Syphilis is
a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by Treponema pallidum
infection. The most common way to transmit T. pallidum infection is through sexual contact with an
infected person.
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| Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidum. |
Syphilis
- A Sexually Transmitted Bacterial Infection: Types and Stages of Syphilis
What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is
considered one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) caused
by infection with a bacterium called Treponema pallidum.
Syphilis is a highly contagious disease, and it may
cause serious and chronic complications, such as arthritis, brain damage,
dementia, and blindness, and may lead to death if left untreated.
The
appearance of small, painless sores is the first sign of syphilis, and these
sores may appear, either on the sexual organs, the rectum, or inside the mouth,
and the patient usually does not notice them.
Syphilis is often difficult to diagnose, and the patient may
not have any symptoms for years.
The early diagnosis of this disease is considered of great
benefit, as long-term complications without treatment can affect many vital
parts of the human body, such as the heart and brain.
Syphilis is transmitted between people through direct contact
with sores. It is not transmitted through the use of the same toilet, or
wearing the patient's clothes, or even when using the food utensils.
Studies indicate that more than 56 thousand people suffer
from syphilis in the United States of America, and it may affect women and men
alike, but the rates of infection have decreased in recent years among women,
although it is increasing among men, especially after the spread of
homosexuality.
The number of people with syphilis experienced a significant
decrease in the second half of the last century due to the discovery of
Penicillin, which is the first treatment for this disease.
Four Stages of Syphilis
Syphilis infection is divided into four stages (primary,
secondary, latent, and tertiary), with different symptoms that appear on the
patient and different signs associated with each stage.
These stages may overlap with each other, and symptoms may
not appear in order. Some patients have not had any symptoms for years. As for
the stages of syphilis infection, they are as follows:
Primary syphilis: During the primary stage, painless sores appear at
the site of infection (mouth, rectum, penis, anus, or vagina).
In most cases, the patient develops a single sore, although
some patients experience many sores, and these sores appear about three weeks
after the disease.
It may be difficult for many patients to notice these sores,
as they are not accompanied by any pain, and they may disappear in the vagina
or rectum. The sore usually lasts three to six weeks and heals regardless of
whether or not you receive treatment. The treatment can stop primary syphilis
from moving to the secondary stage.
Secondary syphilis: During the secondary stage, the patient may have skin
rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions.
Secondary syphilis usually starts with a rash on one or more
areas of the body. A person is highly contagious during this stage.
The rash can appear from 2 to 8 weeks after the chancre
develops and sometimes before it heals. The rash may look like rough, red, or
reddish-brown spots on the bottoms of the feet and/or the palms of the hands.
This rash does not usually cause itching, but it may be accompanied by
warts-like sores in the mouth and on sexual areas.
Some patients may experience other symptoms, such as hair
loss, muscle pain, high body temperature, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.
These symptoms may disappear within a few weeks, and
sometimes they continue to appear and disappear for a whole year.
Latent (hidden) syphilis: During the latent stage of syphilis,
the patient moves from the secondary stage to the latent after the disease has
not been treated properly, and it may continue for years without any symptoms
appearing, or either the symptoms disappear completely and the patient does not
feel them again, or the patient moves to the third stage.
A person is contagious in the early part of the latent stage
and may be contagious during the latent period when there are no symptoms.
Tertiary syphilis: Also called the late stage of syphilis. This is the
most destructive stage, in which complications of syphilis appear in patients
who have not undergone the required treatment.
Tertiary syphilis is tested between 15 to 30% of syphilis
patients and it may begin as early as 1 year after infection or at any time
during a person's lifetime.
In this stage, the disease affects various parts of the body;
Such as the brain, heart, nerves, eyes, muscles, bones, liver, and blood
vessels and can result in death.
What Is Neurosyphilis?
Neurosyphilis is a bacterial infection of the central nervous
system (the brain or spinal cord) in a patient with syphilis.
Neurosyphilis usually occurs in people with untreated chronic
syphilis, where this disease appears about 10-20 years after the first
infection. Neurosyphilis can occur at any stage of syphilis.
In the case of neurosyphilis, the patient may experience
symptoms such as severe pain in the head, numbness, paralysis of some areas of
the body, and dementia.
Ocular syphilis is a subtype of neurosyphilis that can be
associated with uveitis, optic neuropathy, and other conditions that threaten
vision.
Ocular syphilis can include almost any structure of the eye,
but panuveitis and posterior uveitis are the most common manifestations.
Symptoms of ocular syphilis include vision changes, low
visual acuity, and permanent blindness.
What is Congenital Syphilis?
Congenital syphilis is a severe, disabling, and often a
life-threatening infectious disease caused by a spirochete (treponema
pallidum).
This infectious disease spreads from a pregnant mother who
has syphilis to the child during fetal development or at birth.
Symptoms of congenital syphilis may not appear until several
weeks or months after birth and, in some cases, the symptoms may take years to
appear.
Most newborns with syphilis have no symptoms, although some
suffer from a rash that appears on the sole of the foot and hand, and delayed
symptoms may also include hearing loss, or deformities in the teeth, or in the
nose.
Up to half of all babies with syphilis infection while they
are in the womb die shortly before or after birth.
Conclusion:
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection caused
by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum). Syphilis infection is divided into four
stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary).
Syphilis can be treated in the early stages, but without
treatment, it can lead to neurological disorders, disability, and even death.