Dr Lalitha Badul
Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that involves the lungs. It may spread to other organs.
Causes
Pulmonary TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis). TB is contagious. This means the bacteria is easily spread from an infected person to someone else. You can get TB by breathing in air droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person.
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The resulting lung infection is called primary TB.
Most people recover from primary TB infection without further evidence of the disease. The infection may stay inactive (dormant) for years. In some people, it becomes active again (reactivates).
Most people who develop symptoms of a TB infection first became infected in the past. In some cases, the disease becomes active within weeks after the primary infection.
The following people are at high risk of active TB or reactivation of TB:
• Older adults.
• Infants.
• People with weakened immune systems, for example due to HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy, diabetes, or medicines that weaken the immune system.
Symptoms
The primary stage of TB does not cause symptoms. When symptoms of pulmonary TB occur, they can include:
• Breathing difficulty.
• Chest pain.
• Cough (usually with mucus).
• Coughing up blood.
• Excessive sweating, especially at night.
• Fatigue.
• Fever.
• Weight loss.
• Wheezing.
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