What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person by tiny particles in the air. TB can be Latent (inactive) or Active. With latent TB your body’s immune system fights the infection so you will not have any symptoms of the disease. With active TB the bacteria are growing and causing symptoms. It is easy to spread the disease to other people if you have active TB. TB is treatable but still remains a leading cause of death worldwide.
What are the causes?
- An organism called Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Treatments for Tuberculosis:
- For Active TB, children are treated with streptomycin (an antibiotic)
- For Latent TB, your child’s doctor may prescribe a preventative drug therapy
What can I do?
- Make sure your child finishes the entire drug therapy. If treatment is stopped then the bacteria can become drug resistant making TB more dangerous and difficult to treat
- Try to maintain a normal lifestyle by continuing to visit with friends and family once your child is no longer contagious
It is important to remember the health information found on this Web site is for reference only not intended to replace the advice and guidance of your health care provider. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you think you may have a true medical emergency, call 911 immediately.
Symptoms
- A cough that brings up thick, cloudy, and sometimes bloody mucus from the lungs for more than 2 weeks
- Fatigue
- Night sweats
- Fever
- Unexplained weight loss
- Chills
- Loss of appetite
- Rapid heartbeat
- Swelling in the neck
- Shortness of breath and chest pain (rarely)