It is reliably known that this dangerous disease has an infectious etiology. The causative agent of pulmonary tuberculosis is Koch's bacillus (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). In the vast majority of cases, it enters the human body by airborne droplets. In this case, there are cases when mycobacteria was transmitted from a patient to another person in a contact-household way.
It is worth noting that the symptoms of lung disease in the near future after infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis do not occur. Very rarely, the very first contact with the causative agent of tuberculosis leads to the development of this disease. This is due to the fact that the human body has a relative resistance to such microorganisms. In addition, after scientists have precisely established what pulmonary tuberculosis is and how this disease develops, they were able to develop a vaccine against tuberculosis. Most often, the disease begins to manifest itself only when the protective properties of the body are simply depleted, and it becomes unable to resist infection.
Characteristic signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults
This disease, like any other pathology of an infectious nature, begins with an increase in body temperature. In this case, the rise is rarely too sharp. Most often, the increase stops at a level between 38 o C and 39 o C. In this case, the general condition of a person can significantly suffer. It is far from always possible to identify this most dangerous disease at this stage. After the appearance of general symptoms, after a while other signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults also begin to appear . First of all, we are talking about coughing. It is rarely too painful, but often repeated. If you do not start treatment at this stage, tuberculosis can also be complicated by hemoptysis. It is when this complication appears that people go to the doctor.
How can this disease be detected ?
Today, there are several standard methods that are used to detect pulmonary tuberculosis. To begin with, patients are prescribed radiography of the lungs. It allows you to determine the location of the lesion, as well as the fact of its presence. After this, it is necessary to confirm this diagnosis, because the characteristic signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults cannot serve as a 100% guarantee of its presence. In order to obtain final confidence in the presence of the disease, the patient must pass a sputum for analysis. If mycobacterium tuberculosis is found there, then a diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is established.
Treatment
If signs of pulmonary tuberculosis are observed in adults, they should consult a TB doctor. He will prescribe a radiography to the patient and, if there is a picture corresponding to tuberculosis in the picture, he will send it to the TB dispensary. They will conduct a full study and establish a diagnosis. Treatment of this disease occurs in a hospital setting. In this case, patients have to use 3-5 varieties of drugs at the same time. This is the only way to completely get rid of mycobacteria.