Living With Tuberculosis: Learn The Facts Now!

How To Treat Tuberculosis

In the majority of cases, doctors will combine four antibiotics to treat active tuberculosis, and it is essential for patients to take this medicine for a minimum of six months. A majority of patients are cured of the TB bacteria if they take all the required medicine necessary to destroy the infection. If tests performed by a doctor reveal active tuberculosis is still present in the body after six months, treatment will continue for another two or three months. In the worst case scenario, if the TB bacteria are still resistant to multiple antibiotics, called multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, treatment will be necessary for one year or longer. Patients with latent tuberculosis may be treated with one antibiotic they consume daily for nine months or with a combination of antibiotics taken once a week for twelve weeks. Ensuring every dose is taken reduces the risk of a patient with latent TB to develop active TB.

Patients should be aware if they miss a dose of their medication or if they stop taking it too soon, the treatment may fail or have to continue for an extensive period. Some patients may even have to start their treatment all over again. This can result in the infection becoming worse or even lead to an infection resistant to antibiotics, which is much more difficult to treat.

Prevention Tips

There is no guaranteed way for an individual to prevent tuberculosis from happening to them or a loved one, but there are some helpful tips they can implement if they are at risk or around someone with active TB. As previously stated, latent tuberculosis is not contagious and extrapulmonary TB is much more challenging to spread compared to active pulmonary TB. One thing everybody can do to stop the spread of this infection is to get vaccinated, whether as a child or as an adult. Individuals who are at risk of developing tuberculosis or who work with patients who have active TB should always wash and sanitize their hands after they have come into contact with the patient. If an individual is visiting a loved one with tuberculosis or taking care of a patient, due to the airborne nature of this infection, uninfected individuals should also keep a healthy distance and wear a mask to prevent them from coming into contact with TB bacteria. Patients who have severe tuberculosis should also be quarantined for a time to reduce the risk of spreading the disease as well.