Don't Let TB Win! Explore 5 Real Causes of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Disease

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis) bacteria. The bacteria spread from the infected person, and if someone comes in contact with a TB patient, they also get infected. Along with a number of other symptoms, pulmonary tuberculosis can induce acute coughing and chest discomfort. 

Although the lungs are the primary site of tuberculosis (TB) bacterial growth, but in rare cases, other body parts can also get infected. The annual estimate of tuberculosis-related deaths globally surpasses one million cases. Although TB is a treatable illness, its diagnosis, treatment, and prevention remain difficult because of a lack of awareness. Individuals living with HIV/AIDS and those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to TB because the germs may more easily infiltrate their bodies. People living in polluted places and working in hazardous sites also have a higher chance of contracting the infection.  

What is Pulmonary Tuberculosis?

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis) is the bacteria that causes pulmonary tuberculosis and is highly contagious. This infectious condition usually affects your lungs and causes extreme coughing and chest pain. It can also damage other organs, such as the kidneys and spine. The infection is usually referred to as TB, and it is a widespread condition. Even though not everyone infected with tuberculosis becomes seriously ill, treatment is almost always necessary.  

You have latent tuberculosis when you get infected with the bacteria but don't show any symptoms. In such cases, it seems like the TB infection is gone, but in reality, it is only staying dormant within your body. If you have active tuberculosis (TB disease), you get infected and start exhibiting symptoms. In this situation, an infected individual may spread the bacterium to another person. When an infected individual coughs or sneezes, airborne droplets can spread and infect other people. 

Cause of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Most people with TB infection recover without becoming seriously ill, however, proper treatment is necessary to stop the disease from becoming lethal. The infection could remain dormant for many years, and the patient does not become aware of the disease until it gets to a serious level. However, some patients show symptoms just weeks after the initial infection. You should learn about the cause of pulmonary tuberculosis so that you can take precautions and get tested when symptoms start occurring without wasting time.  

Here are the 5 common causes of pulmonary tuberculosis:  

1. Being in contact with an infected individual
   Similar to how a cold or the flu spreads, tuberculosis germs also travel via air, and if you come into touch with someone who has TB, you may also contract it. TB patients cough and sneeze excessively, and when they do, they generate microscopic droplets that contain the bacteria. You can get the illness if you breathe in these bacteria, which explains why those with active TB have a higher risk of spreading the disease to others. If you spend a lot of time indoors with infected friends, relatives, or coworkers, you will contract it from them. However, if you have tuberculosis in other parts of your body, it is typically not contagious. The good thing is tuberculosis bacteria cannot survive on surfaces.
   
   
2. Smoking
   This is another common reason for contracting TB since smoking seriously harms your lungs. Chain smokers who smoke ten or more cigarettes a day for many years harm their lungs irreparably, and the likelihood of contracting TB rises.
   
   
3. Living in a Polluted Area
   Another unfortunate factor that causes TB is living in a highly polluted area because pollution affects our lungs, and increasingly the lungs become weakened. Living in a polluted environment increases the chance of getting a TB infection.
   
   
4. Living in Unsanitary Conditions
   Unsanitary conditions where people do not have the means to clean their surroundings or stay away from infected people can result in a TB infection since TB is extremely contagious.
   
   
5. Working in Hazardous Conditions
   If your work involves working in hazardous conditions, such as working in a coal mine, the small particles that you inhale in that area affect your lungs. As time passes, your lungs lose proper functioning abilities, and become damaged, and TB infection happens quickly.  

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Symptoms

A pulmonary tuberculosis infection occurs when the bacteria that causes the disease survive and grow in the lungs.  

There are three phases to a tuberculosis infection, and every stage has a particular set of symptoms.  

1. Primary TB Infection
   The initial phase is referred to as the primary infection. Your immune system locates and tries to destroy the pathogens, and sometimes the bacteria could be entirely destroyed by the immune system. However, some trapped bacteria could continue to live, and proliferate inside your body and cause trouble later. A primary infection usually causes no symptoms for most people, but some may have symptoms similar to the flu. They experience fatigue, cough, and other mild flu-related symptoms.
   
   
2. Latent TB infection
   Latent pulmonary tuberculosis infection comes after the primary infection. Infected lung tissue is surrounded by a wall formed by immune system cells, and if the immune system manages to contain the bacteria, it will be unable to cause any more damage. However, the bacteria stay alive even though there are no pulmonary tuberculosis symptoms.
   
   
3. Active TB Infection
   When a pulmonary tuberculosis infection gets out of control and cannot be managed by the immune system, active tuberculosis infection occurs. Active tuberculosis infection sometimes comes after the primary infection, however, in most cases, it comes after the latent tuberculosis infection that stays for months or years.  

Symptoms of active pulmonary tuberculosis normally start out slowly and get worse over a few weeks. The symptoms consist of a severe cough, coughing up blood or mucus, chest pain, fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss, lack of appetite, and tiredness.  

The body can get infected with tuberculosis (TB) after it leaves the lungs, and extrapulmonary tuberculosis is the term for this. The bodily component that is infected affects the symptoms, and the typical signs include fever, night sweats, reduced weight, fatigue, and discomfort close to the infection site. Outside the lungs, common locations of active TB illness include the kidneys, liver, fluids surrounding the brain and spinal cord, heart muscles, lymph nodes, bones and joints, blood vessel walls, and the larynx. 

Pulmonary Tuberculosis Treatment

The common medications used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis infection are Isoniazid, Rifampin, Ethambutol, Pyrazinamide, and Rifapentine.  

If you don't take the entire prescribed amount for pulmonary tuberculosis treatment, not all of the germs will be eliminated. That’s why these drugs must be taken for the whole prescribed duration, which may be as long as nine months. Certain types of tuberculosis have developed drug resistance, and it's probable that your healthcare professional will treat pulmonary tuberculosis with many medications.  

Conclusion

A bacterial lung infection known as pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can produce a number of symptoms, such as intense coughing, dyspnea, and chest discomfort. If proper treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis is not received, the condition may become fatal. The majority of people who get TB do not become ill or show any symptoms at first, but over time, the condition starts showing symptoms and makes the infected person gravely ill. Doctors use a lengthy course of antibiotics to treat latent or active tuberculosis after they perform tests to diagnose the condition.  

Contact Pathkind Labs today to get the tests done by expert technicians who use cutting-edge technology for the tests!