Can people with tuberculosis eat lamb?

Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
Updated on January 28, 2025
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Tuberculosis is a very common infectious disease in our country. After contracting tuberculosis, symptoms often include coughing, phlegm, hemoptysis, chest pain, low fever, night sweats, fatigue, poor appetite, and weight loss. Generally speaking, as long as one is not allergic to mutton, it can be consumed. However, if the patient has significant poor appetite and weak digestive function, it is better to eat less or avoid mutton to prevent worsening the symptoms due to indigestion. If the digestive function is still relatively good, eating mutton is alright as it is nutritious and can provide energy, benefiting the patient's recovery.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
1min 13sec home-news-image

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.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
46sec home-news-image

Can tuberculosis relapse?

Tuberculosis can relapse, and the answer is definitely yes. In clinical practice, we see many patients who have had tuberculosis and, years later, experience a recurrence of the disease, even multiple recurrences. However, the probability of this is generally not high. As long as everyone follows the doctor's instructions for standard anti-tuberculosis treatment and completes the full course of treatment, most patients can be cured. However, there are a few people whose treatment process is not standard, or who stop taking their medication on their own, and these actions can increase the risk of tuberculosis recurrence.

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Written by Yuan Lin Yan
Infectious Disease
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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.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
1min 17sec home-news-image

Symptoms of tuberculosis

Tuberculosis of the lung presents in many forms, as there are also various types of pulmonary tuberculosis, each exhibiting different symptoms. However, the most common symptoms primarily include coughing and expectoration, which are the most typical manifestations of pulmonary tuberculosis. The cough in pulmonary tuberculosis is generally mild, either dry or producing only a small amount of phlegm. If the tuberculosis is accompanied by cavities, the amount of phlegm may be larger. If there is a bacterial infection in addition to the tuberculosis, the phlegm may become purulent. Some patients with pulmonary tuberculosis may also experience hemoptysis, which can vary in amount from light to severe. A small number of patients may suffer from chest pain and difficulty breathing. Additionally, there are systemic symptoms associated with pulmonary tuberculosis, such as fever (both low and high fever may occur), night sweats, and fatigue, among others.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
41sec home-news-image

Can people with tuberculosis eat lamb?

Tuberculosis is a very common infectious disease in our country. After contracting tuberculosis, symptoms often include coughing, phlegm, hemoptysis, chest pain, low fever, night sweats, fatigue, poor appetite, and weight loss. Generally speaking, as long as one is not allergic to mutton, it can be consumed. However, if the patient has significant poor appetite and weak digestive function, it is better to eat less or avoid mutton to prevent worsening the symptoms due to indigestion. If the digestive function is still relatively good, eating mutton is alright as it is nutritious and can provide energy, benefiting the patient's recovery.