Known as the “great imitator,” syphilis is among the most widely spread sexually transmitted diseases in the world today. It is caused by a bacterium known as Treponema pallidum and is primarily contracted through sexual contact.
One of the scariest things about syphilis is that it has the ability to show no symptom at all for a certain period of time once it enters a person’s body. That dormant time period may last for several days or even several years. For that reason, syphilis has earned the reputation of being one of the most feared STDs.
Stages of Syphilis
Syphilis is divided into stages:
- The first stage of syphilis covers the time when the bacteria first enter the body until the disappearance of the first symptom of syphilis known as a chancre. Chancres are painless sores that appear on the infected parts of the body and can heal on their own.
- The second stage of syphilis kicks in when a person experiences rash breakouts all over the body and some lesions. These rashes are not exactly itchy, but they are either reddish or brownish in color. These are accompanied by other syphilis symptoms such as fever, headache, hair loss, muscle aches, fatigue, weight loss, appetite loss, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes.
If syphilis is not treated in the second stage, the disease will progress into a more serious thing and will bring about more severe complications that will affect the eyes, heart, blood vessels, bones, brain, and other parts of the nervous system. It can also lead to dementia, gradual blindness, paralysis, numbness, and muscle coordination loss.
Testing for Syphilis
It is extremely crucial to get tested for syphilis when it is still in its early stages. You must see your doctor to undergo a syphilis test, or you can also check out the closes STD center in your community and have a syphilis test there. By doing this, you are protecting yourself from developing more serious infections and complications that can totally ruin your body’s proper functioning and well-being.
Antibiotics are the number one prescribed treatment for syphilis. You will have to take them in order to fight off the syphilis bacteria.
People must realize that the best way to protect one’s self from syphilis and other STDs is to abstain. If that is not going to work, they always practice protected and safe sex every single time you engage in any kind of sexual activity.