If you test positive for latent TB infection, your doctor might advise you to take medications to reduce your risk of developing active tuberculosis. Only active TB is contagious.
The following are some of the basic ways to prevent Tuberculosis
Protect your family and friends
If you have active TB, it generally takes a few weeks of treatment with TB medications before you’re not contagious anymore. Follow these tips to help keep your friends and family from getting sick:
- Stay home. Don’t go to work or school or sleep in a room with other people during the first few weeks of treatment.
- Ventilate the room. Tuberculosis germs spread more easily in small closed spaces where air doesn’t move. If it’s not too cold outdoors, open the windows and use a fan to blow indoor air outside.
- Cover your mouth. Use a tissue to cover your mouth anytime you laugh, sneeze or cough. Put the dirty tissue in a bag, seal it and throw it away.
- Wear a face mask. Wearing a face mask when you’re around other people during the first three weeks of treatment may help lessen the risk of transmission.
How is TB treated?
Treatment may vary depending on if you have latent or active TB. Treatment may include:
Short-term hospital stay
For latent TB
Often a 3- to 9-month course of 1 or 2 antibiotics will be given to kill off the TB organisms in the body. The most common antibiotics prescribed are isoniazid, rifapentine, and rifampin. Your healthcare provider can review the treatment options. They may recommend one as the best option for you, taking into account many factors.
For active TB
Your healthcare provider may prescribe 2 to 4 or more antibiotics in combination for 6 to 9 months or longer. Examples include isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol. People often begin to improve within a few weeks of starting treatment. After several weeks of treatment with the correct medicines, the person is often no longer contagious. But medicine must be finished for the greatest chance of cure, as prescribed by a healthcare provider.