General Info
Syphilis is one of the most spreading diseases. It is commonly found in African-American region; however it is now surging in Asian countries as well. The cases of syphilis have taken a toll in the recent years especially the developing countries. It mainly affects sexually active adults and is common amongst people of age 20 to 29. Around 60% of new cases in the United States report occurrence of syphilis in men who have sex with men.
Syphilis is a contagious disease that can be transmitted mainly through sexual contact such as by kissing, oral, vaginal, and anal sex. It can be transmitted through blood donations by the infected people or through reused needles. Although steps have been taken around the globe to curb the usage of used needles and test the blood donations, still the disease is spreading rapidly. Syphilis is not only transmitted through sexual contact but also through skin to skin contact with the person who has active syphilis sores and rashes.
Syphilis can also be passed on by an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy and child birth leading to congenital syphilis. Untreated syphilis in pregnant women may lead to miscarriages, premature births, stillbirths and even death of new born babies. Babies born with Syphilis are likely to have skin sores, rashes, jaundice, anemia, frequent fever, swollen liver and spleen, developmental delays and seizures. Hence the infection poses harm to the health of both the mother and her baby.
Syphilis however can be cured if detected at any early stage. However in order to detect the presence of the disease, one must be aware of Syphilis symptoms. Syphilis is characterized by four stages namely primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. Each stage has its own set of distinct symptoms that identify the level of the disease. The Syphilis symptoms of each stage appear for a certain time period and then disappear. However if the disease is left untreated at a certain stage, it may proceed to the next stage and aggravate the disease.
The first stage also known as the Primary Syphilis symptoms typically occurs due to direct sexual contact with the active lesions of the infected person. Primary syphilis begins with the appearance of a skin lesion at the point of contact called a Chancre. Chancre is a painless, non-itchy skin sore that measures 0.3 to 3 cm in size. Lesions that are present outside the genitals may be painful. Swollen Lymph node may accompany the lesions. The lesion may last for 3 to 6 weeks without treatment after which they disappear. The disappearance of the lesion does not mark the elimination of the disease. It only acts as a first indication of Syphilis symptoms and then disappears to spread throughout the body.
The Secondary stage commences several weeks after the disappearance of the lesion and when the infection has spread throughout the body. Syphilis symptoms for the secondary stage include rash, fever, sore throat, malaise, weight loss, hair loss, headache and at times hepatitis, kidney disease, arthritis, periostitis, optic neuritis, uveitis, and interstitial keratitis. Syphilis rash is the main indicator of the secondary stage. The rash is a non-itchy, reddish-pink lesion that can appear in any part of the body. However it typically appears on the palms and sole of the foot and harbors bacteria which are highly contagious. Syphilis symptoms, if not detected or treated may advance to the third stage and aggravate the disease.
The third stage also known as the latent stage can last for several years and culminate into an aggravated situation. This stage can also be called a silent stage since during this stage the infection persists without highlighting any of the Syphilis symptoms. The existence of the disease can be diagnosed by a blood test or through microscopic tests. During the latent stage, an expecting woman can transfer syphilis to her baby. The infected ones continue to remain contagious throughout Syphilis however in rare cases some infected ones cease to be contagious during the latent stages.
The final stage of syphilis, which occurs 10 to 15 years after the development of infection, is known as the tertiary stage. Tertiary stage occurs in about one third of those who are left untreated. It is the most harmful stage and causes large scale damage to the internal organs. Common Syphilis symptoms include fever, painful, skin ulcers, liver disease and anemia. Tertiary syphilis can also affect the central nervous system, resulting in the various nervous disorders including memory loss, problems with mental function, balance, walking, bladder control, and gradual diminishing vision. It can also develop into cardiovascular syphilis lead to heart diseases and may at times prove fatal.
Hence syphilis needs to be detected at early stages so as to avoid the permanent damage posed by the disease and immediate steps need to be taken to resolve the Syphilis symptoms when detected. Syphilis mimics many other diseases; however the confirmation of the disease can be done by blood tests and direct visualization using microscopy. The best way to contract the exposition to the disease is to abstain from intimate physical contact with an infected person and also use latex condom. Condom use, however, does not completely eliminate the risk but still can help reduce the penetration of bacteria. However, if detected at early stages, syphilis can be cured using medications primarily through Pencillin G. and antibiotics such as macrolides, clindamycin, and rifampin. People allergic to pencillin can be treated with doxycycline or tetracycline. Treatment at later stages can limit further aggravation of the disease but cannot recover the damage in most cases.
In short, syphilis being a baneful disease must be diagnosed with the surfacing of the Syphilis symptoms before they translate into the next stage and should hence be treated timely and properly in order to prevent it from developing into permanent damges.