|
HIV And
TB
TB: A
Special Risk for People with HIV
|
| Ten years ago, the
number of Americans who had TB was going down. But today, TB is
on the rise again. People with HIV are at special risk for TB,
but most kinds of TB can be cured.
This booklet
explains what TB is and how it spreads. It also shows
what you can do to help yourself against TB--and to
help stop its spread.
|
| What
is TB? |
| TB is short for tuberculosis,
the medical name for the disease. TB can harm the lungs, brain,
or spine.
TB germs
do not always make you sick, but if you have HIV, you
are more likely to become sick with TB disease.
People with
TB disease may have some or all of the problems below.
Symptoms
of TB Disease
- weakness
- weight
loss
- fever
- night
sweats
- cough
- chest
pain
- coughing
up blood
|
| How
You Get TB |
| People can get TB
by breathing in TB germs over a long period of time. If you become
sick with TB disease, you can pass the TB germs on to others by
coughing or sneezing. You should always cover your mouth when
you cough or sneeze.
Because TB
is spread by germs in the air, close friends and family
members of a person with TB should know about TB and
be tested for it.
|
| Medicines
Can Help You Fight Back |
Medicines
work well against most TB. They can:
- Keep TB
germs from making you sick,
and
- Cure most
kinds of TB disease.
Taking TB
medicines can keep you healthy longer and stop TB from
spreading.
|
| How
To Help Yourself |
- Be
tested regularly for TB.
If tests
show you have been infected by TB germs, you can
take medicine to prevent TB disease. If tests show
you already have TB disease, you can take medicines
to cure it.
- Keep
taking your TB medicines.
To beat
TB, you may need to take medicines for up to a year
or more. You must take your medicines! If you stop
taking them before your should, TB can come back
and be even harder to treat. You will need to see
your doctor or clinic regularly to be sure the medicine
is working and to check for side effects.
|
| TB
Medicine Schedule |
| Ask your doctor about
your medicines. Write down the answers in the spaces below.
Name of Medicine:
___________________
Times of
Day to Take: ___________________
How Much
to Take: ___________________
How Long
to Keep Taking: ___________________
|
| Research:
Hope for the Future |
| Scientists are studying
better ways to check if you have TB and to prevent and treat TB
in people with HIV. They want to make it easier to fight TB and
keep you healthy longer.
You may be
able to take part in one of these studies. You may help
yourself and others with HIV.
If you are
interested, talk to your doctor or clinic nurse. Or
call the numbers below to find out more.
Remember:
- TB disease
is a very serious illness that must be treated.
- If you
have fever, cough, weight loss, chest pain, or cough
up blood, call your doctor or clinic right away.
- If you
have TB disease, be sure to ask your doctor or clinic
nurse how to avoid giving it to others.
- Take your
medicine as directed, and for as long as your doctor
tells you to even if you do not feel sick.
|
| To
Find Out More |
| Here are
some numbers to call to learn more about TB:
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