TB starts slowly. The first signs are easy to blame on a cold, smoking, work or stress, which is why many adults wait months before getting tested.
हिंदी में सार
टीबी धीरे-धीरे शुरू होती है। शुरुआती लक्षण: 2 हफ़्ते के बाद भी न जाने वाली खाँसी, शाम को हल्का बुखार, थकान, भूख कम लगना और वज़न घटना। इन्हें सर्दी या थकान समझकर नज़रअंदाज़ न करें; मुफ़्त जाँच करवाएँ।
The official warning signs
India’s National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) uses a four-symptom complex to decide who should be tested for lung TB. The programme says anyone with a cough of more than 2 weeks, with or without other symptoms, should be identified as presumptive TB and tested.
- Cough for 2 weeks or morewith or without phlegm
- Fever for 2 weeks or moreoften rising in the evening
- Night sweatswaking up drenched
- Weight losswithout trying
Other common signs listed by the programme:
- Blood in the phlegmeven a streak
- Chest painor breathlessness
- Loss of appetiteand tiredness
- An abnormal chest X-rayfound during a check-up
The first signs most adults notice
- A cough that has not cleared after 2 weeks
- Mild fever, often in the evening
- Feeling tired all the time
- Not feeling hungry
- Clothes getting loose
Why early signs are missed
| People think | But |
|---|---|
| “It is just a cold.” | A cold settles in about a week. A cough for 2 weeks or more needs a test. |
| “It is my smoking.” | Smokers get TB too. A long cough in a smoker still needs a TB test. |
| “I am tired from work.” | Weeks of tiredness with fever and weight loss is a warning sign. |
| “Tests are expensive.” | TB tests and treatment are free at government health facilities. |
Who should be extra alert
- People living with someone who has lung TB
- People with HIV
- People on long-term steroids or other medicines that weaken immunity
- People with silicosis, on dialysis, or before a transplant
Symptoms alone cannot tell you whether you have TB. If you have a cough or fever for 2 weeks or more, weight loss, night sweats or blood in your phlegm, go to your nearest government health facility and ask for a TB test. TB testing and treatment are free there.
Free TB helpline Ni-kshay Sampark: 1800-11-6666.
Should I get tested?Answer a few yes or no questions based on the official TB warning signs. Nothing is saved.
Start the checklistMore on TB symptoms
Frequently asked questions
Can TB symptoms come and go?
Fever and tiredness can vary from day to day, but TB symptoms tend to continue and slowly get worse over weeks.
What are silent TB symptoms?
Latent TB infection has no symptoms and does not spread. Active TB can be mild at first. Screening in high-risk groups can find TB before symptoms are obvious.
How soon should I get tested?
If a cough or fever has lasted 2 weeks or more, get tested now. Do not wait for weight loss.
Medical review note. Written from official TB programme guidelines; last checked 16 October 2026. This is general information, not medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, see a doctor at your nearest government health facility.