Tuberculosis is a slowly spreading, chronic and granulomatous bacterial infection. In the United States, tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis. The disease especially affects the lungs but may also infect other parts of the body such as kidneys and spinal column. Tuberculosis is characterized by fever, cough, chills, fatigue, weakness, chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Like the common cold, tuberculosis spreads through the air when someone with a TB infection coughs, sneezes, talks or spits around you.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a respiratory condition, in which there is inflammation or consolidation of the lung tissues followed by resolution and by fever, chills, cough and difficulty in breathing. It is caused by pathogenic infection of the lungs by bacteria, viruses or fungi. People over 65 are more susceptible to contracting this lung infection because older people tend to have weaker immune systems. But, pneumonia also can occur in young, healthy people. In the United States, about three million cases of pneumonia are reported each year, according to MedicalNewsToday.com.
Night Sweats
Night sweats refer to excessive, drenching perspiration occurring at night. Night sweats is a classic symptom of tuberculosis, but several other fungal infections may be associated with chronic night sweats. Menopause is another leading cause of night sweats and hot flashes in women over 40, due to hormonal changes related to menopause and pre-menopause.
Low Testosterone
Testosterone, a male sex hormone, encourages the development of male sexual characteristics. Normal levels of testosterone also help maintain sperm production, and promote sexual function. Therefore, low levels of testosterone affect a man's sex life. Low testosterone results from the inability of the testes to produce a sufficient amount of the hormone due to aging or congenital problems. Testes also can suffer low levels of testosterone from testicular damage from accidents, inflammation of the testes or testicular cancer.
