Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious disease triggered by the presence of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In some cases, M. tuberculosis causes active cases of TB; in other cases, it produces latent infections that don't immediately produce symptoms. While treatment of active TB requires medication, you can help prevent TB or control a latent infection with regular exercise, the MayoClinic.com notes.
Basics
Most people develop tuberculosis infections in their lungs, but other areas of your body susceptible to M. tuberculosis include your spine, joints, brain and bladder. Latent TB, also known as inactive TB, occurs when your immune system successfully cordons off M. tuberculosis in small pockets inside your body. If you have this form of the disease, you can't spread it to other people. Active TB occurs when M. tuberculosis is uncontrolled and produces symptoms such as fever, chest pain, persistent coughing, fatigue, joint pain, headaches and back pain. If you have this form of the disease, you can pass it on to others.
Avoiding Active TB
Healthy individuals can frequently fight M. tuberculosis and avoid developing active TB, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. If you develop latent TB, your doctor may ask you to take an antibiotic medication called isoniazid, or INH, which kills M. tuberculosis and diminishes your chances for an active infection. Typically, courses of INH are given for a period of six to nine months. However, INH doesn't kill off all of the M. tuberculosis in your body. If you exercise regularly, you'll give your system extra protection against those bacteria that don't die during INH treatment.
Preventing Infection
To keep your immune system healthy and help prevent a TB infection, the MayoClinic.com recommends that you exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes at least four days a week. Additional steps in maintaining or improving your immune system's TB resistance include getting adequate amounts of sleep and eating a diet that emphasizes healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits. If you have known risks for TB, including immune system-depleting diseases such as HIV/AIDS, your doctor may also recommend that you undergo yearly TB skin testing.
Considerations
Many individuals with latent TB never develop active cases of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes. However, active cases sometimes develop years after a latent TB diagnosis. If you have latent TB, consult your doctor for more information on the benefits of regular exercise and other specific steps you can take to avoid developing an active infection.
