What is TB?
TB is a disease causes by the TB germ. The disease is mainly in the lungs, but the germ can travel to other parts of the body in the blood.
How is TB spread?
When a person, who is sick with TB in their lungs, coughs, sneezes, talks, or sings, their TB germs spray into the air. When you spend time with that person, you can breathe in the TB germs.
How will I know if I have been infected with the TB germ?
Go to your local Health Centre and ask for a TB skin test. It's free!
The skin test only takes a few minutes. A drop of fluid is injected into your arm. If you have TB germs in your body a red lump will appear on your arm.
You must return to the clinic in 48 - 72 hours for the nurse to check your arm.
If you have a reaction to the TB skin test, you will need to have a chest x-ray and cough up a spit sample from deep in your lungs. If these two tests are OK, you do not have TB disease, but your doctor may recommend... preventative medicine!
How will I know if I am sick with TB?
If you have these symptoms...
- No appetite
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Persistent cough
- Night sweats
...see your doctor!
Can TB be cured?
YES! When TB is diagnosed early and treatment is started as soon as possible, TB disease can be cured!
The medicine must be taken for up to 9 months and exactly as the doctor orders.
The TB germ is tough, and it takes a long time to kill all of them. So don't stop taking your medicine even when you feel better. If the treatment is interrupted, you could get TB disease again.
Why take medicine?
To prevent TB!
Your TB skin test is positive. This means there are (TB) germs in your body. The TB germs are dormant (sleeping). This is called TB infection. Your chest x- ray and spit sample were both normal and you feel well, so this means you do not have TB disease right now. But there is a chance that the TB germs could wake up and begin to grow and cause disease. If you take TB preventative medicine, the germs will be killed.
What is preventative medicine?
Izoniazid, or INH, can prevent TB by killing the germs. You get INH pills from the nurse at your community health centre. The pills are free.
How long will I have to take INH?
TB germs are tough to kill. To be sure that you get rid of all the TB infection, you will have to take these pills for about nine months. Don't stop taking your medicine early! You could get TB disease and it could be harder to cure.
Will I feel any side effects?
Most children will not feel any side effects from INH. A very small number of adults will have:
- loss of appetite
- nausea or vomiting
- rash and/or itching
- fever
- aching
- feelings of being tired a lot.
If you get any of these symptoms when you are taking INH, call the nurse or your doctor immediately.
Tips for remembering to take INH
- take your pills at the same time everyday (at breakfast, supper or bedtime)
- keep your pills nearby (but away from children)
- ask your family to remind you or use a pill organizer
- mark your calender with a check after you take the pill everyday
- keep your appointments with the nurse so that you don't run out of INH
Need more information?
Call your community health centre.
Or you can call TB Services:
Edmonton 422-2444
Calgary 219-4600
