Cough lasting more than one week and accompanied by fever. Perhaps these are signs of tuberculosis? No need to delay. After all, it may not be just an acute respiratory disease.
What is pulmonary tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by mycobacteria that spreads in tissues saturated with blood and oxygen. For this reason, the lungs are most affected. Of course, the disease can develop in other organs. The treatment is successful, but it requires a course of six months to a year, and in some cases it can drag on for years (it all depends on what kind of cough with pulmonary tuberculosis). Previously, this disease was considered the most common. But with the advent of antibiotics, coughing with tuberculosis has become less common. Today, the disease is gaining momentum as the emergence of different strains of TB has led to antibiotic resistance. There is a disease in such forms as open and closed. In the first form, the bacterium, which is suppressed by the immune system in the body, does not pose any threat to the surrounding people. However, this form can become open if the person does notproper treatment. In the second form, the patient has the ability to infect others. The most common form of infection is to inhale the air exhaled by the infected.
Who is at risk of getting TB?
People are most at risk:
- with weak immunity (infants, HIV-infected);
- people who have close contact with an infected person (living in the same room);
- those who care for TB patients (doctors and nurses);
- people who are addicted to nicotine (especially those who smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day);
- those who live on the streets;
- persons who use alcohol and drugs;
- people who are 10% underweight;
- people who use medication for depression;
- people who are in prison.
Causes of tuberculosis cough
The body has the ability to fight any bacteria that enter it. However, with any stress or weakening, the body malfunctions and creates fertile ground for the development of diseases.
The most common way tuberculosis bacillus enters the body is through airborne droplets. But infection does not occur immediately - the bacterium meets the resistance of the respiratory system. The development of the stick occurs with inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and bronchi.
The most common causesdiseases: unfavorable social position, contact with an infected person, unhe althy lifestyle, stress, poor nutrition and weak immunity. But the main reason can be called a weak social base and the impossibility of full-fledged treatment.
Tuberculosis cough symptoms
First of all, you need to listen to your body and pay attention to any changes so as not to miss the initial stage of the disease. This is extremely important because the disease may not manifest itself at first and may be diagnosed after a lung x-ray.
The following symptoms are the first signs of illness:
- constant dizziness;
- apathy and lethargy;
- sleep disorder;
- heavy sweating;
- strong pallor of the body;
- appearance of a bright blush;
- quick weight loss;
- lack of appetite;
- body temperature is 37 0C.
In later stages, the disease manifests itself more clearly:
- has tuberculosis severe cough - both dry and with phlegm;
- tachycardia, in which there is a severe lack of air;
- wheezing of varying intensity;
- high body temperature;
- glitter in the eyes and pale skin;
- vegetovascular dystonia;
- quick weight loss up to ten kilograms or more;
- appearance of blood during expectoration;
- occurrence of chest pain.
Tuberculosis stages
There are three stages of tuberculosislungs:
- Infection. It occurs only in the area where the infection enters. Usually the infected person feels well, only sometimes there may be primary signs of the disease.
- Latent infections. Provided that the human immunity is very weak, the bacteria will quickly spread throughout the body. In this way, they will form places for the accumulation of tuberculosis bacteria on various organs.
- Progression of the disease. The accumulation of mycobacteria affects the lungs, when they enter the bronchi, these microbes make a person a spreader of infection.
Forms of tuberculosis
There are many forms of the disease. It is the form that determines the treatment and how dangerous the disease is.
The first form is infiltrative. It is caused by inflammation in the lungs of a person. As a result, lung tissue becomes like cottage cheese. In some cases, this form is asymptomatic and manifests itself only with x-rays. There is frequent expectoration of blood, although the general state of he alth is not bad. Often the disease is confused with pneumonia, bronchitis and influenza.
The second form is called disseminated. And it is caused by the fact that bacteria spread through the blood and lymphatic system. The symptoms are clear and vary from person to person.
The third form is cavernous, it is characterized by the appearance of a thin cavity on the lung tissue. This form is not very pronounced. It is treated with medications, physiotherapy and immunostimulating drugs.
The fourth uniform wearsfibrous name. When it affects the bronchi and appear emphysema, bronchiectasis and pneumosclerosis.
The fifth form is called focal and is secondary. Both one lung and both are affected. A person has TB cough and fever and other symptoms.
Is there tuberculosis without a cough?
Only in the beginning, the disease can develop without coughing. During this period, the patient may not feel the process of intoxication occurring in his body. But over time, a cough appears.
With the closed form, cough does not occur with tuberculosis.
If a person has tuberculosis of such organs as bones, joints, skin, eyes, brain, kidneys, intestines and genitals, then cough does not occur.
What is the cough with tuberculosis?
Cough occurs in case of disease progression. It happens: dry (or it is also called unproductive) and wet (productive).
If a dry cough is detected:
- tuberculosis in its early stages;
- there was pressure on the bronchial tree by the lymph nodes, which increased;
- have bronchial tuberculosis;
- parallel occurrence of chronic bronchitis.
It is also possible due to the ingress of fluid (pus or other) from the pleura into the bronchi.
Cough with phlegm in tuberculosis has the following causes:
- rapid development of the disease;
- a form of disease that leads to destruction of the lungs;
- accompanying chronic nonspecific bronchitis.
Expectoration in this disease occurs as a homogeneous mass without color and odor. If tuberculosis goes hand in hand with another disease of the respiratory system, then the sputum will be green, purulent and with a strong unpleasant odor.
Other symptoms of TB
Cough in tuberculosis is characterized by expectoration of blood, which is a feature of some types of pulmonary tuberculosis. At first, the patient expectorates ordinary red blood, later it turns into clots. Temperature does not occur. However, if the blood enters the lungs, then in 90% of cases their inflammation occurs, which proceeds with a high body temperature.
Bleeding in the lungs is characterized by the appearance of bright red blood, the volume of which will be more than 50 ml per day (meaning what comes out through the respiratory system). When expectorating blood, no more than 50 ml per day is secreted. Bleeding in the lungs is dangerous because hemorrhagic shock may occur.
Cough with tuberculosis and shortness of breath when exhaling, this occurs due to a decrease in the area of lung tissue, bronchial patency and deterioration of the part of the brain that is responsible for breathing.
There is a squeezing pain that gets worse with the slightest movement.
Swollen lymph nodes occur.
Cough in children
Cough with tuberculosis in children has the following features:
- strong dry;
- more progresses at night and in the morning and lasts more than one month;
- with the development of the disease becomes wet withrelease of purulent and bloody mass;
- cough accompanied by weakness, distracted attention, decreased performance.
With the right medication, it disappears.
Parents need to be able to distinguish cough with pulmonary tuberculosis from acute respiratory viral infection in children, as it also has a cough, but has its own characteristics:
- appears from the beginning of the disease;
- passes in two to five days;
- dynamic, that is, it changes from dry to wet in a short period of time;
- characterized by fever and all catarrhal symptoms;
- relieved by drinking plenty of water and taking antivirals.
The most popular ways to diagnose tuberculosis
The most popular diagnostic methods include x-ray methods, Mantoux test, diaskintest and quantiferon test.
X-ray methods are divided into:
- Fluoroscopy - translucence. This is a cheap method in which the specialist examines the organ on the screen while the machine illuminates it.
- X-ray. It is more accurate and pays attention to the details of any harmful process in the lungs.
- Tomography. It is used to clarify the nature of the disease. The tomography consists of several images.
- Fluorography. This method is common because it is used to prevent tuberculosis, and it is necessary to undergo an examination once a year.
Mantoux testconsists in the fact that a special agent is introduced into the human body - tuberculin. Three days later, the specialist evaluates the reaction of the body. This diagnosis is carried out every year for children from one year old to eighteen years old. The advantage is the price, simplicity and the ability to test a large number of people.
Many factors can affect the development of the reaction, then the test result will be inaccurate:
- when the child had a certain infection, allergy, combed the injection site;
- violation of technique, poor quality of preparation;
- false reaction occurs when there are microbes in the body that are similar to the causative agents of tuberculosis.
Diaskintest is used to exclude a false positive Mantoux reaction. Most often it is used in cases where parents are against Mantoux. However, it gives false results if the disease is in its early stages.
Quantiferon test is the most modern diagnostic technique, since it detects both active and latent forms of the disease. The advantage of this method is that it is carried out in laboratory conditions, there is no influence of external factors. It also excludes false reactions and is used regardless of the child's diseases.
Cough treatment for tuberculosis
If you treat cough (tuberculosis), then you should remember that all medications are taken exactly on time, skipping a dose is strictly excluded. If the regime is not observed, then there may bea form of cough that will be resistant to drugs. Koch's wand can be destroyed only with the simultaneous use of five or six drugs.
But in order to cure the patient, one should not rely only on drugs. The therapy is carried out in combination with physiotherapy and taking drugs that strengthen the immune system. Do not ignore breathing exercises and proper nutrition.
If the disease is advanced, surgery is recommended. Because otherwise death is possible. If the treatment is carried out correctly, then the cough after tuberculosis disappears.
