Tuberculosis is a disease characterized by the entry of the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis into the body through the respiratory tract, causing widespread inflammation of the lungs and/or larynx.
The disease originates in patients with active tuberculosis of the lungs or larynx. They spread the disease-causing bacteria into the environment by coughing or sneezing. Healthy people who enter this environment inhale the germs and the disease continues to spread.

How does tuberculosis spread?

People who are infected with this disease can live a totally normal life for months without showing any symptoms. During this period, the immune system fights the disease-causing bacteria and prevents it from taking control. However, if a person’s immune system is weakened to a certain level, the germ becomes active and the disease, which requires a lot of time to treat, develops.

Is there a tuberculosis pandemic in the world right now?

Since the manifestation of the disease depends on a weakened immune system, any situation that reduces immunity (wars, forced migration, AIDS-like diseases, etc.) leads to an increase in tuberculosis statistics.

Around 10 million new cases are reported each year, mostly from East Asia and Africa, and tuberculosis now threatens around one fifth of the world’s population. Therefore, many experts use the word “pandemic” to express the gravity of the situation.

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

The symptoms of tuberculosis observed from the onset of the disease are as follows:

• Cough lasting more than 2 weeks
• Poor appetite and weight loss
• High fever
• Night sweats
• Numbness and pain around the rib cage area
• Bloody sputum

 

How is tuberculosis diagnosed?

A definitive diagnosis of the disease can be made by looking for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in sputum. When the posibility of the disease is first suspected, your doctor will probably first ask you for a chest X-ray. The X-ray scan also provides information about the progression of the disease if any.

Unfortunately, in many positive cases, the diagnosis is delayed in real life because the patient thinks that the cough is caused by smoking or a simple illness such as a cold or flu.

Can tuberculosis be treated?

Yes, but only with at least 6 months of antibiotic treatment, which must be followed with total discipline. If antibiotic treatment is started early enough, the success rate is almost 100%. In addition to the use of antibiotics, tuberculosis treatment includes secondary treatments to strengthen the immune system and measures to prevent the spread of the disease.