Do I have TB?
Symptoms of TB will depend on which part of the body is affected. For example, a cough is a common symptom of TB in the lungs. Someone with TB in the lymph nodes may have a swollen throat. Aches and pains in the joints could be TB in the bones. TB meningitis often gives a person severe headaches.
Know the TB symptoms
Knowing the common symptoms of TB means we are protecting ourselves and others: a person with untreated infectious TB could pass on TB to 15 other people in a year without realising.
Why not watch this short animation, which depicts the most common symptoms of TB?
Don’t ignore TB symptoms
If you have a cough that won’t go away or other TB symptoms, go and see a doctor and ask to be tested for TB. Early diagnosis cuts the risk of long-term damage to your body.
- The most common symptoms of TB are:
- Coughing for more than three weeks: Coughing up blood in phlegm/mucus
- Weight loss: Slow at first, getting quicker as TB develops
- Loss of appetite
- High temperature or fever
- Night sweats
- Extreme tiredness or lack of energy