| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.
Not everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:
TB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.
What causes tuberculosis (TB)?TB is caused by bacteria (germs) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB. TB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.
You're more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.
Who is more likely to get infected with tuberculosis (TB) germs?Anyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:
Certain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:
Most people who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have latent TB infection. With a latent TB infection, you:
If you have TB disease, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you're infected with TB germs.
With TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:
Your health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a TB skin or blood test.
If your test shows that you have TB germs, you'll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:
You may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease.
What is the treatment for tuberculosis (TB)?The treatment for both latent TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it's very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.
If you don't follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become antibiotic resistant. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure.
By following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mycobacteria are a type of germ. There are many different kinds. The most common one causes tuberculosis. Another one causes leprosy. Still others cause infections that are called atypical mycobacterial infections. They aren't "typical" because they don't cause tuberculosis. But they can still harm people, especially people with other problems that affect their immunity, such as AIDS.
Sometimes you can have these infections with no symptoms at all. At other times, they can cause lung symptoms similar to tuberculosis:
Medicines can treat these infections, but often more than one is needed to cure the infection.
Having HIV/AIDS weakens your body's immune system. It destroys the white blood cells that fight infection. This puts you at risk for opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are serious infections that take advantage of your weak immune system. These infections are less common and less severe in healthy people.
There are many types of OIs:
Having HIV/AIDS can make infections harder to treat. People with HIV/AIDS are also more likely to have complications from common illnesses such as the flu.
You can help prevent infections by taking your HIV/AIDS medicines. Other things that can help include practicing safe sex, washing your hands well and often, and cooking your food thoroughly.
Like other parts of the body, bones can get infected. The infections are usually bacterial, but can also be fungal. They may spread to the bone from nearby skin or muscles, or from another part of the body through the bloodstream. People who are at risk for bone infections include those with diabetes, poor circulation, or recent injury to the bone. You may also be at risk if you are having hemodialysis.
Symptoms of bone infections include:
A blood test or imaging test such as an x-ray can tell if you have a bone infection. Treatment includes antibiotics and often surgery.
The spread of a disease doesn't stop at a country's borders. With more people living in crowded cities and traveling to other countries, it's easier for germs to spread. Infectious diseases that start in one part of the world can quickly reach another part of the world. Some of the major diseases currently affecting countries around the globe include HIV, malaria, COVID-19, and tuberculosis.
Besides the spread of diseases, there are other global health challenges. Resistance to medicines such as antibiotics is on the rise. That makes it harder to treat certain diseases. Natural and man-made disasters create refugee populations with immediate and long-term health problems. Climate change and not enough access to food and safe water are also global problems which can affect people's health. Many countries and health organizations are working together and sharing information on these and other health issues.
Screenings are tests that look for diseases before you have symptoms. Screening tests can find diseases early, when they're easier to treat. You can get some screenings in your doctor's office. Others need special equipment, so you may need to go to a different office or clinic.
Some conditions that doctors commonly screen for include:
Which tests you need depends on your age, your sex, your family history, and whether you have risk factors for certain diseases. After a screening test, ask when you will get the results and whom to talk to about them.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV harms your immune system by destroying a type of white blood cell that helps your body fight infection. This puts you at risk for other infections and diseases.
What is AIDS?AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the final stage of infection with HIV. It happens when the body's immune system is badly damaged because of the virus. Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS.
How does HIV spread?HIV is spread through certain body fluids from a person who has HIV. This can happen:
Anyone can get HIV, but certain groups have a higher risk of getting it:
Factors such as stigma, discrimination, income, education, and geographic region can also affect people's risk for HIV.
What are the symptoms of HIV?The first signs of HIV infection may be flu-like symptoms:
These symptoms may come and go within two to four weeks. This stage is called acute HIV infection.
If the infection is not treated, it becomes chronic HIV infection. Often, there are no symptoms during this stage. If it is not treated, eventually the virus will weaken your body's immune system. Then the infection will progress to AIDS. This is the late stage of HIV infection. Because your immune system is badly damaged, your body cannot fight off other infections, called opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are infections that happen more frequently or are more severe in people who have weakened immune systems.
Some people may not feel sick during the earlier stages of HIV infection. So the only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.
How do I know if I have HIV?A blood test can tell if you have HIV infection. Your health care provider can do the test, or you can use a home testing kit. You can also use the CDC Testing Locator to find free testing sites.
What are the treatments for HIV?There is no cure for HIV infection, but it can be treated with medicines. This is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART can make HIV infection a manageable chronic condition. It also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others.
Most people with HIV live long and healthy lives if they get ART as soon as possible and stay on it. It's also important to take care of yourself. Making sure that you have the support you need, living a healthy lifestyle, and getting regular medical care can help you enjoy a better quality of life.
Can HIV infection be prevented?You can reduce the risk of getting or spreading HIV by:
NIH: National Institutes of Health
Each night, hundreds of thousands of people experience homelessness in the United States. Some of these people experience chronic homelessness, while others have temporarily lost their shelter. The reasons why they are homelessness are complex. They can include a combination of factors such as:
Poor health can contribute to homelessness. And being homeless can contribute to poor health. Many of the problems that people experiencing homelessness face can make their health worse, including:
Some of the common health problems that people experiencing homelessness may have include:
Many people experiencing homelessness are dealing with trauma. They may have been abused or assaulted. This includes children, who are at risk for emotional and behavioral problems.
Contact your local homelessness assistance agency to get the help you need, such as access to shelters, health centers, and free meals.
Every racial or ethnic group has specific health concerns. Differences in the health of groups can result from:
On this page, you'll find links to health issues that affect Latino and Hispanic Americans.
When you breathe, your lungs take in oxygen from the air and deliver it to the bloodstream. The cells in your body need oxygen to work and grow. During a normal day, you breathe nearly 25,000 times. People with lung disease have difficulty breathing. Millions of people in the U.S. have lung disease. If all types of lung disease are lumped together, it is the number three killer in the United States.
The term lung disease refers to many disorders affecting the lungs, such as asthma, COPD, infections like influenza, pneumonia and tuberculosis, lung cancer, and many other breathing problems. Some lung diseases can lead to respiratory failure.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health