Tuberculosis Signs and Symptoms

My daughter was diagnosed with Primary Complex that’s why her pediatrician was required me and my husband to have chest x-ray to be able to know the source of infection.  So I asked our general physician regarding the signs and symptoms of tuberculosis since primary complex is also cause by tuberculosis bacteria known as mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The typical signs and symptoms of TB, tuberculosis are persistent or chronic cough with sputum production and with blood if in the advanced stage, fatigue, lack of appetite, unexplainable weight loss, fever and night sweats.  The mode of transmission of tuberculosis is mainly by droplet infection and droplet nuclei produced when an adult or patient who has tuberculosis coughs. When coughing, speaking or sneezing, droplets are expelled into the air. Droplets dry out quickly but the bacteria can remain airborne for hours.

Chest xray and PPD skin test are used to diagnose tuberculosis.  Also, it can diagnose sputum microscopic examination.  Treatment of Tuberculosis includes taking antibiotics such as isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Pyrazinamide and ethambutol were taken everyday for two months while isoniazid and rifampicin were taken everyday for six months or more. Mycobacterium is very strong bacteria so it is important not to skip a dose because bacteria will become resistant to the antibiotics and it will become difficult to treat. Antibiotic resistance means that the medicine can no longer kill the bacteria that they meant to fight.

Thanks that the result of our chest x ray is negative from tuberculosis.  According to our result lungs are clear.