To become infected, a person has to come in close contact with another person having active tuberculosis. In other words, the person has to breathe the same air in which the infected person coughs or sneezes. A person is more likely to become infected if the individual with whom they come in contact has active TB with TB organisms present in the sputum. The likelihood also depends on the time spent in close contact with the infected person. Although the chance of progression to disease diminishes with the passage of time, TB can develop more easily if the immune system weakens, as happens with malnutrition, AIDS, diabetes, cancer, or treatment with immunosuppressant drugs.
Tuberculosis can be effectively and completely treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy.
If you are diagnosed as being infected, you will be required to undergo therapy with anti-tuberculosis drugs, usually for a period of six to nine months, depending on the stage of the disease. Simultaneously, you have to eat nourishing food, have adequate rest, and follow other recommendations of the physician. Rarely, it may be necessary to surgically remove a severely damaged part of an organ. After successful treatment, you will be required to undergo periodic checkups to ensure that the disease does not flare up again. The area is visually examined by a health professional after 48-72 hours to determine the result of the test.