What if ppd test is positive

This requires additional testing. TB disease can be diagnosed by medical history, physical examination, chest X-ray, and other lab tests. TB disease is treated by taking several drugs as recommended by a health care provider. People at low risk for developing TB may not need treatment.

However, not everyone who becomes infected develops the disease right away or at all. Two types of tests are used to detect TB in the body:. Learn about some of the most common types as well as…. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious infection. Seek immediate help if you think you've been exposed. A doctor can do a simple test to determine if you…. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a bacterium that causes tuberculosis TB in humans. When inhaled, the bacterium can settle in the lungs, where it….

People report drinking alcohol can cause an eczema flare. There is little research about alcohol's effects on eczema, but alcohol can affect the skin. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. What happens during a TB skin test? Identifying infection. Images of indurations. Understanding your test results.

Symptoms of TB. Next steps after a positive test. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M. Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph.

Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Medically reviewed by Adithya Cattamanchi, M. Meningeal Tuberculosis. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Your health care provider will use a small needle to inject some harmless testing fluid called "tuberculin" under the skin on your arm. If you have a reaction to the test, it will look like a raised bump. Your health care provider will measure the size of the reaction. If there is a bump, it will go away in a few weeks.

The test is "negative" if there is no bump or only a very small bump at the spot where the fluid was injected. A negative TB skin test usually means that you don't have TB. The test is "positive" if there is a bump of a certain size where the fluid was injected. This means you probably have TB germs in your body. Most people with a positive TB skin test have latent TB infection. To be sure, your doctor will examine you and give you a chest x-ray.

You may need other tests to see if you have active TB disease. The TB Tuberculosis Skin Test Mantoux This fact sheet gives information about how the skin test is given and read, and what the results mean.

What is latent TB infection? This phase can last for a very long time — even many years. TB germs are active and spreading. They are damaging tissue in your body.