A tuberculosis infection can become fatal if left untreated. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, prior to the discovery of specific antibiotic drugs in the 1940s, tuberculosis was the number one cause of death in the United States. If you believe you have been exposed to tuberculosis, it is best to get treated before you develop the disease or the disease gets worse.
Description
Tuberculosis is a potentially fatal disease caused by bacteria that primarily affects your lungs. If you become exposed to tuberculosis, your body may fight off the infection without medical treatment. Even with advances in medicine and treatment, tuberculosis is still a leading cause of death and illness worldwide, especially in Asia and Africa, according to the Mayo Clinic. Each year, tuberculosis infection kills an estimated 2 million people worldwide.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a tuberculosis infection may or may not be visible depending on whether or not it is active. In latent tuberculosis, the body is able to fight off the infection. Active tuberculosis means that the body cannot keep the infection under control and that the disease is contagious. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you develop an active tuberculosis infection, you may experience unexplained weight loss, fatigue, chills and night sweats. Infection of the lungs can include chronic cough, coughing up blood and chest pain.
Causes
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacteria tuberculosis and is typically spread through droplets in the air from an infected person. People who cough or sneeze can spray droplets into an area or space where others may become infected. Even though tuberculosis is contagious, it's not particularly easy to catch. It's estimated that about one in 10 people who are infected with tuberculosis can go on to develop active tuberculosis, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Complications
Complications can be a direct result of tuberculosis being left untreated. Tuberculosis that spreads through the lungs can cause lung damage such as pneumothorax, when a lung caves in due to an accumulation of gas between the membranes that surround the lungs. Other complications can include meningitis--a tuberculosis infection of the brain and nervous system--or miliary tuberculosis, where tuberculosis spreads throughout the entire body.
Treatments
Treatment for tuberculosis includes drug therapy for an extended amount of time. In general, you must continue to take specific antibiotics for at least six to nine months to completely wipe out the tuberculosis bacteria. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, if you fail to take all of the medications you were prescribed, you may risk developing a multidrug-resistant strand of the tuberculosis bacteria, which you can end up spreading to others.
