Picture of Treponema pallidum under a microscope

How to Diagnose and Treat Syphilis

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. There is no doubt that it is a contagious disease spreading mostly through sexual contact.  The infection can invade your body through cuts or bruises in the skin and by passing through the mucous membrane.

Symptoms of this disease aren’t easily identified. In its early stages, syphilis is difficult to detect. At this stage, you’re unlikely to do clinical tests which causes it to go untreated. Slowly, the T.Pallidum bacterium spreads and infects the major organs of the body, ultimately causing arthritis, blindness and even brain damage.

Syphilis Symptoms and Diagnosis

Before the discovery of Penicillin, there wasn’t any effective remedy to cure this disease. Syphilis happens in three stages. In the initial stage, the skin acquires sores known as chancres. These painless ulcers occur in the genital area, anus, and around the mouth of the person.

Chancres can be noticed after three weeks of the person being infected with the bacterium. It is a long time for someone to become aware that they have the bacteria. Moreover, as the sores are similar to other bruises that may occur due to a common skin infection, Syphilis isn’t always treated with the right medications.

In the second stage, the sores turn into rosy rashes on the palms and soles of the feet. In the later phase of this secondary stage, people feel feverish, have swollen lymph glands, and white patches appear inside the mouth.

Even though the symptoms indicate the presence of the bacterium T.Pallidum, they may go unnoticed. Someone who is infected might use over-the-counter ointments to apply on the rashes, instead of consulting an experienced medical practitioner.

In the last stage of Syphilis, the patient can become blind, paralyzed, or have other neurological issues. The rashes and lumps spread all over the body. The person suffering from the ailment can become impotent and women can even have difficulty becoming pregnant.

Hence, to reduce the severity of the symptoms, the best thing to do is to get clinically tested. There are test centers ready to conduct same day STD testing. You just need to visit websites of highly-rated clinic test centers like samedaysstdtesting.com. Medical professionals will help you to understand your status and suggest the best treatment.

Syphilis Treatment

  • If diagnosed in the early stages, one single injection of Penicillin G is adequate. People allergic to Penicillin are given other similar medicines like Doxycycline and Tetracycline.
  • After having the required number of injections and taking medicines, the patient may want to get tested again to make sure that Syphilis has been eliminated. If the patient still has Syphilis, they may need to take more medication.
  • Usually, a doctor will issue standard blood tests to detect the presence of the bacterium causing Syphilis. If a patient continues to believe they are infected, they may get more blood tests directed by the medical physician.

Today, Syphilis is totally curable and treated easily. It’s extremely important to work with the right medical practitioner and do required tests from reputable clinics.

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