What are some signs that you may have tuberculosis in your lungs?
When you have tuberculosis in your lungs, it is common to cough up phlegm. You are usually sick for more than three weeks.
You may also have these symptoms:
- You feel weak.
- You feel tired.
- You have a fever.
- You sweat at night.
Some children become seriously ill
Children up to school age can become seriously ill from tuberculosis. They get a fever and feel weak.
Children between the ages of about six and twelve usually do not get very sick.They rarely have a cough. Their symptoms are often a fever for several weeks, and feeling tired and out of sorts.
From adolescence onwards, children can get as sick as adults, but often recover quickly with treatment.
When and where should I seek medical care?
Contact a healthcare provider if you think your child has tuberculosis. You should also contact a healthcare provider if your child is under six years of age and has been in contact with someone with TB. You should do this even if your child is not sick.
You can contact one of these clinics:
- A healthcare centre
- A paediatric clinic
How is tuberculosis transmitted?
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium that can be spread between people. When someone with tuberculosis in their lungs sneezes, coughs or spits, the bacteria can get into the air. When you breathe in that air, you can become infected.
It may take a long time before you get sick.
Tuberculosis is most often spread to people who have close contact with someone who has infectious TB. The bacteria are spread mainly within the family and others with whom the sick person lives. Children get sick more easily than adults, but do not infect others. Children up to school age are usually not infectious.
Treatment
There is good treatment for tuberculosis.
You will be treated with one or more medicines. It takes a long time to treat tuberculosis, often several months.
You can be vaccinated against tuberculosis
There is a vaccine against tuberculosis. Ask about it at a healthcare centre.