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Pulmonary tuberculosis
Does tuberculosis cause a runny nose?
Do patients with tuberculosis have a runny nose? First, we need to understand what tuberculosis is. The pathogen of tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB bacillus. Its primary site of infection is the lungs, but now we also classify and manage tracheobronchial and tuberculous pleurisy under pulmonary tuberculosis. However, these sites do not include the nasal part. Generally, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis show symptoms of the respiratory system and systemic symptoms. The most common respiratory symptoms include coughing and phlegm production for more than two weeks. Some patients may also experience hemoptysis, with varying amounts from mild to severe. A few patients may also experience chest pain. Additionally, patients with caseous pneumonia or significant pleural effusion may experience difficulty in breathing. Systemic symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, mainly characterized by afternoon tidal fever, with some patients exhibiting high fevers, and other general symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweats, and fatigue. However, the majority of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis do not exhibit nasal symptoms, meaning a runny nose is generally not a manifestation of tuberculosis. It could be possible that a tuberculosis patient might also have other infections or causative diseases, such as allergic rhinitis.
Does tuberculosis cause fever in its initial stage?
Tuberculosis is caused by an infection of the lungs by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and it is a very common infectious respiratory disease clinically. Typically, the early stage of tuberculosis is accompanied by mild fever to varying degrees, usually occurring in the afternoon, along with coughing, expectoration of blood, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and even chest pain, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats as accompanying clinical symptoms. In the early stages, the diagnosis of tuberculosis in patients is generally made through these specific clinical symptoms, along with some sputum culture and chest X-ray examinations. Usually, most patients with early-stage tuberculosis will experience symptoms of low-grade fever, but these patients have a characteristic of fever that occurs in the afternoon and does not require antipyretics as it can return to normal by itself in the evening.
Is tuberculosis serious?
Tuberculosis is a relatively serious disease, but if it is treated and managed promptly in the early stages, it often can be brought under control and most cases can completely recover. If the disease is allowed to progress unchecked, it can develop from ordinary tuberculosis into an especially severe form of the disease, even endangering life and leading to extrapulmonary tuberculosis. The severity of tuberculosis depends largely on the extent of damage to the lungs and whether there is extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Once tuberculosis is confirmed, scientifically sound and appropriate anti-tuberculosis treatment should be undertaken.
Does tuberculosis cause coughing at night?
Patients with tuberculosis often experience coughing at night, as well as in the early morning. Coughing and expectorating phlegm are common symptoms of tuberculosis. They are often accompanied by low-grade fever, night sweats, afternoon fever flush, weight loss, and blood in the sputum. In severe cases, symptoms can include chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Tuberculosis can be completely cured. Once it is confirmed as a tuberculosis infection, it is necessary to undergo scientific and reasonable anti-tuberculosis treatment, taking into account the actual circumstances.
Does tuberculosis cause headaches in its initial stage?
Tuberculosis is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lungs, generally transmitted through respiratory droplets or direct contact. When infected with tuberculosis, symptoms that often appear include low-grade fever in the afternoons, coughing, expectoration, hemoptysis, chest pain, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Some may experience weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. Therefore, when patients with pulmonary tuberculosis exhibit an afternoon low-grade fever, it often leads to the occurrence of headaches. Therefore, it is very common for patients in the early stages of pulmonary tuberculosis to exhibit various symptoms, primarily due to the rise in body temperature.
Does tuberculosis cause fever?
Does tuberculosis cause fever? The answer is definitely yes. Fever is one of the most common clinical manifestations of tuberculosis. Many tuberculosis patients experience low fevers, and a minority of patients, such as those with caseous tuberculosis or tuberculous pleurisy, may experience high fevers that can recur and persist. Moreover, tuberculosis patients may sometimes also have concurrent bacterial infections, which can cause the fever to last longer and be more difficult to control.
Is tuberculosis contagious?
Not all cases of tuberculosis are infectious. Some tuberculosis cases are infectious in the early stages but become non-infectious after proper treatment. Patients with open tuberculosis are highly contagious because their sputum contains tuberculosis bacilli. These bacilli can be released into the air through coughing, sneezing, laughing, or loud speaking, and can cause infection when inhaled by others. Some tuberculosis patients do not have detectable bacilli in their sputum, and their infectiousness is relatively much lower.
How is tuberculosis transmitted?
How is pulmonary tuberculosis transmitted? First, we need to know the pathogen of pulmonary tuberculosis, which is the tuberculosis bacillus. Tuberculosis bacillus is a type of bacterium that can live in our surrounding environment. Pulmonary tuberculosis also needs a source of infection, that is, a patient carrying the tuberculosis bacillus. The most common source of tuberculosis infection is usually patients with secondary pulmonary tuberculosis. Then, its mode of transmission mainly includes coughing, sneezing, laughing, and talking loudly, which can release the tuberculosis bacilli from the patient into the air, spreading them through droplets. Droplet transmission is the most important route for the spread of pulmonary tuberculosis. Additionally, pulmonary tuberculosis can also be transmitted through other routes such as the gastrointestinal tract or the skin, although these methods of transmission are less common.
Symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis
Now let me talk about the symptoms of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can invade many organs, with pulmonary tuberculosis being the most common. The main symptoms are respiratory symptoms and systemic symptoms. The respiratory symptoms are mainly manifested as coughing, expectoration for more than two weeks, or blood in the sputum, which are common suspicious symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis. Generally, the cough is mild, either dry or with a small amount of mucus. When cavities form, the amount of sputum may increase, and if there is a secondary bacterial infection, the sputum may become purulent. If there is concomitant bronchial tuberculosis, it will manifest as an irritating cough. About one-third of patients will experience hemoptysis, and some may experience massive hemoptysis. If the tuberculosis lesions involve the pleura, it can manifest as chest pain. Dyspnea is more common in patients with caseous pneumonia or those with a large amount of pleural effusion. These are local symptoms. Systemic symptoms mainly manifest as fever, which is the most common manifestation, often as long-term afternoon fever, meaning it begins to rise in the afternoon or evening, drops in the morning, and then returns to normal. Some patients may also experience fatigue, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, etc. Women of childbearing age may experience menstrual disorders, etc.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is a disease where the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects the lungs. It is a persistent bacterium that grows slowly. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease and quite common historically, often referred to as consumption in the past, as mentioned in the novels of Lu Xun. In modern times, tuberculosis is relatively manageable if the infection has not developed resistance to drugs. Proper anti-tuberculosis treatment can result in a cure rate exceeding 90% on the first attempt. However, if the treatment is not adhered to correctly—if the patient stops taking the medication prematurely or does not follow the prescribed regimen—the bacteria may develop resistance, reducing the effectiveness of the treatment. This is particularly problematic in elderly patients, who might also experience adverse reactions to tuberculosis medications, making treatment difficult. Thus, while tuberculosis is generally treatable, infections with drug-resistant strains can be fatal if not managed properly.