The World Health Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations focusing on international health issues, annually marks the World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB; and to step up efforts to end the global TB pandemic.
According to the Mayo Clinic, tuberculosis can spread when a person with the illness coughs, sneezes or sings. This can put tiny droplets with the germs into the air. Another person can then breathe in the droplets, and the germs enter the lungs.
Tuberculosis spreads easily where people gather in crowds or where people live in crowded conditions. People with HIV/AIDS and other people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of catching tuberculosis than people with typical immune systems.
One of the most common myths about tuberculosis (TB) is that it only affects the lungs. While pulmonary TB (TB in the lungs) is the most well-known form, TB can actually affect other parts of the body, including the brain, spine, kidneys and even the skin. This is known as extrapulmonary TB.
The reality is that TB bacteria can spread beyond the lungs through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Spinal TB (Pott’s disease) can cause severe back pain and deformity, while TB meningitis affects the brain and can be life-threatening if untreated. TB can also infect the intestines, bones and joints, kidneys, genitals, lymph nodes, walls of blood vessels, heart muscles and the voice box; leading to serious complications.
Because TB is often associated only with lung symptoms like coughing, many people delay seeking treatment when they experience non-lung-related symptoms. This misconception can lead to misdiagnosis and more severe health issues.
According to the Mayo Clinic, one must seek emergency care when they present with symptoms such as chest pain, sudden, severe headache, confusion, seizures, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood and having blood in the urine or stool.
TB, in any part of the body, is treatable with the right medication but early diagnosis is key.
