Dr. Nagaraj
Diabetology
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I am a 45-year-old male, and I have been hearing too many tuberculosis cases in my area of residence, which is making me worried. I have developed a cough for the last two days. Could this be TB (tuberculosis)? I also have mild chest pain due to a prolonged cough and some amount of weight loss, but that can also be due to changes in my diet and workout. I am not sure if these symptoms are related to TB or something else. Can you guide me on all the tests I should get done to rule out tuberculosis? I am genuinely concerned about my health, given the current situation. Please help.
Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I have read the query, and I can understand your concern.
A patient with suspected TB (tuberculosis) is tested if they have a persistent cough for three weeks with sputum, weight loss, shortness of breath, or contact with an active TB patient or TB suspect. The patient may also have intermittent fever. A cough of two days is usually not an indication for TB testing. Having said this, as you stay in the area witnessing more TB cases, a few things that you can do is to get a Chest X-ray and AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) staining of sputum for TB evaluation. Please use a mask always when venturing out or talking to someone with TB or suspected TB. I hope you had the BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccination in childhood.
I hope this will help you.
Thank you.
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Diabetology
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