Causes, Symptoms, and Syphilis Treatment

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by bacteria called Treponema pallidum. Generally, this infection spreads through sexual contact with an infected person that enters the body. This sexual relationship can take the form of vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Due to contagious, it is important to know the causes, symptoms, and syphilis treatment.

In some cases, syphilis can be acquired after sharing sex toys, via a blood transfusion or through direct unprotected contact with an active lesion. Syphilis infections occur worldwide and cause death. So, syphilis treatment is needed. Furthermore, syphilis can cause neurological problems such as stroke, hearing loss, visual problems, and meningitis.

Syphilis Causes

The main cause of this contagious disease is bacteria called Treponema pallidum. It is usually transmitted through direct contact with the sore of an infected person during sexual activity. Moreover, there are some risk factors to have higher syphilis risk such as:

Unprotected close contact or unprotected sex
Baby from an infected mother
Sexual intercourse with multiple partners
A man who has sex with other men
A person who is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Sharing needles whether for injecting drug users or tattoos and ear piercing

Syphilis cannot be transmitted from one person to another by:

Hugging
Sharing clothing or towels
Sitting on toilet seats
Touching same doorknobs
Using same swimming pools or bathtubs
Sharing cups, plates or cutlery

Syphilis Symptoms

Syphilis symptoms in men and in women are similar. The sufferers can easily transmit this disease because many of them only experience mild symptoms so they are not aware that they have been infected. The main symptom is syphilis chancre which is usually found on the penis, vagina, and around the anus.

This syphilis symptom can appear in the mouth, on the lips, fingers or buttocks too. Syphilis symptoms develop according to the stages of syphilis experienced. After knowing that you are infected with this disease, you should do syphilis treatment immediately. The following are the stages of this disease symptom.

Symptoms of Primary Syphilis

The most common symptom of primary syphilis is the appearance of a wound or ulcer with no pain. This wound appears 10-90 days after the bacteria enter the body. This wound develops in parts of the body where the bacteria first enter such as the penis, vagina, or around the anus. It can also appear on the lips or mouth, tonsils, and fingers.

The wound recovery takes about three to six weeks. In most syphilis sufferers, only one wound appears but there is also more than one wound. This primary syphilis can be characterized with swollen glands in the neck, armpits, or groin.

Symptoms of Secondary Syphilis

A few weeks after the wounds disappear, the secondary syphilis symptoms will appear. Rashes can appear in any part of the body, especially on the palms and feet. Another symptom is genital warts. Aside from these symptoms, other indicators that syphilis patients can develop include:

Fever
Swollen lymph glands
A sore throat
Headaches
Patchy hair loss
Weight loss
Muscle aches
Fatigue

These symptoms will last for several weeks and can appear and disappear repeatedly over the next few months. If you do not do syphilis treatment at this stage properly, the infection will progress to the next stage.

Symptoms of Latent Syphilis

At this stage, bacteria remain, but syphilis does not cause any symptoms. During the first 12 months of this stage, an infection can still be transmitted. After two years, the infection is still in the body but cannot be transmitted to others. If not treated properly, latent syphilis can change to tertiary syphilis (the most dangerous stage of syphilis).

Symptoms of Tertiary Syphilis

The symptoms of tertiary syphilis begin several years after the first infection infects the body. At this stage, syphilis can be very dangerous and even cause death. Tertiary syphilis can affect the eyes, brain, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. As a result, sufferers can experience blindness, stroke, or heart disease due to this sexually transmitted infection.

Symptoms of Congenital Syphilis

Pregnant women with syphilis can pass on the infection to their baby either during their pregnancy or while in delivery. Babies born with congenital syphilis usually do not have any symptoms, but there is a possibility of a rash on the palms and soles of the feet. Babies with CS can also have:

Deafness
Saddle Nose
Teeth deformities
Anemia
Swelling of lymph nodes
Enlarged liver and spleen
A risk of failing to thrive
Painful inflammation of the bone coverings

Syphilis Treatment

For syphilis treatment, Penicillin is quite successful and can be used to treat primary and secondary syphilis. Penicillin is usually given by injection. Other types of antibiotics are also available that can also kill the bacteria that cause this sexual disease.

Conventional Treatment

This treatment by consuming penicillin or antibiotics have the potential to be highly problematic given the side effects linked to them over the years. In the case of pregnant women who suffer from syphilis, the syphilis treatment also uses antibiotics. This drug does not affect the condition of the baby being conceived.

Antibiotics should only be considered for syphilis treatment if natural remedies fail to work on the patient. Make sure to take a probiotic supplement that contains species of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria a few hours before or after taking the antibiotic to assist with maintenance of good gut bacteria health.

Natural Remedies

Instead of relying on conventional treatments, you can utilize natural remedies.

Gokulakanta leaves. This decoction of this leaves can help to disinfect blood
Astragalus. The capsule of Astragalus can assist with protecting the immune system
Essential oils. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties that can be useful in soothing symptoms by diluting it into the infected area
Indian pennywort. This herb has been suggested to be an effective remedy for syphilis sores by assisting with the prevention of syphilis ulcer development
Copaiba oil. It may help relieve inflammation and speed up the healing process
Rooibos tea. Drinking this tea may aid in preventing inflammation and pain usually linked to syphilis

Supplements May Help Treat Syphilis

Syphilis patients can also benefit from taking supplements such as

Vitamin C
Zinc
Vitamin B complex
Colloidal silver
Vitamin K

Conclusion

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by bacteria called Treponema pallidum through sexual contact and other risk factors. If this disease does not treat well, syphilis may lead to a dangerous stage and even cause death, Therefore, syphilis treatment is a must if you are infected.