Syphilis - Symptoms, Tests And Syphilis Treatment

Definition

A chronic infectious, sexually transmitted disease, syphilis begins in the mucous membranes and it quickly becomes systemic, spreading to nearby lymph nodes and the bloodstream. This disease when untreated, is characterized by progressive stages such as primary, secondary, latent, and late. Untreated syphilis leads to crippling or death but the prognosis is excellent with early treatment.

Causes of Syphilis

Syphilis is caused by infection with the spirochete Treponema pallidum. A spirochete is a wormlike, spiral bacterial organism that infects a person by burrowing into the mucous membranes of the mouth or genitals and causing chancres. transmission occurs primarily through sexual contact during the primary, secondary, and early latent stages of infection. Prenatal transmission from an infected mother to her fetus via the placenta is also possible.

Symptoms of Syphilis

If you have Syphilis, then it has three stages such as the first stage is the formation of the chancre and the second stage is more severe and may include:

• Hair loss
• Sore throat
• Skin rash
• White patches on the nose, mouth, and vagina
• Fever
• Headaches
• Wart like lesions

The third stage begins when the disease has progressed so far it involves the brain, heart, and other internal organs. Initially, one or more chancres erupt on the genitalia; others may erupt on the anus, fingers,lips, tongue, nipples, tonsils, or eyelids. These chancres, which are usually painless, start as papules and then erode; they have indurated, raised edges and clear bases. They are usually associated with regional lymphadenopathy.

Latent syphilis is characterized by an absence of clinical symptoms but a reactive serologic test for syphilis. Because infectious mucocutaneous lesions may reappear when infection has lasted less than 4 years, early latent syphilis is considered contagious. Approximately two-thirds of patients remain asymptomatic through the late stage of latent syphilis and death. The rest develop characteristic late stage symptoms.

Treatment of Syphilis

If you have this disease, then you should be use Possible treatment such as:

• Treatment of choice for syphilis is administration of penicillin I. M.
• For early syphilis, treatment may consist of a single injection of penicillin G benzathine I.M.. Syphilis of more than 1 year's duration should be treated with penicillin G benzathine I. M.
• Non pregnant patients who are allergic to penicillin may be treated with oral tetracycline or doxycycline for 15 days for early syphilis; 30 days for late infections.
• Another treatment for this disease is Non penicillin therapy for latent or late syphilis should be used only after neurosyphilis has been excluded. Tetracycline is contraindicated in pregnant women because it causes discoloration of the infant's teeth. If a pregnant woman with syphilis is allergic to penicillin, desensitization is recommended to permit the use of penicillin. If syphilis isn't treated in a pregnant patient, it can cause blindness or death of the infant.