Lung Spots, Get to Know the Causes, Symptoms, and How to Treat It

Lung spots or pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection characterized by coughing for more than 2 weeks. If left untreated, lung spots can cause complications in other organs and endanger the sufferer.

Based on Global TB data for 2021, there are 824,000 people with TB or lung spots in Indonesia. This disease is contagious and people with lung spots need to take medication for several months to kill the bacteria that cause this condition.

Lung Spots, Get to Know the Causes, Symptoms, and How to Treat It

Lung spots or TB consists of two phases, namely latent TB and active TB. The latent phase occurs when a person is exposed to TB bacteria, but the bacteria only stay in the body. Latent TB sufferers do not experience symptoms and have no potential to infect other people.

Meanwhile, the active TB phase occurs when a person already has TB, experiences TB symptoms, and can transmit TB to others.

Causes of Lung Spots

Lung spots are caused by infection with the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium can be transmitted through droplets or saliva splashes of active TB sufferers when coughing, sneezing, talking or spitting.

Direct contact with active TB sufferers is the only way for lung spots to spread. People with active lung spots can transmit this disease to 5-15 other people through close contact within 1 year.

The bacteria that cause TB can be in the sufferer's body in an inactive state (latent TB) for years. Lung spots can become active again in some people.

You are more susceptible to infection with lung spots if you have the following conditions:

  • Being around people with pneumonia
  • Elderly
  • Baby
  • Living in a densely populated and unhygienic environment
  • Have a weak immune system, such as those with HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, severe kidney disease, or are undergoing chemotherapy
  • Suffering from malnutrition

Symptoms of Lung Spots

The body will try to fight all kinds of foreign objects, including bacteria that cause lung spots. In some people, stronger immunity will prevent the symptoms of TB bacterial infection from appearing and spreading it to other people

Meanwhile, if a TB bacterial infection causes symptoms, the following are some of the symptoms of TB or lung spots that appear:

  • A severe cough that lasts more than 2 weeks
  • Cough with blood or phlegm
  • Chest pain when breathing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Malaise
  • Unplanned weight loss
  • Exhausted
  • Fever
  • Night sweats
  • Shivering
  • Decreased appetite

However, these symptoms resemble those of other diseases. Therefore, consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of lung spots, especially if you are more susceptible to infection with this disease. TB disease that is diagnosed early is relatively easy to treat and does not cause complications.

Examination and Treatment of Lung Spots

If you experience symptoms of lung spots, immediately consult a doctor for an examination, either by examining a sputum sample (BTA examination) or a rapid molecular test.

The doctor will make a diagnosis of lung spots based on the results of a positive smear examination, at least from one sample.

If the diagnosis is positive for lung spots, the doctor will give you anti-tuberculosis drugs which must be consumed every day for a certain period of time.

Besides being able to treat lung spots, TB treatment also has several other important purposes, such as:

  • Maintaining the patient's quality of life
  • Prevent death from active lung spots and their aftereffects
  • Prevents recurrence of lung spots
  • Prevents transmission of disease to others
  • Preventing the development and transmission of drug resistance

The antituberculosis drug given by the doctor contains at least four kinds of drugs to prevent resistance. These drugs include:

  • Isoniazid
  • Rifampin
  • Pyrazinamide
  • Ethambutol
  • Streptomycin

Treatment of lung spots is divided into 2 stages, namely the initial stage and the advanced stage.

The initial stage of treatment is given for the first 2 months to reduce the number of bacteria that cause lung spots in the sufferer's body. If the drug is taken regularly in the first 2 weeks, the potential for disease transmission is lower.

While in the advanced stage, treatment is aimed at killing the remnants of the bacteria that cause TB, so that patients can recover and avoid recurrence. This advanced stage of treatment is given for 4 months.

Keep in mind, taking anti-tuberculosis drugs to cure lung spots must be according to the doctor's instructions. If a person with lung spots does not take medication as prescribed, the infection will be much more difficult to treat because the bacteria become resistant to treatment.

Just like other treatments, antituberculosis drugs can also cause side effects. Side effects of treating lung spots are skin rashes, nausea, stomach pain, itching, jaundice, or red urine.

Lung spots that don't get treated early can cause permanent lung damage and various other complications, such as spinal damage, meningitis, liver and kidney disorders, and heart problems.

Therefore, immediately consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of lung spots to get the appropriate examination and treatment.

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