During the Covid-19 era, cough has become a common thing in everyday life. In fact, sometimes we always associate cough as a symptom of Covid 19. However, cough is not only a symptom of Covid 19. In addition to the pandemic disease, cough can be one of the symptoms of Tuberculosis (TB). But is TB cough is the same as Covid 19 cough or what about normal cough in general?
Cough is one of the body's reflex movements that aims to remove foreign objects that enter the respiratory tract, including bacteria and viruses. If not treated, of course, it can interfere with daily activities.
A persistent cough can be a sign of a problem in our respiratory tract. One of the diseases that cause cough complaints is tuberculosis. TB is spread by droplets from coughs or sneezes of an infected person. This is one of the causes of tuberculosis.
A common symptom experienced by someone with TB is cough. However, the complaints of tuberculosis cough and ordinary cough are different. Therefore, it is important for you to recognize the difference between a normal cough and a TB cough by reading article below.
Causes
TB disease is caused by infection of tuberculosis Mycobacterium, which mainly attacks the lungs and respiratory tract but can also attack other organs in the body such as the spine, lining of the brain, lymph nodes to the digestive tract. This disease is very easily transmitted through the air, especially if people with TB do not cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.
Meanwhile, a common cough is generally caused by a viral infection, asthma, allergies, or irritation in the respiratory tract.
Cough duration
The duration of the TB cough will be different from a regular cough. The TB cough will last more than three weeks because the TB bacteria are difficult for the immune system to fight so the cough does not go away.
Meanwhile, a normal cough can last only a few days. A common cough tends to subside quickly depending on the cause.
Sputum Color
When coughing, generally there will be mucus issued or commonly known as phlegm. Mucus aims to moisturize the respiratory tract so that it is not easily contaminated with dust, bacteria, viruses, and others.
TB cough generally produces green or yellow phlegm because it is mixed with bacteria. In some cases, cough up TB can be accompanied by blood spots, while a normal cough will produce clear phlegm.
Cough Stages
The stage of cough can be the difference between a TB cough and a regular cough. A common cough usually appears suddenly, then disappears quickly within a few days. Meanwhile, TB patients go through two stages after infection, namely the latent stage and the active stage. In the latent stage, the bacteria have entered the lungs, but have not caused complaints and have not been transmitted. When entering the active stage, the patient will experience a fairly severe cough. At this stage, TB disease can be transmitted to other people. Each TB patient can experience increasement in this stage differently.
Treatment
Tuberculosis can indeed be cured but it is important for patients to comply with treatment such as taking recommended medication. TB germs that are resistant to drugs require longer treatment and need more types of drugs, and if not treated can be fatal. Treatment for active TB disease usually lasts six to twelve months.
Meanwhile, other types of cough treatment will depend on the cause. If the cough is caused by bacteria other than tuberculosis, antibiotics will usually be given for 5-14 days depending on the type of bacteria.
Other Symptoms
The difference between a TB cough and a regular cough can be seen from the accompanying symptoms that appear. TB disease is usually accompanied by other accompanying symptoms, while a normal cough is generally not accompanied by other typical symptoms.
Symptoms of TB cough:
- Fever
- Shivering
- Sweating at night
- Loss of appetite
- Drastic weight loss
- Chest pain
- Hard to breathe
A common cough can be caused by asthma, allergies, acid reflux (GERD), airway irritation due to pollution exposure, or other lung diseases.
Let's take care of our health together and immediately consult a pulmonologist if you have any complaints! Beware of TB transmission that we sometimes don't realize is circulating around us!
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