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Doxy 100Last year saw record levels of diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to the latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2017, nearly 2.3 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were diagnosed in the United States,...
Read More... Sep 05, 2018Syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a disease that is spread through sexual intercourse, including oral and anal sex. It is highly contagious, yet often the infected person is unaware that they have the disease, and unknowingly pass it on to their sexual partner.
Until the 1940’s syphilis was once a major health concern. If untreated it can cause serious long-term health problems, such as blindness, arthritis and even brain damage. Since the invention of penicillin, reported cases of syphilis dropped to an all time low in the year 2000. However, the disease has been on the rise ever since.
There are different stages of syphilis, which develop over time, and symptoms vary for each stage. Some people may not suffer will any symptoms early on and have syphilis for years before it is treated.
The first, early or primary syphilis, you will get one or more sores – called chancres. They appear on average between 10-90 days after exposure to the disease. These sores often go unnoticed, as they are painless, and will eventually heal on their own.
If untreated, it will lead to secondary syphilis, which begins between six weeks to six months after exposure. A rash will appear on the body and spread all over, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. This rash is usually not itchy and can be accompanied by wart-like lesions on the groin or white patches inside the mouth. Similarly, to primary syphilis, symptoms of secondary syphilis will clear up on their own.
If untreated, the disease moves on to the latent (hidden) stage, where there are no symptoms. The latent stage may last for years, and symptoms may never return. In other cases, the disease progresses to the third stage called the tertiary stage.
The tertiary (late) stage affects between 15-30 percent of people infected with syphilis who don’t receive treatment. Complications occur causing damage to your brain, nerves, blood vessels, liver, joints and bones. These problems may occur many years after the original untreated infection.
Neurosyphilis can occur at any stage, and cause damage to the brain and nervous system. Similarly, ocular syphilis can damage the eyes.
Without treatment, syphilis can spread throughout the body and cause irreparable damage to the nervous system, so it is imperative to treat as early as possible.
Throughout the stages, syphilis is treated with penicillin and if treated in the early stages is easy to cure. Usually a single injection of penicillin will kill the bacteria that causes syphilis. For those allergic to penicillin, the doctor may prescribe another antibiotic medication.
Additional doses of penicillin may be required if you have had syphilis for over a year. For pregnant women, penicillin is the only recommended treatment. Your new-born child will need to be tested for congenital syphilis, and if infected, receive treatment.
The first day of your treatment, you may experience what is known as the Jarisch-Herheimer reaction. This includes fever, chills, nausea, aches and a headache. It shouldn’t last more than one day.
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