Weight loss drastically
All the characteristics of tuberculosis that appear can make the sufferer lose appetite. Continuous coughing of tuberculosis can even make it difficult for sufferers to swallow food.
Patients who have undergone TB treatment may lose their appetite more and more. The reason is, the side effects of antituberculosis drugs can cause digestive problems, appetite disorders, and decreased metabolism.
As a result, the nutritional intake of TB sufferers may not be fulfilled properly so that they can lose weight quickly in a short time.
If you experience symptoms other than those mentioned above, you can find out the possible types of disease causing the health problem you are experiencing by examining the symptoms here.
Distinguishing the cough symptoms of tuberculosis from other coughs
When your cough doesn't go away, you often suspect that you might have tuberculosis. Yes, TB cough has a little difference from a normal cough.
The TB cough usually occurs continuously for at least 2 more weeks. TB cough symptoms usually won't subside even if you try to treat it with cough medicine. During coughing, sufferers also often feel pain in the chest.
As the disease progresses, especially when the infection gets worse, coughing can also be accompanied by phlegm mixed with blood from a wound on the inside of the lungs.
To make sure your cough is really caused by tuberculosis, it is not enough just to recognize the characteristics of the cough. Chronic cough symptoms can be a sign of other diseases besides pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, it is recommended that you undergo a number of medical examinations, such as the Mantoux test (tuberculin test) or blood test.
The Mantoux test is done by injecting a liquid named tubercullin into the skin on the arm. The next examination is carried out after 48-72 hours to see if there is an induration (protrusion) on the skin and adjust it to the test results.
Symptoms of complicated pulmonary TB
Late treatment or not adhering to the rules for taking TB medication can cause complications. Complications of pulmonary TB are characterized when the infection has spread to various other parts of the body through your bloodstream.
The following are health problems or characteristics of TB disease that are already severe and causing complications:
- Back pain
- Damage to joints
- Swelling of the lining of the brain (meningitis)
- Liver and kidney problems
- Heart defects (cardiac tamponade)
When do you need to see a doctor?
Immediately do a TB check to the doctor if your cough doesn't go away after 2 weeks and is followed by fever, night sweats, and drastic weight loss.
The doctor will then carry out a series of examinations for the diagnosis of TB which include a physical examination, Mantoux test, chest X-ray, and other laboratory tests. After the diagnosis shows that you are positive for TB, you need to adhere to the rules of TB treatment properly in order to make a full recovery.
