Many people mistakenly believe that syphilis in men and women is a consequence of sexual promiscuity. This is a misconception, and despite the fact that it is often transmitted in this way, pathogens can penetrate the body through blood transfusion or as a result of household contact with their carrier or his personal belongings. For this reason, it is important to know how they become infected with this disease, and what are the main symptoms of syphilis.
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Ways of infection and the causative agent of syphilis
The causative agent of syphilis is pale treponema. This parasite is a spiral bacterium from the spirochete family. It can affect any organ, but most often it parasitizes in fluids: blood, lymph and saliva. Despite the fact that she is practically unable to survive in the external environment, syphilis is considered an extremely contagious disease. In the nineties of the last century, Russian doctors faced an unprecedented number of infections, this indicator is still high.
Treponema can get into the blood in different ways. The ways of infection with syphilis are described in detail below.
Sexual
In this situation, infection occurs with unprotected sexual contact. Since treponema live and multiply on the mucous membranes, in vaginal discharge in women who are carriers of the disease, they are present in considerable numbers. And also treponemas are able to penetrate the seminal fluid in men.
Attention! Syphilis can be infected not only during traditional sexual intercourse, but also during anal or oral sex. According to statistics, of the total number of patients, the majority are male homosexuals.
Domestic
The penetration of infection into the human body in this way is a rather rare occurrence, but nevertheless, the possibility of infection cannot be ruled out. This can happen due to the use of household items with which an infected person came into contact, or his personal belongings.
Placental
In such a situation, the transmission of pathogens occurs from the mother to the embryo in utero, through the placenta. As a result of the action of parasitic bacteria on the organs and systems of the fetus, disturbances develop, often incompatible with life, and the embryo dies in the womb. In other cases, this does not happen, but the chances of surviving such a baby are very small.
Sometimes infection occurs during childbirth, when the baby passes through the canals, or when breastfeeding. To prevent infection, patients with syphilis are given a cesarean section, and their children are given artificial nutrition immediately after birth.
Blood transfusion
In this way, infection occurs when the blood of the carrier of the disease enters the body of a healthy person. This can happen during transfusion, and although donors should be checked for sexually transmitted diseases, exceptions do occur.
Also, infection can penetrate into the blood when using one syringe for several people. For this reason, there are many drug addicts among carriers of the disease.
Professional
Most often, medical workers become infected in this way. Treponema can get into the body with saliva, seminal fluid, vaginal discharge and blood of the patient, and sometimes with surgical intervention. In world practice, there have been cases when pathologists infected with syphilis during the autopsy of an infected person.
On a note. In contact with the carrier of the disease or his personal belongings, the disease is transmitted in 80% of cases. The exception is people with innate resistance to treponema, it is due to the presence in the blood of a special type of protein compounds.
Incubation period
Treponema spreads through the body with blood and lymph, and the length of the incubation period depends on how quickly this process develops. As a rule, from contact with an infected person to the appearance of the first symptoms of syphilis, it takes from 1 week to 3-4 months.
Implicit signs of the disease, which people most often do not attach importance to, can occur as early as 21 days after infection. But even if the patient feels normal, and the disease does not make itself felt, he already poses a danger to others and can infect other people.
The duration of the incubation stage depends on the following factors:
- the number of parasites in the blood and the degree of their activity;
- state of the immune system;
- the presence or absence of concomitant violations.
Some drugs may also “lubricate” the clinical picture of syphilis in women and men, delaying the onset of the first symptoms.
Disease classification
Domestic syphilis or an infection obtained in another way is quite diverse in its manifestations. Depending on the course of the disease, in addition to the typical picture, the following forms are distinguished:
- Atypical. In such a situation, the disease manifests itself in a peculiar way, large seals (chancres) form on the patient's body, and the skin around them acquires a violet-burgundy hue. Moreover, they arise already in the early stages, and not only at the site of infection penetration into the body, but also in other areas.
- Hidden. This type of disease occurs without any symptoms. It is possible to detect the presence of infection only by chance, in the process of conducting laboratory tests in connection with other problems.As a rule, the disease takes this form in people who often use antibiotics, which helps to drown out the symptoms.
- Neurosyphilis. With this form of the disease, brain tissue is mostly affected. In this situation, syphilis manifests itself with various symptoms characteristic of other diseases. These include vomiting and nausea, severe headaches, periodic jumps in temperature, and emotional upsets. In severe forms, visual impairment, paralysis and dementia occur.
The insidiousness of such forms of the disease lies in the fact that it is quite difficult to make an accurate diagnosis, which means that it is impossible to start treatment of syphilis on time in the early stages. The patient receives qualified help at the secondary, and sometimes tertiary stage of the disease.
Manifestations, primary symptoms
With a typical course of the disease at the initial stage of syphilis, the following symptoms appear:
- spots appear on the body, and over time they are converted into seals;
- mucous membranes are covered with bright red ulcers;
- in places where treponemas enter the body, edema is formed;
- lymph nodes are enlarged.
There is no pain at this stage of syphilis yet, and in general the patient feels satisfactorily. But if untreated, the disease proceeds to the next stage.
Symptoms of syphilis in men, women
When the patient did not seek medical help on time, after 2-3 months there are such signs of secondary syphilis:
- pale skin rash;
- hair loss;
- malfunctions of the internal organs.
The disease becomes tertiary in about 3-4 years after infection, and sometimes this period lasts more than 10 years. The third stage is characterized by the following features:
- tubercles and nodes on the skin;
- ulcers and scars;
- serious damage to the internal organs.
At this stage of the disease, deaths are frequent as a result of destructive processes in the body.
In addition to common symptoms, there are syphilis symptoms that are separate for males and females. Men suffer the disease, especially in the initial stages, quite easily. Rashes then appear, then disappear, and the patient does not deserve their attention. But over time, such manifestations arise:
- the foreskin tissue swells and thickens;
- erosive and ulcerative lesions are formed on the genital organ and in the anus;
- lymph nodes increase, and body temperature rises.
Women, unlike men, can notice signs of malaise already 2 weeks after infection. The disease manifests itself in the following symptoms:
- ulcers form on the labia and vagina;
- lymph nodes throughout the body enlarge and hurt;
- body aches and headaches occur;
- severe weakness and signs of general malaise are present.
Important! Syphilis in women develops faster than in men, and already at the secondary stage of the disease all internal organs can be affected.
Diagnostic Methods
To make an accurate diagnosis, the following measures are required:
- medical examination;
- smear fence;
- conducting serological tests to identify the pathogen;
- instrumental research;
- radiography;
- blood test for RW.
In some cases, computed tomography is prescribed. This is done when there is a suspicion that the central nervous system is affected.
How is syphilis treated?
Syphilis treatment is a long and laborious process that includes the following measures:
- taking antibiotics of the penicillin group;
- immunomodulatory therapy;
- the use of probiotics to restore microflora and eliminate the toxic effects of antibacterial agents;
- the use of external agents to combat rashes;
- vitamin therapy to maintain the body.
At the initial stage of the disease, recovery occurs in 2-3 months, and with secondary and tertiary syphilis, it takes from several months to a year and a half.During treatment, the patient should be under medical supervision, it is better if he is placed in a hospital. In this case, the patient’s partner is assigned a full course of examination and preventive therapy.
Consequences and Complications
With syphilis, complications are frequent, which significantly delay the time of recovery. At the primary stage, they are as follows:
- tissue dies in places of chancre formation;
- there is phimosis (narrowing) or paraphimosis (infringement) of the foreskin of the penis in men;
- profuse ulcers form on the vaginal mucosa in women.
Secondary syphilis can occur against the background of such complications:
- bone tissue is affected;
- the functions of internal organs are upset;
- severe disturbances in the nervous system occur.
At the tertiary stage of syphilis, the risk of such violations is high:
- bone tissue is so weak that fractures occur with minor mechanical damage;
- the brain is affected, which entails serious disorders on the part of all body systems;
- the skin is destroyed;
- bleeding associated with rupture of blood vessels becomes more frequent.
The transferred disease can entail the following consequences:
- ophthalmic disorders, up to vision loss;
- cardiovascular disease;
- infertility;
- mental disorders.
The outcome of the disease and the possibility of complications depend on when it was discovered. If the diagnosis is made shortly after infection, and the treatment is carried out correctly, the risk of developing these disorders is significantly reduced.
How not to get infected with syphilis
To reduce the risk of becoming infected with syphilis, the following preventive measures must be observed:
- Avoid random connections.
- During any sexual intercourse (traditional, oral and anal) use condoms.
- Use personal hygiene products and antiseptics.
- For several days after having sex with a random partner or an unprotected act, contact a medical institution for an examination.
- In public pools, baths and saunas, use only your towels, sheets and other household items.
- Do not use dishes, shaving accessories, or other things with unauthorized persons.
It is important to understand that syphilis is a very contagious and extremely dangerous disease. Serious complications can only be avoided if a diagnosis is made in the early stages and treatment is given in a timely manner.
