Can people with tuberculosis drink alcohol?

Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on February 16, 2025
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Whether patients with tuberculosis can drink alcohol, first of all, it is important to know that tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease and a consumptive disease that consumes the body's calories. Drinking alcohol can affect the body's absorption of energy. Moreover, most patients with tuberculosis need to take anti-tuberculosis medication, most of which are metabolized through the liver and can cause varying degrees of liver damage. Drinking alcohol can exacerbate liver damage and reduce the effectiveness of the medication. Additionally, since there are many types of anti-tuberculosis medications for tuberculosis patients, some medications may cause adverse reactions when drinking alcohol. Therefore, all tuberculosis patients must strictly abstain from drinking alcohol during treatment.

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Can people with tuberculosis eat beef?

Patients with tuberculosis need to appropriately increase their intake of high-quality proteins, such as beef, duck, fish, pork, and lean meat. These foods can provide the body with abundant proteins and the raw materials for amino acid synthesis. It is also necessary to appropriately consume fresh vegetables and fruits to obtain a rich supply of vitamins, fibers, and minerals. The variety of food should be diversified, nutrition should be balanced, and meals should be evenly distributed. Moreover, systematic and standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment with scientific and reasonable methods, combined with nutritional adjustments, can lead to a cure in most cases.

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Is tuberculosis easily contagious?

Whether tuberculosis (TB) is easily transmitted primarily depends on the source of infection, which refers to the TB patients and the amount of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in their sputum. If TB bacilli can be detected in their sputum, and the quantity is substantial, then their infectiousness is indeed higher. However, if the TB patient has undergone treatment, or if there are only a few TB bacilli in their sputum, or none at all, then their infectiousness may not be as significant. The second factor is the mode of transmission, which mainly occurs through the respiratory tract. If TB patients can be isolated timely, or if they wear masks, and their sputum is properly managed, for example by wrapping the sputum in paper and burning it, then they are less likely to transmit the disease to others. TB generally involves susceptibility issues; even if someone has been vaccinated with BCG or the TB vaccine, they can still be reinfected. Therefore, controlling these three transmission pathways is essential to minimize the risk of contracting TB.

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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.

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Early symptoms of tuberculosis

In the early stages of tuberculosis, as the condition is relatively mild, many patients have no symptoms or only mild symptoms. Typical symptoms include coughing, expectoration, night sweats, fatigue, low-grade fever, poor appetite, and weight loss, but these are not specific to tuberculosis. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks, tuberculosis should be suspected, and a chest x-ray or other examinations should be performed for further clarification. If the x-ray suggests tuberculosis, further tests such as a tuberculin skin test should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

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Can tuberculosis be cured?

Tuberculosis can be cured if it is detected early and treated promptly with standard anti-tuberculosis therapy, resulting in a very good prognosis. However, it is very unfortunate if detection is delayed or if standard treatment is not administered, as the tuberculosis may recur or infect with drug-resistant strains, causing permanent damage to lung function. Advanced pulmonary lesions or significant hemoptysis can be life-threatening. Currently, the treatment of tuberculosis involves chemotherapy, with principles including early treatment, combination therapy, appropriate dosing, regularity, and completeness, usually lasting at least six months. Common first-line anti-tuberculosis medications include isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Initially, a two-month intensive phase of treatment with isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide is followed by a four-month continuation phase with isoniazid and rifampin. During the treatment of tuberculosis, it is important to enhance one's resistance and immune function and to improve nutrition to facilitate recovery. (Use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)