Can TB be cured completely? this is the key

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis that infects the lungs. Tuberculosis bacterial infection can cause damage to lung function and serious tissue damage. Furthermore, tuberculosis can even cause death. TB in Indonesia occupies the top number of deaths due to disease. Although it can be fatal, TB can be cured through proper treatment. However, the question is, can TB sufferers recover completely in the sense that the bacterial infection does not return to activity and lung function returns to normal?

Can TB sufferers recover completely?

TB disease is characterized by a distinctive group of symptoms such as persistent cough for more than 2 weeks which can also be accompanied by bloody cough, night sweats, low-grade fever, and drastic weight loss.

Although it is a chronic disease with serious symptoms, TB can be completely cured. However, can TB be cured without treatment? Not.

The main key for this disease to be completely curable is to undergo proper medical treatment. Patients with tuberculosis need to take anti-tuberculosis (OAT) drugs in accordance with the medical rules recommended by the doctor.

The TB treatment regimen includes 2 stages of treatment, namely intensive and follow-up treatment with a treatment duration of up to 6-12 months. According to the CDC, TB disease can be completely cured when patients undergo 2 stages of treatment to completion. Even though in the middle of treatment you feel your health condition has improved and you no longer experience the TB symptoms mentioned, you still have to take TB medicine regularly.

In the first two months of treatment, you usually do feel better. This makes you think that you are cured. In fact, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are still present in the body and are only "sleeping" aka dormant or not actively reproducing.

Treatment to kill bacteria that are in a sleep state is more difficult because most antibiotics work when the bacteria are active. In addition, OAT also takes a long time to actually kill the tuberculosis bacteria.

TB sufferers can be declared completely cured of bacterial infection when the results of the BTA examination (TB sputum test) show negative results. This is based on the fact that a negative smear result indicates a very low risk of transmitting TB from sufferers to other people.

The condition when TB sufferers cannot fully recover

If you often forget to take TB medication or fail to follow the rules of treatment, the bacteria that were sleeping when your condition improves will return to active infection and cause symptoms. This condition makes as if the signs of recurrent tuberculosis.

Even worse, the TB bacteria have the potential to become resistant or resistant to the antibiotic drugs that you have been taking so far. This condition is called Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis or MDR TB.

MDR TB is a serious problem because the bacteria are harder to kill and disease becomes harder to cure. Plus, you need to take stronger antibiotics which run the risk of giving you the annoying side effects of OATs.

Reporting from TB Facts, in most cases MDR TB is generally not completely curable, even though it has replaced antituberculosis drugs with second-line OAT.

In Indonesia, MDR TB cases are quite common. Some of the causes of failure of tuberculosis treatment to progress to MDR TB are the lack of information regarding the progression of TB disease, unavailability of affordable costs and access, side effects of treatment, and a lack of commitment to taking long-term drugs.

Can lung function return to optimal after recovery?

As mentioned above, TB can be cured if the presence of TB bacteria is no longer detected in the body. However, not all cases of lung conditions can return to their normal optimal after treatment is complete. The reason is, tuberculosis infection can result in decreased lung function both in the short and long term.

In addition, tuberculosis can also cause complications. One of the complications you may experience is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition can also make you often experience shortness of breath, even though the tuberculosis germs are not detected.

When the lung tissue damage caused by a bacterial infection is permanent, it is possible that TB symptoms will persist even after tuberculosis treatment is complete.

In a 2016 study in the journal BMC Pulmonary Medicine , lung damage was found in 74% of cases from 501 patients who had recovered and had finished receiving TB treatment.

Lung tissue damage is usually shown when you take a chest X-ray. The imaging results show that there are still infected nodules or white spots in the lungs. However, this condition does not necessarily indicate that TB bacterial infection is still ongoing or that the bacteria is re-infecting again.

However, it does not mean that lung function cannot return to a hundred percent healthy. During treatment and after being declared clear of infection, TB sufferers can undergo rehabilitation or recovery stages that include therapy and physical exercises to restore lung function.

You don't need to worry about difficulties, the type of physical exercise or exercise for TB sufferers that will be carried out will be adjusted to your conditions and breathing ability.

By undergoing proper treatment rules and carrying out a TB rehabilitation program, the chances for TB sufferers to be completely cured both from bacterial infection and recovery of lung health are also getting bigger. The success of treatment can also be assisted by assisting TB care at home from the closest person.