Early symptoms of tuberculosis

Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
Updated on May 03, 2025
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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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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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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.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
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Does tuberculosis cause coughing?

Do tuberculosis patients cough? Most tuberculosis patients can experience coughing, and the duration of the cough is generally quite long, often exceeding two to three weeks and in some cases even reaching over six months to a year. However, there is also a small number of patients who might not cough due to the different types of tuberculosis they have. Additionally, not all cases of coughing indicate tuberculosis. A tuberculosis patient might cough, but they might also not cough, and while a person who coughs could possibly have tuberculosis, not all coughs are due to tuberculosis. There is no definitive equivalence between tuberculosis and coughing. I hope this explanation helps you understand the relationship between tuberculosis and coughing. Thank you.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
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Can you get tuberculosis on your own?

This question can be interpreted in two ways. First, whether every individual could potentially contract tuberculosis (TB) – to that, the answer is yes. Tuberculosis is a contagious disease, and we are all susceptible to the TB bacterium. Therefore, there is a chance, in our lifetimes, to be infected by the TB bacterium and consequently develop TB. The second interpretation revolves around whether a person could suddenly develop TB without specific reasons. Generally, this does not happen. In other words, a typical person would not contract TB unless they have been exposed to the TB bacterium. This means one does not contract TB arbitrarily; it occurs only after coming into contact with TB patients or the TB bacterium, leading to an infection in the lungs and resulting in TB.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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How is tuberculosis diagnosed?

The diagnosis of tuberculosis primarily involves combining relevant clinical symptoms, such as whether there is cough, expectoration, low fever, night sweats, and blood in phlegm. It also requires considering the patient's chest imaging features, whether there is obvious infection, fresh exudation, cavities, as well as sputum tests. For example, if the sputum stain for acid-fast bacilli is positive, and the sputum culture is positive, using these comprehensive diagnostic methods, tuberculosis can be diagnosed, after which anti-tuberculosis treatment should be initiated.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
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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.