Syphilis 

Syphilis: What You Should Know

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are not a subject people want to talk about but it is something that you should know as much about as possible. Syphilis is an STD that affects thousands of people in the United States. The number of reported cases has been increasing through the years especially for young women. It’s a serious disease that everyone should be aware of.

This disease will begin as a sore somewhere on your body, usually the mouth or genitals. They are normally painless. It will then progress in stages and needs to be treated as early as possible. If a person with syphilis does not seek medical treatment, this disease can do a considerable amount of damage to the body over time. It can affect the heart and brain and eventual it can be fatal. Patients with syphilis are more susceptible to HIV as well.

This bacterial infection is most often spread through any form of sexual contact. It’s transmitted from one person to another through the mucous membranes or through any cut or scrape on the skin. It’s caused by a bacterium named Treponema Pallidum and it’s mainly contagious during the primary and secondary stages. During the early part of the dormant stage it can also be contagious. Syphilis can be spread to a newborn during childbirth, by kissing someone with an active sore and very rarely through blood transfusions.

It’s a myth that you can get this disease by eating from utensils that an infected person use or from clothing, bathtubs and toilet seats. The reason for this is because the bacterium that causes this condition is sensitive to temperature, light and air.

The only way to reduce your risks of coming in contact with this STD is by practicing safe sex. Only have sex with the same partner whom you know is safe and talk to your partner about sexually transmitted diseases especially if you plan to be with someone new. The only other option you have is to completely avoid sex all together.

Patients with syphilis will go through four stages. The symptoms will vary with each person during each stage and they will depend on the person’s overall general health. It’s even possible for a person to not have any symptoms for several years. Below are the four stages and a basic description of what the patient will normally experience during each one.

1. Primary Syphilis – Normally the person will have a small sore found where the bacteria entered the body. This usually occurs within ten days to about three months after being infected. The lymph nodes in the groin area may become enlarged.

2. Secondary Syphilis – There are several symptoms that may be noticeable during this stage and they usually begin anywhere between two and ten weeks after being infected. These symptoms include a skin rash, fever, swollen lymph glands, fatigue, sore throat, wart-like sores and an achy feeling. They can come and go throughout the first year.

3. Latent Syphilis – This is the stage that the disease will appear hidden and the person will not have any symptoms. This stage could last for several years or the disease could progress into the tertiary stage.
 
4. Tertiary Syphilis – In this late stage the disease can begin to do lots of damage. It can start affecting your bones, joints, eyes, nerves, brain, heart and liver. The patient may begin to experience numbness, paralysis, uncontrolled muscle movements, dementia and gradual blindness. Fifteen to thirty percent of all people with this disease will develop these symptoms.

If you have any of these symptoms or have been with a high risk partner, then you should see your doctor right away.

Now that you have an idea of how syphilis can affect a person, you can see why it’s so important to get tested regularly and be treated for this disease when it’s in the first stages. It’s possible for an infected mother to pass this condition to their newborn. This is called congenital syphilis. Within the first two years of the infant’s life they may experience fever, rashes, snuffles, anemia, umbilical cord infection, swollen spleen and liver, skin sores and jaundice. If the infant is not treated quickly they may develop seizures, tooth abnormalities, deformities, slow development, deafness and eventually death.

When caught in its early stages syphilis can be cured with antibiotics such as penicillin. Normally, a single injection of penicillin will cure the disease within the first year. After the first year you may need to take a second dose. Many people will experience nausea, achy feeling, headache, fever and chills during the first day of treatment. This is known as the “Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction”. It’s normal and it usually subsides after about twenty-four hours. During treatment avoid having any sexual relations, notify your partner and have follow-up exams to make sure the treatment worked and you are clear of the disease.

See our related article which focuses on the symptoms of syphilis.