Intestinal tuberculosis is an infection of the intestine by TB bacillus, which can be transmitted through the saliva droplets of people with the disease, or by eating and drinking meat or milk from infected animals, less often.
This infection is most common in people with highly weakened immunity, such as people with AIDS, and usually occurs when the person also has pulmonary tuberculosis and swallows secretions with bacillus. Therefore, treatment is done in the same way as pulmonary tuberculosis, with antibiotics for 6 to 9 months.
- Intestinal tuberculosis causes symptoms in the abdomen and intestine.
- Which begin slightly and worsen over time.
- The main ones are:.
These symptoms are caused by lesions caused by the disease in the lining of the intestine, which are very similar to those caused by Crohn’s disease or cancer, so it can be difficult to differentiate between these diseases.
Most of the time, the bacillus responsible for tuberculosis is transmitted through respiratory secretions in the air, causing an infection of the lungs. However, it can reach the intestine when the person with pulmonary tuberculosis swallows his secretions, or when he or she eats unpasteurized beef or milk contaminated with bovine tuberculosis, especially in people with very low immunity, such as people with AIDS or who use immunosuppressive drugs. For example.
To confirm the contagion and diagnose this disease, a colonoscopy is performed with an injury biopsy, which is sent to the lab for analysis to identify bacillus tb.
Intestinal tuberculosis is curable and treatment is done in the same way as in pulmonary tuberculosis, with the following antibiotic regimen, prescribed by the infectious disease specialist:
In people who do not start treatment immediately, infection can reach the deeper layers of the intestine, reaching other organs in the abdomen and circulation, which can lead to bowel obstruction, bleeding and fistula, which can even lead to risk of death. .
In addition, during the treatment period, it is important to avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages and to bring a good diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and vegetables, to help the body fight the disease. See dietary tips to strengthen immunity.