Syphilis - causes and signs of syphilis

The first thing that begins with the onset of infection with Treponema is the incubation period, which lasts on average about three weeks before the onset of pronounced symptoms. Conditionally, the stages of the disease can be divided into the following stages:

• the incubation period already described above;
• primary - characterized by the appearance of a rash and neoplasms of the mucous membranes and skin;
• secondary - it is characterized by damage to the nervous system, which is accompanied by increased rashes on the skin;

• tertiary - this stage is characterized by damage to any organ system and a change in a person's appearance.

The transition from one stage to another can take a relatively long time or occur quite quickly - this depends on the individual characteristics of the patient's body and his immune system, as well as those factors that provoke a deterioration in the patient's condition, for example, additional diseases, as if drawing off part of the immune system.

Causes

The microorganism that causes the disease, is a pale treponema - a bacterium from the order Spirochetes. Syphilis is a venereal disease, so the method of spreading through sex is dominant.

Nevertheless, treponema is resistant to cold, it retains vital signs for about 3 days, being on household items, although it is vulnerable to boiling and antiseptic drugs. However, neglect of hygiene rules very rarely becomes the cause of syphilis, usually, as centuries ago, promiscuous sex leads to the disease.

Symptoms

In the early stages of the disease, a specific ulcerative formation is formed - a chancre, which can appear on any mucous membrane, starting from the surface of the lip and ending with the tonsils. In the latter case, the patient will not know about the infection, since the pain syndrome may be completely absent. Over time, swelling of the lymph nodes that are in close proximity to the chancre occurs. It is very important to consult a venereologist at the first suspicion in order to begin treatment as early as possible.

It should be noted that the transition from one stage of the disease to another occurs gradually, usually almost imperceptibly. In addition, this process can take months or even years from the moment the pathogen enters the body. Individual characteristics of the immune system and the viability of the bacterium itself are the main factors on which the rate of progression of syphilis depends. But without treatment, the progression of the disease is inevitable. And if earlier treatment methods were more than questionable (mercury was used, for example), then after infectious disease specialists discovered the pathogen itself and developed specific treatment, there is no reason to postpone a visit to the doctor.

Then a characteristic rash begins to appear, which looks like red spots that retain a clear shape on the surface of the skin. The general health gradually deteriorates. Syphilis primarily affects those internal organs that have been weakened by one or another disease. The patient may have a fever and weakness, as with a cold.

And at the final stage of the disease, so-called gummas appear - neoplasms that can affect internal organs, including bones. But this stage occurs after years of inadequate treatment or no treatment at all from the moment of infection. Therefore, it is so important to make an appointment with a venereologist in a timely manner, without postponing the visit and not neglecting the deterioration of health.

Diagnostics

Detecting syphilis is not so easy. There are two main methods:

• bacteriological, in which the chancre or lymph node is examined. It is carried out in the first month of the disease;
• serological, and highly specialized.

Other methods of analysis do not provide a complete guarantee in diagnosis, although they can indicate inflammatory processes of various kinds.

Treatment

Syphilis is a completely curable disease, especially at the current level of development of medicine. This disease is successfully treated with antibiotics, to which the pathogen is particularly sensitive. Of course, the course of treatment is carried out under the supervision of a venereologist. Another mandatory rule is that the patient's sexual partner must undergo the same course, regardless of whether he has symptoms of the disease. Antibiotics such as erythromycin and doxycycline are the most well-known, but therapy against syphilis is not limited to them.

Prevention

As with any other sexually transmitted disease, in this case, preventive measures are a responsible sex life, the absence of promiscuous sexual relations and, of course, compliance with the rules of personal hygiene. There is also a “folk” method of prevention - treating places of direct contact with an infected person with an antiseptic, although this method is questionable in terms of effectiveness.