YOGYAKARTA Cough TB (tuberculosis) is a cough caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria in the respiratory tract. TB cough is often mistaken for a regular cough that can recover by itself without the need for intensive care. As a result, this disease is often realized late and treated. Therefore, it is important to know the characteristics of a TB cough so that you can be more alert to tuberculosis.

According to clinical microbiology specialist dr. Livya Haniwono, Sp.MK, there are a number of symptoms that can accompany prolonged cough due to tuberculosis, including:

Livya said, coughing is one of the symptoms of tuberculosis that attacks the lungs. As for the extra pulmonary tuberculosis, the symptoms are different, for example, the lymph node tuberculosis which causes lumps in the area.

However, continued Livya, the cause of cough for two weeks had to be checked because it was not only tuberculosis that caused these symptoms.

Coughs that last for two weeks can also be caused by other diseases such as sinus, stomach acid rising, chronic, pertussis, and lung cancer obstructive diseases.

"This is how the kit body cleans irritation or secretion from the lungs. So so that there is no infection. So, our body defense is great," said the doctor from Fatmawati Hospital, quoted from Antara, Friday, April 5, 2024.

He assessed that self-awareness for skilling needs to be improved to prevent tuberculosis. Immediately go to a health facility if you recognize the characteristics of a TB cough.

Doctor Livy explained that TBC cough is a disease carried by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is transmitted by air, then inhaled through the nose and mouth, before finally infecting the lungs.

Next, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is eaten by white blood cells. If this happens, there will be three possibilities.

First, if the immune system is good, then the bacteria die. The second possibility is that these bacteria live dorman in the body, which is then called TB Laten.

"Then the third is the immune system that is unable to fight bacteria, so that later it will be able to reproduce in the body and cause tuberculosis pain," he explained.

Adapted from AI-Care if the TB examination shows a positive result, the doctor will prescribe TB drugs based on TB status and sensitivity of MTB bacteria that infect treatment.

There are four drugs that are usually used to treat TB coughs, namely Isoniazid, Rifampisin, Ethhambutol, and Pyrazinamid.

The number of tablets given by the doctor will depend on your weight. Changes in doses and number of tablets will be carried out based on the results of monitoring from the phlegm examination.

TB cough treatment is usually carried out for 6 months and must not break. This means that medication prescribed by a doctor must be consumed regularly every day.

After two months of treatment, patients suffering from TB cough usually feel much better and want to stop treatment. This should not be done, because termination of the TB drug before 6 months can be harmful to health because MTB bacteria are not completely treated.

That's information about TB's cough characteristics. Hopefully this article can add insight to the loyal readers of VOI.ID.


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