Syphilis

Syphilis General Information

Sexual transmitted diseases, also known as STDs are dangerous because they are very common, they can pass from mother to the unborn baby during pregnancy and can cause infertility (impossibility to reproduce). One of the most serious STDs is Syphilis, a bacterial infection that attacks the genital area, skin, anus, mucous membranes, mouth or lips of both men and women and is usually transmitted by unprotected sexual contact, from someone who already has it. In more severe cases, the bacterium, called Treponema Pallidum can also attack the heart or the brain. The bacterial organism causing Syphilis is very sensitive to changes in temperature, light or air and this is why the disorder is easily transmitted by direct intimate contact.

There are certain risk factors that increase the possibility of getting this type of bacterial disease. Having high-risk sexual activity, for example having unprotected sex, may increase your chances of contracting this medical condition. The incidence of Syphilis is increased among young adults, between 16 and 25 years old. Also, even if you have had the disease and treated it successfully, you can develop it again. This infectious medical condition is more contagious during the primary or secondary stages, and rarely, in the early latent period. If it is not treated in time, this type of infection can cause severe complications and even death. An early diagnosis increases the possibility of a full recovery. 

Syphilis Symptoms

Specialists discovered that Syphilis has four stages of development, each stage with its specific signs and symptoms. The early stage of this medical condition, called primary, manifests in the first 15 days to four months after exposure. The signs and symptoms are usually mild in this case and get worse if the lymph nodes of the groin get larger. But most patients experience small and painless chancre (or sore) on the part of the body that was affected, more specifically, the rectum, genitals, lips, mouth or tongue. Typically, there is only one chancre that may have multiple sores. These manifestations will disappear without a treatment, but because the underlying disease remains, they will reappear in the secondary stage.

The secondary stage begins three to fifteen weeks after the chancre appears, and includes one or more of the following: fever, aching, rash marked by penny sized sores that may be red or reddish-brown (on soles and palms), a vague feeling of discomfort, soreness and tiredness. These symptoms may come and go repeatedly, within few weeks or even a year. This secondary stage may sometimes be followed by a latent phase, when no symptoms are present. In this case, the signs and symptoms may never come back or if they do, Syphilis progresses to the tertiary (third) stage. If the disease reaches to the last stage, it is harder to treat and the bacteria causing Syphilis can spread and cause severe damage to the internal organs and even death. The third stage includes cardiovascular disorders and neurological problems.

Syphilis Treatment

An early diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) followed by the adequate treatment option can cure the infection more rapidly and completely. We advise you to contact your health care provider if you practice unsafe sex with multiple partners. Syphilis is a very common STD that requires proper medical attention and early treatment. It is advisable for your future health status to discover this infection in time in order to avoid the spreading of the disease and the appearance of more severe consequences that usually lead to the death of the patient. Your health care provider may also recommend you to visit an infectious disease specialist, a neurologist (if the bacterium reached the brain), an ophthalmologist or an orthopedist. To diagnose Syphilis, the health care provider must perform several tests to determine the exact organism responsible for your signs and symptoms. These tests are necessary because sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have similarities and the doctors must rule out other conditions before proceeding with any type of therapy. Usually, the specialists will take a sample from the sore that will be then analyzed under a microscope in a well equipped laboratory. Blood tests are also very useful because they confirm very rapidly the presence of any antibodies produced by the immune system against Treponema Pallidum, the bacterial organism that causes Syphilis.

If the disease has evolved to a later stage, blood tests are absolutely necessary because the patient usually does not experience any specific signs and symptoms. If the bacterium has reached the brain, the doctor may want to collect samples of the cerebrospinal fluid; the procedure used is called lumbar puncture. An early diagnosis and treatment based on certain antibiotics can kill very easily the bacteria that cause this medical condition and stop the progression of Syphilis. The most commonly used antibiotic is Penicillin, but other drugs can be used if the patients are allergic to this one. Penicillin is usually substituted with Doxycycline (prescribed as Vibramycin), Tetracycline (prescribed as Sumycin) and Erythromycin (prescribed as Ery-Tab, E.E.S., or E-Mycin). The medication therapy may also be based on different types of Penicillin, for example: Penicillin G, prescribed as Pfizerpen; Penicillin G procaine, prescribed as Permapen and Bicillin L-A; or Penicillin G benzathine, prescribed as Wycillin and Crysticillin A.S.

Without treatment, patients can suffer from serious complications or are at high risk of dieing. If Syphilis is transmitted to an unborn baby, it can cause several birth defects, deformity and even death. Even if the mother is treated during pregnancy for this infectious disease, the baby should also receive antibiotic therapy after he/she is born. To check your responses to the antibiotic medications, the health care provider may want you to have periodic blood tests. The medicines must be taken as the doctor recommended. It is very important for you to try to avoid losing a dose or overdosing because the bacteria may develop resistance to the drugs. Avoid sexual contact during your treatment for this infectious disease until it is finally completed.