As the name suggests, pulmonary TB refers to tuberculosis that affects the pulmonary system. The pulmonary system, also called the respiratory system, includes your lungs, the airways to the lungs and the blood vessels that connect it to the heart. Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, pulmonary tuberculosis is an airborne disorder that destroys lung tissue. While the primary risk factor is damage to the lungs, the most immediate risk to that is its possibility of spreading to other organs in the body. Pulmonary tuberculosis is treatable if diagnosed early and medicated properly.

Pulmonary TB also develops as latent TB in the majority of patients. Latent TB is a situation when the patient despite being exposed to the bacteria, doesn’t get infected, and their immunity protects them from getting sick or spreading it to others. So, generally, symptoms of TB are absent in patients with latent TB. However, latent TB can likely develop into active TB.