Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease (usually of the lungs) that is spread easily through the air when an infected person talks, laughs or coughs. Although TB is rare and highly curable, you should still take steps to prevent tuberculosis in certain situations, especially if you have tested positive for latent TB (a non-active type of TB that infects approximately 1/3 of the world's population). Get started with Step 1 below to find out more.
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Part 1 of 3: Avoiding TB
Step 1. Avoid exposure to people who have active TB
Obviously the most important preventive measure to avoid TB is not to be around people with active TB, which is highly contagious, especially if you have tested positive for latent TB. For more specific prevention:
- Do not spend long periods of time with anyone with active TB infection, especially if they have received less than two weeks of treatment. In particular, it is important not to spend time with TB patients in warm, stuffy rooms.
- If you are forced to be around TB patients, for example if you work in a TB treatment facility, you should take protective measures, such as wearing a face mask, to avoid breathing in air that contains TB bacteria.
- If a friend or family member has active TB, you can help them cure the disease and reduce their risk of contracting it by making sure that they follow treatment instructions.
Step 2. Know if you are "at risk"
Certain groups of people are at greater risk than others. If you are one of them, you should be more vigilant in protecting yourself from exposure to TB. Some of the main groups at risk are as follows:
- People with weak immunity, such as people with HIV or AIDS.
- People living with or caring for someone with active TB, such as close family members or doctors/nurses.
- People living in closed and congested places such as prisons, nursing homes or homeless shelters.
- People who abuse drugs and alcohol, or those who lack or do not have access to adequate health care.
- People who live or travel to countries where active TB is common, such as countries in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia.
Step 3. Live a healthy lifestyle
People who are in poor health are more susceptible to TB bacteria, because their resistance to disease is lower than healthy people. Therefore, it is important that you do your best to live a healthy lifestyle.
- A healthy and balanced diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Avoid processed, sweet and fatty foods.
- Exercise often, at least 3 to 4 times a week. Try to add cardiovascular exercise to your sport, such as running, swimming or rowing.
- Avoid consuming alcohol and smoking or using illegal drugs.
- Get plenty and quality sleep, ideally between 7 and 8 hours a night.
- Maintain personal hygiene and try to spend as much time outdoors, in the fresh air as possible.
Step 4. Get the BCG vaccination to prevent TB
The BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) vaccine is used in many countries to help prevent the spread of TB, especially among young children. However, this vaccine is not widely used in countries like the United States where infection rates are low and the disease is highly curable. Therefore, the CDC or the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not recommend this vaccine as a routine immunization. The CDC only recommends the BCG vaccine for citizens in the following situations:
- When a child tests negative for TB but will continue to be exposed to the disease, especially those who tend to be resistant to treatment.
- When a health worker continues to be exposed to tuberculosis, especially those that tend to be resistant to treatment.
- Before visiting another country where tuberculosis is prevalent.
Part 2 of 3: Diagnosing and Treating TB
Step 1. Schedule a TB test if you have been exposed to a person who has tuberculosis
If you have recently been exposed to someone with active TB and believe that you may have it, it is important to consult a medical professional immediately. There are 2 methods for TB testing:
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Skin test:
The Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) requires injections of a protein solution between 2 and 8 weeks after contact with an infected person. The patient should return 2 or 3 days later for the results of the skin reaction.
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Blood test:
While not as common as a skin test, a TB blood test requires only one visit and is less likely to be misinterpreted by medical professionals. This is a necessary option for people who have received the BCG vaccine, as the vaccine can conflict with the accuracy of the tuberculin skin test.
- If your TB test is positive, you will need to have additional tests. The medical professional will determine whether you have latent (non-communicable) TB or active TB disease before continuing with treatment. Follow-up tests include a chest x-ray and a sputum test.
Step 2. Immediately start treatment for latent TB
If you are positive for latent TB, you should consult the best treatment with your doctor.
- Even if you don't feel sick with latent TB, and it's not contagious, you may still be prescribed antibiotics to kill inactive TB germs and prevent tuberculosis from turning into active disease.
- The 2 most common treatments are: isoniazid daily or twice a week. Treatment duration is 6 or 9 months. Or rifampin daily for 4 months.
Step 3. Immediately start treatment for active TB
If you are positive for active TB, it is very important that you start treatment as soon as possible.
- Symptoms of active TB include cough, fever, weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, chills and loss of appetite.
- Currently, active TB is highly curable with a combination of antibiotics, but the duration of treatment can be quite long, usually between six and twelve months.
- The most common drugs to treat TB include tisoniazid, rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), ethambutol (Myambutol) and pyrazinamide. With active TB, you usually have to take a combination of these drugs, especially if you tend to be resistant to certain drugs.
- If you follow the medication properly, you should start to feel better within a few weeks and be less contagious. However, it is very important that you complete the treatment, otherwise TB will remain in the body and you can potentially become more resistant to drugs.
Part 3 of 3: Avoiding Transmission of TB
Step 1. Stay at home
If you have active TB, you must take steps to prevent the disease from spreading to other people. You should stay home and not work or school for a few weeks after diagnosis and don't sleep or spend long periods of time in the same room with other people.
Step 2. Ventilate the room
TB bacteria spread more quickly in a closed room with stagnant air. Therefore, you should open all windows or doors to let air in and remove contaminated air.
Step 3. Close your mouth
Just like when you have a cold, you should cover your mouth when you cough, sneeze or even laugh. You can use your hands if needed, but it's better to use a tissue.
Step 4. Put on the mask
If you have to be around other people, it's a good idea to wear a surgical mask that covers your mouth and nose for at least the first three weeks after infection. This helps reduce the risk of the bacteria spreading to other people.
Step 5. Complete your treatment
It is absolutely necessary for you to complete the treatment given by the doctor. Failing to complete treatment will give the TB bacteria a chance to mutate, making it much more resistant to treatment, and thus more lethal. Completing treatment is the safest option not only for you, but also for those around you.
Warning
- People who have received an organ transplant, are infected with HIV or are at risk of complications for other reasons cannot receive treatment for LTBI.
- The BCG vaccination should not be used for pregnant women, people who are immunosuppressed or predisposed to being immunosuppressed. There are no adequate studies to determine the safety of BCG vaccination in the developing fetus.
