Always consult your physician for a diagnosis. Diagnosis is usually based on the patient's symptoms, a chest x-ray, and a skin test, known as the Mantoux test. A positive result from the test does not mean that the person has active tuberculosis. People who have a previous exposure to TB will test positive on the tuberculin test, as will some people exposed to related mycobacteria. For people who have significant reactions to the tuberculin skin test, other methods are used to determine if they have active TB, including a sputum sample.
Treatment can last a year or longer.
If untreated, TB can also be fatal. Click here to view the Online Resources page of the web.