What is Tuberculosis and How is it Treated?
TB remains one of the most common infectious diseases in India. Here is what every patient should know about diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs, although it can also affect other organs including the kidney, spine, and brain.
How Does TB Spread?
TB spreads through the air when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, or speaks. It is not spread through touching surfaces, sharing food, or physical contact.
Symptoms to Watch For
Common symptoms include a persistent cough lasting more than 2 weeks, coughing up blood, chest pain, fever, night sweats, and unexplained weight loss.
Diagnosis
Dr. Arbat uses a combination of chest X-ray, sputum culture, bronchoscopy, and EBUS (Endobronchial Ultrasound) to confirm TB diagnoses, especially in complex or smear-negative cases.
Treatment
TB is treated with a combination of antibiotics over 6–9 months. Completing the full course is essential to prevent drug-resistant TB. One Healthcare, Nagpur offers comprehensive TB care and follow-up programmes.