What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

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Alfred Hubbard
7 years ago
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1 What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

2 What is Tuberculosis (TB)? Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection and you can catch it through close contact with someone who has TB. You can catch TB if you breathe in the germ that causes TB from the air. TB is easily treated if caught early. What does TB do? TB is an infection which can affect your lungs and other parts of your body. The germ can be present in your body but may not be causing problems. This is called a latent (sleeping) TB infection. You may have no symptoms but you may still require treatment to make sure you stay well and don t develop problems in the future. TB is easy to treat and can be cured with medical attention and medication. The germ that causes TB grows very slowly so, if you are worried, it s a good idea to get a screening to check whether you have the bacteria in your body.

3 How can I catch TB? To catch TB, you must be in contact with someone who has the TB bacteria in their lungs. This could have been recently or when you were young. You may have lived, worked or stayed in a country with a high TB rate for example, South East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle Eastern and some Eastern European countries. People whose parents or grandparents have originated from countries with a high TB rate are also at a higher risk of catching TB. When our immune system; the system in our body which keeps us healthy, becomes tired it stops working as well as it normally would. This can mean we are more at risk from infections like TB. Our immune system can become weaker for lots of reasons but some common causes are: Stress Frequent drug or alcohol use Having other infections or health problems Not having the right food that allows your body to stay healthy. The risk of TB can also be increased for people who have spent time in areas where there may be a large number of people within a small space, such as in prisons, in military services or in refugee camps.

4 What happens in my body if I have TB? Latent (sleeping): Granulomas are formed (balls of the infection and immune cells) which stay inactive in the lungs. Active: When your immunity is significantly lowered, the Granulomas break down and the infection is released into the airways or other parts of the body causing an active infection which can cause the symptoms listed above. Signs and symptoms of TB Cough for more than three weeks High temperature Heavy night sweats Unexplained weight loss Extreme tiredness No appetite Pain and swelling in other parts of the body.

5 What should I do? If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms listed above, or you are worried that you may have TB, you will need a referral to the TB Team at Northwick Park Hospital. You can contact them yourself on or you can inform your GP, nurse, social worker or support worker who can refer you. What will happen when I am referred? If you are referred you will be given medical and nursing support, which may include: A skin test A blood test A chest x-ray Treatment with special antibiotics. Remember: When you see the doctor or nurse you can ask for someone who speaks the same language as you to be at the appointment. Please tell the TB Team beforehand if you would like a translator to be there so that they can arrange for this to happen. Your health information is private and will only be accessible to health professionals like doctors or nurses, and social workers, unless we have reason to believe that people in your household may be at risk of/or have an active TB infection. Tell us, we re listening Our staff want to know how they are doing. Tell us what you think at and then we ll know what we have to do. This leaflet was developed by CNWL s Looked After Children Team (Harrow) with input from London North West Healthcare NHS Trust s Tuberculosis (TB) Team at Northwick Park Hospital.

6 This document is also available in other languages, large print, Braille, and audio format upon request. Please Arabic Farsi Bengali Dokumentigaan waxaa xitaa lagu heli karaa luqado kale, daabacad far waa-wayn, farta indhoolaha (Braille) iyo hab dhegaysi ah markii la soo codsado. Somali Mediante solicitação, este documento encontra-se também disponível noutras línguas, num formato de impressão maior, em Braille e em áudio. Portuguese Tamil Este documento también está disponible y puede solicitarse en otros idiomas, letra grande, braille y formato de audio. Spanish Dokument ten jest na życzenie udostępniany także w innych wersjach językowych, w dużym druku, w alfabecie Braille a lub w formacie audio. Polish Gujarati Be belge istenirse, başka dillerde, iri harflerle, Braille ile (görme engelliler için) ve ses kasetinde de temin edilebilir. Turkish Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Stephenson House, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL. Tel: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust Ref: 0372_MAR2016 March 2016

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