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SYPHILIS

Introduction To Syphilis

Syphilis is a serious infectious and bacterial disease caused by a type of bacteria called Treponema Pallidum. It is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) commonly found in countries like Azerbaijan, Germany, and Belgium, etc. In 2016, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 88,000 cases of Syphilis were reported in the United States. As compared to women, the disease is more common in men. Syphilis is sub-divided into four stages that are:

• Primary Syphilis
• Secondary Syphilis
• Latent Syphilis
• Tertiary Syphilis.

Detail With Symptoms Of Each Stage

The disease is more infectious in the first two stages. And the Tertiary Syphilis is considered as the most destructive one for human health. Primary Syphilis appears three to four weeks after the victim is infected in the form of a small, round core known as a chance.

In the Secondary Syphilis, a skin rash or sore might appear on the victim’s body. The rash wouldn’t itch and is usually found on the palms & soles. Other symptoms of Secondary Syphilis are:

• Headaches
• Swollen Lymph Nodes
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Weight Loss
• Hair Loss
• Aching Joints

The third stage of Syphilis is Latent Syphilis which can also be said as hidden Syphilis. This stage does not show any specific sign or symptoms but the bacteria still remains in the body. This stage can stay for many years until it's converted into tertiary Syphilis.

The fourth and final stage of Syphilis is tertiary syphilis which is considered to be the most destructive one for human health. If the other three stages of Syphilis are not treated, the victim enters into this stage. It can also be life-threatening and can stay in the victim’s body for decades. Symptoms of tertiary syphilis are listed below:

• Blindness
• Deafness
• Mental Illness
• Memory Loss
• Destruction of Soft Tissue & Bone
• Neurological Disorders, such as Stroke or Meningitis
• Heart Disease
• Neurosyphilis

How To Diagnose & Treat Syphilis

Feeling any of the symptom of any type, you must visit your health care advisor. To diagnose syphilis, the doctor will take some of your blood samples to perform tests. They'll also conduct it by means of physical examination. If there’s a sore, the doctor will also take a sample of it to diagnose. A Lumber Puncture or a Spinal Tap is required if the patient is feeling or having nervous system problems.

The treatment process of Primary and Secondary Syphilis is quite easy. All you need to get is just a penicillin injection to throw out the bacteria from the body. For those people, who are allergic to the penicillin are advised to use other antibiotics such as:

• Doxycycline
• Azithromycin
• Ceftriaxone

In a condition of neurosyphilis, the patient will receive the penicillin injection or antibiotic dose daily. It might also require complete bed rest and a brief stay at the hospital. Remember, during the treatment process, try to avoid sexual contact until all the sores on your body are healed. If you are also infected with it, you can contact the Global Patient Transfer team to find out the best hospital for your treatment.