The CDC believed they could eliminate syphilis completely despite its long history. However, since then, new cases have been on the rise. In fact, there were 129, 813 cases of syphilis in 2019 in the United States alone.
Like other STDs, syphilis passes from one person to another through sexual contact. Though it’s treatable with antibiotics, it can lead to disability, mental disorders, and other complications if left untreated.
In this article, we’re going to talk about syphilis. If you’re facing symptoms, you can get virtual medical consultation for syphilis today.
What Is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial disease caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) bacterium. Once a person contracts the disease, they most likely experience sores. These sores show on the skin or mucous membranes of the person’s genitals, rectum, lips, or mouth.
The disease only spreads when a person comes into direct contact with a sore. However, it’s rarely passed through contact with a person’s lips.
Though the sores usually go away on their own, the bacteria remain in the body. In fact, it can lay dormant for even decades before becoming active again.
Signs Of Syphilis
The first sign of syphilis is a sore called ‘chancre’ on a person’s genitals, rectum, inside of the mouth, or skin. Usually, this sore is painless, so it’s likely to go unnoticed.
This is why syphilis is hard to diagnose because someone can have it for a long time without showing any symptoms. This is a problem as it’s better to diagnose syphilis in its earliest stages before it causes damage to the heart or the brain.
Symptoms Of Syphilis
You can usually detect symptoms of syphilis according to the stage that it’s in. These stages are called primary, secondary, tertiary, and latent stages.
Primary Syphilis
This occurs around 3-4 weeks after the first exposure to the sores and starts with a small sore called a chancre. This sore is firm, round, and usually painless.
The sore goes away on its own, but the disease remains in the body. So, without proper treatment, the disease progresses toward the second stage.
However, swollen lymph nodes are the only symptoms sometimes. In any case, this is an extremely contagious stage of the disease.
Secondary Syphilis
This stage is when the disease evolves into skin rashes and sore throat. The rashes are usually rough, red, or reddish-brown in color and aren’t itchy. The patient may also get sores that resemble genital warts.
The patient may also experience muscle aches, fever, hair loss in patches, weight loss, fatigue, etc.
Latent Syphilis
This stage is when the body contains the disease for years without any symptoms. However, there’s always the risk of reactivation.
Tertiary Syphilis
The last stage occurs around a few decades after the first exposure to the bacteria. This is when syphilis becomes life-threatening.
It can cause:
1. Damage to the heart
2. Liver damages
3. Blindness
4. Neurosyphilis
5. Memory loss
6. Damage to soft tissue and bone
7. Neurological disorders like meningitis
If you’re experiencing symptoms, it’s better to get help immediately.
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