TB still causes about 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year. That sounds scary, but most cases are treatable when caught early. This page cuts through the noise so you know what TB looks like, how it’s found, and what treatment actually involves.
Active TB usually affects the lungs but can appear elsewhere. Watch for a cough that lasts more than two weeks, cough with blood, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, fever, and chest pain. If you have persistent fatigue and a low appetite along with these symptoms, see a clinician fast.
There’s also latent TB — you carry the bacteria but feel fine and can’t spread it. Latent TB can turn active later, especially if your immune system weakens. People with HIV, diabetes, or those on certain medicines are at higher risk.
Diagnosis mixes history, tests, and imaging. Common tests include a skin test (Mantoux), a blood test (IGRA), chest X-ray, and sputum tests. Sputum smear and culture find the bacteria directly; molecular tests (like GeneXpert) give faster answers and check for drug resistance.
If someone has a positive screening test but no symptoms and a clear X-ray, doctors usually call that latent TB and discuss preventive treatment. If tests and X-ray show active disease, treatment starts quickly and is supervised to prevent resistance.
For drug-susceptible TB, standard therapy uses four antibiotics — isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide — commonly for six months. The first two months are more intensive, then a continuation phase follows. Missing doses or stopping early can lead to drug-resistant TB, which is much harder to treat.
Drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB and XDR-TB) requires longer, more complex regimens that may include newer drugs like bedaquiline or linezolid. These treatments often last many months and need close monitoring for side effects.
Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) is still used in many places: a healthcare worker watches you take medicine to make sure the whole course is completed. It’s not about control — it’s about stopping resistance and protecting your health and your community.
Never self-treat. TB drugs require prescriptions and medical monitoring. Buying TB medications online without a prescription or supervision risks wrong dosing, low-quality drugs, and resistance.
Prevention includes testing close contacts, offering preventive therapy for latent TB, good ventilation indoors, respiratory hygiene, and BCG vaccination for infants in many countries. If you’re in frequent contact with TB patients or have symptoms, get tested and ask about HIV screening too — TB and HIV together need coordinated care.
If you suspect TB, see a clinic or infectious disease specialist. Quick diagnosis and the right treatment save lives and stop spread. If you have questions about tests or treatment options, bring them up at your appointment — clear answers help you finish therapy and get better.
