Harvard Health Publishing And 3 More Doctors Weigh In On: How Does Tuberculosis Kill You?

Tuberculosis image

Answered by Dr. Howard E. Lewine

M.D. Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 40 years of experience · USA

Tuberculosis (TB) typically affects the lungs. But in up to one-third of infected people, particularly those with HIV/AIDS, the illness also involves other areas of the body. Common sites of infection include the lymph nodes, the membranes that cover the brain (meninges), the joints, the kidneys and the membrane covering the digestive organs (peritoneum). Untreated TB can cause progressive lung damage, which can lead to inability to maintain blood oxygen levels and death. With the many organs affected by TB, people often die sooner than expected related to other conditions, such as heart disease or a second different infection.

Answered by Dr. Marcelle Freire

Doctor of Medicine · 3 years of experience · Brazil

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a mycobacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also known as Koch’s bacillus. It is an indolent, chronic disease that can affect various organs of the body such as lungs, lymph nodes, liver, kidneys, among others. Its transmission occurs through the respiratory tract and the pulmonary form, in which the lungs are the primarily affected organs, is the most usual form. When left untreated, the disease can develop into a consumptive syndrome (in which the patient experiences severe weight loss, fever, loss of appetite) with reduced functionality; damage to the organs can then accumulate, eventually progressing to organ failure. In the pulmonary form, the patient may develop hemoptysis (coughing up blood), massive bleeding and respiratory failure.

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Answered by Dr. Ilya Aleksandrovskiy

M.D., MBA · 5 years of experience · USA

Tuberculosis is caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily shows flu-like symptoms like cough, high fever, and weakness. Later on, the germ might spread to the lungs and fill the alveoli with toxic fluids, resulting in breathlessness and diminishing the lung capacity and exchange of gases, eventually leading to death.

Answered by Dr. Jagannathan Rathinavel

MBBS · 2.2 years of experience · India

Tuberculosis is a most common cause of lung morbidity. It affects breathing for a longer period. By decreasing the immunity of our body, TB causes other infection to occur. Untreated TB may affect vital organs like brain, heart, kidney.

Disclaimer: This is for information purpose only, and should not be considered as a substitute for medical expertise. These are opinions from an external panel of individual doctors, and not to be considered as opinion of Microsoft. Please seek professional help regarding any health conditions or concerns.