shortness of breath and tiredness.
Because it destroys tissue in the lungs…
Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Only about 10 percent of those infected with TB develop the disease. the first symptoms of an active case of TB may be so commonplace that they are often dismissed as the effects of a cold or flu. the individual may get tired easily, feel slightly feverish or cough frequently. it usually goes away by itself, but about in about half the cases, it will return.
For people who have the disease, TB can cause lung or pleural (the lining of the lung) disease or it may spread through the body via the blood. Often people do not seek the advice of a doctor until they have pronounced symptoms, such as pleurisy (a sharp pain in the chest when breathing deeply or coughing) or the spitting up of blood. neither of these symptoms is solely of tuberculosis, but they should not be ignored. Other symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, weight loss and night sweats.
About 15 percent of people with the disease develop TB in an organ other than the lung, such as the lymph nodes, GI tract, and bones and joints.
Diagnosis of Tuberculosis
If a person has a significant reaction upon being tuberculin skin-tested for the first time, additional laboratory and x-ray examinations are necessary to determine if the individual has active TB.
Tuberculosis can mimic other diseases, such as pneumonia, lung abscesses, tumors and fungal infections, or occur along with them. For a proper diagnosis, therefore, a doctor will rely on symptoms and other physical signs; a person's history of exposure to TB and x-rays that may show evidence of TB infection (usually in the form of lesions or cavities in the lungs). TB bacilli grown in cultures of sputum or other specimens provide a positive diagnosis.