Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. If not treated effectively, syphilis can be a very dangerous condition. Though it is mainly passed through sexual contact, it can also be passed through blood transfusions, intravenous drug use, and from infected mother to unborn child.

Syphilis is caused by a bacterial organism called treponema pallidum. It enters the body through close contact with an infected sore, vaginal, anal or oral sex, intravenous drug use, sharing sex toys, and blood transfusions. It cannot survive long outside the body so spreading through clothing, cutlery, or the bathroom is nearly impossible.

Syphilis Symptoms

There are three syphilis stages, primary, secondary and tertiary syphilis each with their own symptoms.

Primary Syphilis

This is the initial syphilis stage. Symptoms can appear from 10 days to three months after exposure. It is characterized by the appearance of a small, painless sore or chancre. It will appear in the part of the body where the infection started. You can have one or more of these small sores.

The chancre is painless making it easier to transmit. It may disappear within three to six weeks. You may experience swelling in the lymph nodes during this period. If the condition is not treated, it will move on to the next stage.

Secondary Syphilis

Three to six weeks after the disappearance of the sore, secondary syphilis symptoms may begin. Some of the symptoms will include:

• Tiredness,
• Non-itchy skin rash appearing in various parts of the body like the soles of the feet and the palms of your hands,
• Headaches, and
• Swollen lymph glands

You may also experience fever, weight loss, joint pains and hair loss.

The symptoms will disappear within a few weeks, or come and go over a period of months. It will then move into the latent phase, which normally has no symptoms. Without treatment, the latent syphilis will move on the tertiary syphilis.

Tertiary Syphilis

Tertiary syphilis is the most dangerous stage of syphilis. The symptoms can begin years or even decades after the initial exposure to infection. Some of the symptoms may include:

• Paralysis,
• Stroke,
• Blindness and deafness,
• Loss of coordination,
• Numbness, and
• Heart disease

Treatment of Syphilis

Primary and secondary syphilis is treated successfully with antibiotics like penicillin. The 10-14 day penicillin course has proved very successful. However, one should refrain from sexual activity until the treatment is complete.

Tertiary syphilis may require intravenous doses of antibiotics. The treatment may stop the infection but may not repair any damage done by the syphilis.

The only way to prevent syphilis is to avoid unprotected sex. A condom or a vaginal dam may protect you from syphilis but abstinence is the best protection. If one is a drug user, you should not share needles.

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