The
first sign of syphilis is a small sore that appears at the site where the
bacteria entered your body.
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| Syphilis - A sexually transmitted disease: Symptoms and complications |
What are the Symptoms of Syphilis?
Syphilis
Syphilis is
a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD), which occurs as a result of the bacterial
infection caused by bacteria known as Treponema pallidum.
The
infection is often transmitted due to the mucous membranes or skin sores that
are found in the vagina, anus, rectum, mouth, and on the lips, through sexual
contact with an infected person.
The
infection can also be transmitted from the mother to her fetus during pregnancy
or at birth.
Symptoms of Syphilis
The symptoms
and signs that appear on people with syphilis vary according to the stage of
the disease. The following are the most common symptoms of syphilis:
Primary
Stage: This stage begins approximately three to four weeks after exposure to
bacteria, and often begins with a sore known as a chance. This sore appears in
the part where the bacteria moved to the body, as it may be the mouth, rectum,
or genitals.
The sore is
small and circular, and although it does not cause pain, it is very infectious.
The
infection is transmitted through direct contact through sex, including oral
sex, and often lasts from two to six weeks.
Secondary
Stage: In this stage, symptoms of syphilis are suspected with some other
disease, as a rash appears, especially on the palms of the hands and soles of
the feet, but this does not prevent the possibility of it appearing anywhere in
the body, and often does not cause a rash Itch, and the person may not notice
his presence.
In addition,
the patient may suffer from sore throat, and in fact, regardless of whether or
not the patient receives treatment, these symptoms disappear, but this does not
mean that the patient has recovered, so syphilis is still endemic in the body.
Other
symptoms that may appear at this stage and also disappear on their own include:
- Headache.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Tired and general fatigue.
- Fever.
- Weight loss.
- Hair loss.
- Joint pain.
Latent
Stage: This stage was called Latent Stage because of the disappearance of
symptoms and signs that had appeared in the primary and secondary stage, and
the absence of any new symptoms, but syphilis still inhabits the body.
This stage
may last for several years before entering the third stage.
Tertiary
Stage: Some approved scientific statistics have found that approximately 15-30%
of people with syphilis who have not received treatment have reached this stage
after many years have passed. This stage is very dangerous and may kill the
person.
Among the
symptoms and signs that appear at this stage are the following:
- Suffering from neurological disorders such as stroke and meningitis.
- Neurosyphilis infection, this infection can attack both the brain and spinal cord.
- Soft tissue and bone damage.
- memory loss.
- Heart disease.
- Suffering from mental disorders and diseases.
- hearing loss.
- blindness.
Complications of Syphilis
Syphilis can
lead to several complications if the patient is not treated properly. The most
prominent of these complications are as follows:
Bumps or
tumors: They appear either on the skin, bone, liver, or other organs in the
final stage of the disease. They usually disappear after being treated with
antibiotics.
Suffering
from problems on the nervous system: such as stroke, meningitis, hearing loss,
vision problems, dementia, or a loss of sensation of heat.
Having
disorders of the heart and circulatory system: the most prominent of which is
suffering from swelling and irritation of the aorta wall and other blood
vessels, and may also damage the heart valves.
Infection
with HIV: When suffering from syphilis, the chance of transmission of this HIV
virus increases two to five times as much as a healthy person.