Syphilis – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Syphilis: What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. In addition, syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema Pallidum. The disease is also popularly known as hard chancre and can affect other parts of the body in addition to the genitals at different stages. Syphilis symptoms advance as the disease progresses and range from sores and skin spots to blindness, dementia and severe consequences on the central nervous system.

Unless treated timely and properly Syphilis can cause serious complications and eventually death. Combined with the fact that the infection is difficult to diagnose, it makes syphilis one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases . Caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, the infection is typically contracted from the sores of an infected person during sexual intercourse, including anal, vaginal and oral sex. Syphilis is often called “a great mimic” as it is difficult to distinguish from other STDs.   Check now  Syphilis: What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment:

Symptoms of Syphilis: The symptoms of syphilis depend a lot on the stage of the disease . See what are the characteristics of each phase of contamination:

Primary syphilis:  Occurs around a few weeks after infection through unprotected sexual contact or which may be asymptomatic. At this stage, there is the formation of painless sores where there is infection. These sores are not visible, especially when located on the cervix or rectum. After four to six weeks, these sores disappear, even without the patient realizing it or seeking treatment. After this period, the Treponema bacterium remains inactive in the body.

Secondary syphilis: occurs up to eight weeks after the formation of sores. Around 33% of individuals who did not take care of primary syphilis end up developing secondary syphilis. your symptoms are:

• Fever.
• Muscle aches.
• Sore throat with difficulty swallowing.
• Red spots on the skin.
• Swelling in the armpits, among other regions.

Tertiary syphilis: The next stage is tertiary syphilis , which can affect around 15% of individuals with syphilis who have not had any type of treatment. The tertiary stage can manifest many years after infection. At this stage, the disease can cause damage to various organs, such as the brain, heart, liver, nerves, bones, blood vessels and joints. Some of the consequences are:

• Nervous problems.
• Insanity.
• Paralysis.
• Blindness.

Most symptoms disappear, but the infection can start to develop complications, impairing different body functions. Mental and neurological problems, heart disease, blindness and eventually death are the most common possible consequences. There is also a high risk of transmitting syphilis to infants born to an infected mother. Like most other sexually transmitted diseases , syphilis is best prevented by abstaining from casual sexual contact and using condoms. Even if you follow these simple guidelines, don’t hesitate to have your blood tested every now and then to make sure you’re STD -free .

CAUSES OF SYPHILIS, IT IS CONTAGIOUS:  Syphilis is a contagious disease by certain means, it can be transmitted by:

• unprotected sex
• Contaminated blood transfusion
• Contact with blood from an infected person

TREATMENT:  Syphilis is treated with the use of penicillin, an antibiotic that over the years has proven to be effective in combating the Treponema bacteria. Usually, in the early stages, the patient will get an injection of penicillin that will stop the disease from developing. If the patient is in a more serious stage of the disease, he may need to take more than one dose of the injection.

The earlier the treatment is carried out, the greater the chances of success. This underscores the importance of diagnosing the disease as early as primary syphilis, when the infection has just occurred.

When undergoing treatment, the patient should see the doctor regularly to check the progress and treat possible side effects of the penicillin injection. The patient will also have to undergo tests up to two years later to certify that the infection has been cured.

Medications Used to Treat Syphilis:

• Benzetacil.
• Bepeben.
• Chlordox.
• Doxycycline.
• Erythromycin.

SYPHILIS IS CURE:  Syphilis is curable, but it depends on the dedication of the infected person to carry out the treatment according to all medical guidelines. During treatment, it is recommended not to have sexual intercourse until the cure is confirmed.

Pregnant women who need treatment for syphilis deserve special attention. The pregnant woman will be treated with penicillin and after birth, the baby will also be treated with antibiotics to ensure its health. The lactating woman can rest assured about breastfeeding, as there are no reports of contamination via breast milk.

All patients diagnosed with syphilis must inform the doctor if they have or have had other diseases such as HIV, lupus, brucellosis, leprosy, hepatitis, leptospirosis, malaria, mononucleosis, drug addiction that can generate a false positive result. In these cases, the specialist will indicate more specific exams.

PREVENTION:  The most effective way to prevent syphilis is to have sexual intercourse always using a condom. In addition to preventing syphilis, condoms help prevent all other sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, which has no cure.

In this aspect, it is important to make young people at the beginning of their sexual life aware of the importance of condoms. Dialogue is important to clarify all doubts, since syphilis is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to death.

In case of doubt, suspicion, talk to your doctor and schedule the exams as soon as possible. As it is a disease that has no symptoms in the early stages and in the last stage it has severe symptoms, syphilis should be diagnosed as early as possible. Prevention and awareness continue to be the best way to fight syphilis, which can affect pregnant women and babies and cause great discomfort at this stage of life.