What are the signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis?
Symptoms of TB are varied and usually depend on the part of the body infected, however, the lungs are the most common target. The symptoms you experience with TB may include any of the following: • Persistent cough. • Chest pains. • Weight loss. • Coughing up blood or phlegm. • Shortness of breath. • Loss of appetite. • Weakness or fatigue. • Fever. • Night sweats. These symptoms can also occur with other types of lung disease, such as pneumonia, so it is important to visit your doctor for advice if you are worried about any of these symptoms. How can I prevent getting tuberculosis? A vaccine is available called a B.C.G. (Bacille-Calmette-Guerin), which will minimize the risks of you catching TB. The vaccine is given to children aged 12-13 at high school. The vaccine usually lasts for at least 15 years and you can only have it once. At the present time there is a shortage of the B.C.G. vaccine, if your child misses out on having a B.C.G. vaccination for a few months it doesn’t really m
