Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
Updated on September 18, 2024
00:00
00:00

Tuberculosis is mainly due to the infection of the human body by tuberculosis bacteria, which proliferate massively within the body, destroying the tissues and organs, and producing some blood syndromes related to combined toxins. Symptoms such as low-grade fever, night sweats, blood-stained sputum, and afternoon feverishness are common, and weight loss is also a common occurrence.

Different forms of tuberculosis have different clinical symptoms. Tuberculosis can be cured if it is identified early and treated promptly and properly with anti-tuberculosis therapy, allowing many to recover completely.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by An Yong Peng
Pulmonology
50sec home-news-image

Does increased lung markings indicate tuberculosis?

Increased pulmonary markings are not an exclusive indicator of tuberculosis. The increase in pulmonary markings could be a sign of acute bronchitis or chronic pulmonary congestion. Additionally, although patients with bronchiectasis often show characteristics in a chest CT, it might only appear as increased pulmonary markings in a chest X-ray. Tuberculosis can present in various forms of lesions, often coexisting in multiple forms. Such forms may include infiltrative lesions, fibrous strip-like lesions, nodular lesions, or even lesions with calcification. For diagnosing tuberculosis, relying solely on chest X-rays or CT scans is sometimes insufficient. Further confirmation often requires additional tests such as sputum acid-fast staining and bronchoscopy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
37sec home-news-image

Is pulmonary tuberculous effusion contagious?

Pulmonary hydrotuberculosis is actually caused by infection with the tuberculous bacillus, which is commonly referred to as tuberculous pleurisy. Simple tuberculous pleurisy is not contagious, because the lesions are primarily within the pleural cavity, and the pleural cavity is not connected to the outside world. Therefore, simple pulmonary hydrotuberculosis is not contagious. However, if it is accompanied by pulmonary tuberculosis, and if the examination for pulmonary tuberculosis finds tuberculous bacillus in the sputum, then it is contagious in these cases.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Fang Xiao
Internal Medicine
51sec home-news-image

What vegetables are good for patients with tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a relatively common disease in clinical practice, and currently, there are many tuberculosis patients in our country. Clinically, it mainly manifests as low-grade fever in the afternoon, as well as coughing up phlegm, blood in the phlegm, and other related issues. It can be definitively diagnosed through tests such as the PPD test and chest CT scans. For tuberculosis patients, dietary adjustments are also necessary. For example, in terms of vegetables, they can eat potatoes, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. The main food should consist of rice and noodles. In terms of protein, it is advisable to eat more meat, eggs, and milk to supplement nutrition. It is important to maintain a light diet and avoid spicy and irritating foods.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
39sec home-news-image

Is tuberculosis infectious?

Only patients whose active phlegm contains tuberculosis bacteria are infectious. Many cases of tuberculosis are actually non-contagious. For example, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, such as lymph node tuberculosis, tuberculous pleurisy, and tuberculous meningitis, are not contagious. Pulmonary tuberculosis patients, whose phlegm contains tuberculosis bacteria, are contagious and need appropriate respiratory isolation and should begin anti-tuberculosis treatment as soon as possible. Through anti-tuberculosis treatment, contagious pulmonary tuberculosis can become non-contagious.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
50sec home-news-image

Is the disease with symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and palpitations tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis can cause symptoms such as fever, night sweats, cough, and hemoptysis, and in severe cases, it can lead to chest tightness, shortness of breath, and palpitations. However, if a patient experiences shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and palpitations without symptoms like fever, hemoptysis, or night sweats, it is advisable to consider heart disease or chronic lung disease, or pneumonia leading to cardiopulmonary insufficiency. To rule out these conditions, examinations such as a chest CT and cardiac echocardiography should be conducted. Patients experiencing chest tightness and difficulty breathing are advised to seek medical attention at a hospital as soon as possible.