Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteriumTreponema pallidum, which initially manifests with ulcers on the lips, tongue, mouth, eyelids, face, chest, fingers, breasts, intestine and perineumin both sexes. Men can develop ulcers on the penis, inside the urethra or on the testicles, while women can develop them outside or inside the vagina, cervix or urethra.
Syphilis is one of the sexually transmitted diseases that can be transmitted through any form of sexual contact.This does not mean that intercourse is required for transmission, as long as simple skin contact is enough to transmit the bacterium, which enters the body through micro-erosions of the skin. Syphilis is also transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy, especially if the mother is in the 1st or 2nd stage of the disease.
The pathogen is incubated for a period of 1 week to 3 months, but usually the first symptoms appear after 3 weeks.
The symptoms of syphilis, which manifest in three stages if left untreated, are the following:
In adults:
* Primary painless ulcers that appear for about two weeks at the site of infection and then it may disappear even without treatment
* After the ulcers` healing, skin rashes and flu-like symptoms appear
* After several years, serious symptoms may appear, such as blindness, heart disease, disabilities.
In infants:
* Rash, mainly on the palms and soles
* Liver and spleen damage, alopecia, otitis, laryngitis
* Damage to the bones and nervous system
Syphilis is treated with medication – especially in the first two stages of the disease – which includes taking antibiotics, such as penicillin or tetracycline, and then long-term regular blood tests to rule out recurrence with early treatment.
Syphilis, like all sexually transmitted diseases, is prevented by safe sexual intercourse. However, the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is to avoid sexual contact until you haveovercome the infection.
