Causes and main signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults

It is well known that this most dangerous disease has an infectious etiology. The causative agent of pulmonary tuberculosis is a stick of Koch (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). In the vast majority of cases, it enters the human body by airborne droplets. In this case, there are cases when the mycobacterium was transferred from the patient to another person in a contact and household way.

It should be noted that the symptoms of lung disease in the near future after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not arise. Very rarely, the 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 accurately established what is pulmonary tuberculosis, and how the disease develops, they were able to develop a vaccine against tuberculosis. Most often, the disease begins to manifest only when the protective properties of the body are simply depleted, and it becomes unable to resist the 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. This rise is rarely too harsh. Most often, the increase stops at a level between 38 ^° C and 39 ^° C. At the same time, the general condition of a person can be significantly affected. Not always it is possible to reveal this most dangerous disease at this stage. After the appearance of common symptoms, after a while, other signs of pulmonary tuberculosis begin to appear in adults. First and foremost, it is a question of coughing. It is rarely too painful, but it is often repeated. If you do not start treatment at this stage, tuberculosis can be complicated by hemopoiesis. Just when this complication occurs, people go to the doctor.

How can you identify this disease ?

To date, there are several standard methods that are used to detect pulmonary tuberculosis. For the beginning, patients are prescribed a radiograph of the lungs. It allows to determine the localization 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 can not serve as a 100% guarantee of its presence. In order to get the final confidence in the presence of the disease, the patient must pass phlegm to the analysis. If there is a mycobacterium tuberculosis there is a diagnosis of "pulmonary tuberculosis".

Treatment

If there are signs of pulmonary tuberculosis in adults, they need to consult a phthisiatrician. He will assign a radiograph to the patient and, if there is a picture of the tuberculosis in the picture, he will send it to the tuberculosis dispensary. They will conduct a full-fledged study and establish a diagnosis. Treatment of this disease occurs in a hospital. In this case, patients have to use 3-5 types of drugs at the same time. Only in this way it is possible to get rid of the mycobacterium.