Intestinal tuberculosis is the infection of the intestine by the tuberculosis bacillus, which can be transmitted through droplets of saliva from people who have this disease, or by eating and drinking meat or milk from contaminated animals.
This infection is more common in people with very weakened immunity, such as people with AIDS, for example, and it usually happens when the person also has pulmonary tuberculosis and swallows secretions with the bacillus. Therefore, treatment is done in the same way as pulmonary tuberculosis, with antibiotics for 6 to 9 months.
Main symptoms
Intestinal tuberculosis causes symptoms in the abdomen and intestine, which start out mild and worsen over time. The main ones are:
- Persistent belly pain; Diarrhea; Bleeding in the stool; Swelling or presence of a palpable lump in the belly; Low fever; Lack of appetite and weight loss; Night sweats.
These symptoms are caused by wounds that the disease causes on the wall of the intestine, which are very similar to those caused by Crohn's disease or cancer, and therefore it can be difficult to differentiate between these diseases.
How it is transmitted
Most of the time, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis is transmitted by respiratory secretions in the air, causing infection in the lungs. However, it can reach the intestine when a person with pulmonary tuberculosis swallows his secretions, or when eating unpasteurized cow meat or milk contaminated with bovine tuberculosis, especially in people with very weak immunity, as in people with AIDS or who use immunosuppressive drugs, for example.
To confirm the infection and diagnose this disease, a colonoscopy is performed with biopsy of the lesions, which is sent to the laboratory for analysis in order to identify the tuberculosis bacillus.
How the treatment is done
Intestinal tuberculosis is curable, and treatment is done in the same way as in pulmonary tuberculosis, with the following antibiotic regimen, prescribed by the infectologist:
- Isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol, in tablet, for 2 months; Then, isoniazid, rifampicin for 4 to 7 months.
In people who do not start treatment soon, the infection can extend to deeper layers of the intestine, reaching other organs of the abdomen and circulation, which can cause obstruction of the intestine, hemorrhage and fistulas, which can even cause death risk.
In addition, during the treatment period it is important to avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages and to have a good diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and vegetables, to help the body in fighting the disease. Check out food tips to strengthen immunity.
