TB, or tuberculosis, once was the scourge of civilization. Because it is a highly contagious lung infection, it caused a great deal of misery and death. Antibiotics and treatment helped to drastically reduce TB infections until the advent of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) occurred in the 1980s. The Mayo Clinic reports that TB has had a major increase in victims since then and kills approximately 2 million people each year. There are two classifications of the disease: latent TB and active TB. Only active TB is contagious and produces symptoms.
Losing Weight
Tuberculosis, when it is in the active state, can produce symptoms that affect your digestion as well as your lungs. For example, you may lose weight without trying and while eating your normal amount of food. You also may lose your appetite because of the bacterial infection, which can in turn also make you lose weight.
Fever and Chills
The average person has a body temperature of approximately 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius. There is some variation in that temperature from person to person, but not that much. If you are infected with tuberculosis, you may experience a fever, meaning your body temperature is higher than the normal rate. This may happen without apparent cause. For example, many people typically get a fever when they have common colds or are infected with influenza. If you do not have these other symptoms, a fever---especially one that continues---may be a symptom of TB. Suffering from a fever often includes bodily chills and a feeling of being cold. Chills also may occur as a symptom without a fever. You also may get night sweats, which is characterized by drenching perspiration during the night that soaks you and your bed clothes.
Coughing
TB is most often associated with problems in your lungs. The disease may eventually make it difficult to breathe, and earlier symptoms may include coughing. The Mayo Clinic states that if you do not smoke and you have a cough that continues for three weeks or more, it could be a symptom of TB. Coughing also may become painful and it is possible your cough will produce blood.
