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3. Tuberculosis (TB)
Symptoms-Tuberculosis (TB)
Contents

1. Overview
 2. Symptoms
3. Causes
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
The symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) vary depending on which part of the body is
affected.

TB disease usually develops slowly, and it may take several weeks before you notice
you're unwell.

Your symptoms might not begin until months or even years after you were initially
infected.

Sometimes the infection does not cause any symptoms. This is known as latent TB.

It's called active TB if you have symptoms. However, in some cases, symptoms might
not develop until months or even years after the initial infection.

Contact a GP if you or your child have symptoms of TB.

General symptoms of TB

 lack of appetite and weight loss

 a high temperature
 night sweats
 extreme tiredness or fatigue
These symptoms can have many different causes, however, and are not always a sign
of TB.

TB that affects the lungs (pulmonary TB)

Most TB infections affect the lungs, which can cause:

 a persistent cough that lasts more than 3 weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which
may be bloody
 breathlessness that gradually gets worse
TB outside the lungs

Less commonly, TB infections develop in areas outside the lungs, such as the small
glands that form part of the immune system (the lymph nodes), the bones and joints, the
 digestive system, the bladder and reproductive system, and the brain and nerves (the
nervous system).

Symptoms can include:

 persistently swollen glands
 abdominal pain
 pain and loss of movement in an affected bone or joint
 confusion
 a persistent headache
 fits (seizures)
TB affecting other parts of the body is more common in people who have a weakened
immune system.

Page last reviewed: 12 November 2019

Next review due: 12 November 2022

 Previous:Tuberculosis (TB)
 Next:Causes
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Cookies on the NHS website

We've put some small files called cookies on your device to make our
site work.

We'd also like to use analytics cookies. These send information about
how our site is used to services called Adobe Analytics, Hotjar and
Google Analytics. We use this information to improve our site.

Let us know if this is OK. We'll use a cookie to save your choice. You
can read more about our cookies before you choose.

 I'm OK with analytics cookies

 

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 Health A-Z
 Live Well
 Mental health
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1. Home 
 
2. Health A to Z 
 

3. Tuberculosis (TB)
Symptoms-Tuberculosis (TB)
Contents

1. Overview
2. Symptoms
3. Causes
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
The symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) vary depending on which part of the body is
affected.

TB disease usually develops slowly, and it may take several weeks before you notice
you're unwell.

Your symptoms might not begin until months or even years after you were initially
infected.

Sometimes the infection does not cause any symptoms. This is known as latent TB.

It's called active TB if you have symptoms. However, in some cases, symptoms might
not develop until months or even years after the initial infection.

Contact a GP if you or your child have symptoms of TB.

General symptoms of TB

 lack of appetite and weight loss

 a high temperature
 night sweats
 extreme tiredness or fatigue
These symptoms can have many different causes, however, and are not always a sign
of TB.

TB that affects the lungs (pulmonary TB)

Most TB infections affect the lungs, which can cause:

  a persistent cough that lasts more than 3 weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which
may be bloody
 breathlessness that gradually gets worse
TB outside the lungs

Less commonly, TB infections develop in areas outside the lungs, such as the small
glands that form part of the immune system (the lymph nodes), the bones and joints, the
digestive system, the bladder and reproductive system, and the brain and nerves (the
nervous system).

Symptoms can include:

 persistently swollen glands
 abdominal pain
 pain and loss of movement in an affected bone or joint
 confusion
 a persistent headache
 fits (seizures)
TB affecting other parts of the body is more common in people who have a weakened
immune system.

Page last reviewed: 12 November 2019

Next review due: 12 November 2022

 Previous:Tuberculosis (TB)
 Next:Causes
Support links

 Home
 Health A to Z
 Live Well
 Mental health
 Care and support
 Pregnancy
 NHS services
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 NHS App
 Find my NHS number
 Your health records
 About the NHS
 Healthcare abroad

 Contact us
 Other NHS websites
 Profile editor login

 About us
 Accessibility statement
 Our policies
 Cookies
© Crown copyright
Cookies on the NHS website

We've put some small files called cookies on your device to make our
site work.

We'd also like to use analytics cookies. These send information about
how our site is used to services called Adobe Analytics, Hotjar and
Google Analytics. We use this information to improve our site.

Let us know if this is OK. We'll use a cookie to save your choice. You
can read more about our cookies before you choose.

 I'm OK with analytics cookies

 

 Do not use analytics cookies

Skip to main content

Search the NHS website

Search

My account

 Health A-Z
 Live Well
 Mental health
 Care and support
 Pregnancy
 NHS services

1. Home 
 

2. Health A to Z 
 

3. Tuberculosis (TB)
Symptoms-Tuberculosis (TB)
Contents

1. Overview
2. Symptoms
3. Causes
4. Diagnosis
5. Treatment
The symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) vary depending on which part of the body is
affected.

TB disease usually develops slowly, and it may take several weeks before you notice
you're unwell.

Your symptoms might not begin until months or even years after you were initially
infected.

Sometimes the infection does not cause any symptoms. This is known as latent TB.

It's called active TB if you have symptoms. However, in some cases, symptoms might
not develop until months or even years after the initial infection.

Contact a GP if you or your child have symptoms of TB.

General symptoms of TB

 lack of appetite and weight loss

 a high temperature
 night sweats
 extreme tiredness or fatigue
 These symptoms can have many different causes, however, and are not always a sign
of TB.

TB that affects the lungs (pulmonary TB)

Most TB infections affect the lungs, which can cause:

 a persistent cough that lasts more than 3 weeks and usually brings up phlegm, which
may be bloody
 breathlessness that gradually gets worse
TB outside the lungs

Less commonly, TB infections develop in areas outside the lungs, such as the small
glands that form part of the immune system (the lymph nodes), the bones and joints, the
digestive system, the bladder and reproductive system, and the brain and nerves (the
nervous system).

Symptoms can include:

 persistently swollen glands
 abdominal pain
 pain and loss of movement in an affected bone or joint
 confusion
 a persistent headache
 fits (seizures)
TB affecting other parts of the body is more common in people who have a weakened
immune system.

Page last reviewed: 12 November 2019

Next review due: 12 November 2022

 Previous:Tuberculosis (TB)
 Next:Causes
Support links

 Home
 Health A to Z
 Live Well
 Mental health
 Care and support
 Pregnancy
 NHS services
 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

 NHS App
 Find my NHS number
 Your health records
 About the NHS
 Healthcare abroad

 Contact us
 Other NHS websites
 Profile editor login

 About us
 Accessibility statement
 Our policies
 Cookies
© Crown copyright