Tuberculosis

When to Seek Medical Care

If someone among your family or close associates is found to be sick with active TB, you should see your doctor and be tested for tuberculosis  .

• The dangerous contact time is before treatment. However, once treatment with drugs starts, the sick person is noncontagious within a few weeks.
• If you develop any side effects from medications — such as itching, change in color of skin, tiredness, or excessive fatigue—call your doctor immediately.

Next Steps

Prevention:  Pulmonary   or lung Tuberculosis is contagious

Treatment to prevent TB in a single person aims to kill walled-up germs that are doing no damage right now, but could break out years from now and become active.

• In the case that treatment is necessary to avoid illness, your physician will typically recommend a daily dosage of the low-cost TB medication isoniazid (commonly known as INH).
• INH is recommended for a maximum of one year, during which time you will have checks to ensure that you are taking it as directed and that there are no unfavorable side effects.
• Do not spit around or breathe / cough close to any person. Do not share same utensil with others for eating food or drinking fluids.

In big populations, treatment can also halt the spread of tuberculosis.

• Although the bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine for tuberculosis may stop the disease from spreading and tuberculous meningitis in children, it is not a guarantee against tuberculosis in the lungs.
• Health officials generally recommend the vaccine in countries or communities where the rate of new infection is greater than 1% per year.

You should anticipate continuing to live a normal life, keeping your job, and remaining with your family. However, in order to ensure a recovery and stop others from becoming ill, you must take your medication on a regular basis.

• Your chances of making a full recovery are very high with treatment.
• The illness will worsen and eventually cause disability and death if treatment is not received.