Satisfied With The Treatment
Doctor in this story :Dr. Rahul Reddy
Androcare Andrology & Men's Health Institute
In this article we will look at:
You can click on any of the links above to navigate to the section of your interest.
Syphilis is a very common Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) which can spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex, though it is commonly spread through oral sex. This is a bacterial infection that can be easily cured with antibiotics in the initial stages. This disease, however, can cause permanent damage such as disability, neurological disorders, and even death if it is left untreated.
Syphilis occurs if one has sexual intercourse with an infected person.
It is caused by the bacteria called Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum). The bacteria gets transmitted through direct contact with a syphilis sore on the skin. The sores which are painless can start in the vagina, anus, rectum, lips, or mouth. Infact, some people do not even notice the sores since they are painless. The sores usually dry up on their own but the bacteria remains in the body and can remain dormant in the body, for even 30 years before becoming active and damaging internal organs including the brain.
There are four stages of syphilis:
People who are at a high risk of contracting syphilis include:
The main causes of syphilis include:
Syphilis does not spread through casual contacts such as sharing foods, drinks, holding hands, sneezing, sharing towels, coughing, or from toilet seats.
There are chances however of syphilis spreading from prolonged kissing.
The symptoms of syphilis change according to the stage of the disease.
Primary stage syphilis symptoms include:
In the secondary stage the symptoms of syphilis include:
In the latent syphilis stage, there are no symptoms. The bacteria lie dormant in this stage for upto 30 years.
The symptoms of tertiary syphilis which can occur 10 to 30 years after the onset of the infection, depends on which organ systems have been affected. The symptoms include:
Tertiary syphilis is the stage when the disease can become fatal.
Usually, a general practitioner or an infectious disease specialist can diagnose syphilis by seeing your symptoms, and conducting tests. Once the diagnosis is complete, depending on the severity and complications of your symptoms, you will be referred to a neurologist or cardiologist for further treatment.
Syphilis can be diagnosed by testing samples of your:
Some common complications of syphilis, if left untreated during the initial stages, include:
Syphilis is easily treatable in its early stages with antibiotics.
A once common STD in the pre-antibiotic era, in India, the prevalence of syphilis was brought down from 8% of the population to less than 1% in 2011. However, now almost seven years laters there is a sudden rise in those testing positive for syphilis among other sexually transmitted diseases. There were 1,300 syphilis cases in 2014 which increased to 1,700 the following year. Though doctors say that perhaps it is not a sudden rise but instead cases are coming to the fore due to better awareness and surveillance.
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection you can get from sexual contact with another person. Know more about Chlamydia, its causes, symptoms, treatment and other useful facts, links and videos on Health-Wiki | Practo
Psoriasis is a persistent inflammatory skin disorder, it is characterized by red skin covered with whitish scales. Know more about Psoriasis, its causes, symptoms, treatment and other useful facts and links and videos on Health-Wiki | Practo
Gastritis is an inflammation and erosion of the stomach lining, due to bacterial infection, certain pain killers, drinking too much alcohol, very spicy food. Know more about Gastritis, its causes, symptoms, treatment videos on Health-Wiki | Practo.