Syphilis: Cause, Risk Factors and Complications

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What are the stages of syphilis?

syphilis stages progresses through four stages:

Early treatment is key to preventing serious health issues.

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Syphilis Symptoms

This STD develops in four phases. The first two symptoms are often so mild that they go unnoticed. Syphilis has many stages with different symptoms. They develop as follows:

Primary Symptoms

Secondary Symptoms

These symptoms will go away, even if you don’t get treated. But if you’re not treated, your infection will get worse.

Latent Stage of Infection

The syphilis bacteria are still active in your body during this period, but there are no indications or symptoms of infection. Although people are not contagious at this point, syphilis can still impair the heart, brain, nerves, bones, and other organs. This stage might endure for a long time. This stage of the virus does not affect everyone who has syphilis. Some people will go into the tertiary stage.

Tertiary (Late)

When the symptoms from the second stage have faded, this stage begins. At this stage, syphilis isn't communicable, but the infection has begun to harm the organs. This may result in fatal consequences. The following are examples of tertiary syphilis symptoms:

Also, as part of normal treatment, all pregnant women should have a syphilis test during their prenatal consultations. If this test does not appear to be part of the initial prenatal blood panel, request it.

Get the best treatment for Syphilis from our Dermatologists at Medicover Hospitals.

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Syphilis Causes 

Treponema pallidum, a bacterium that causes syphilis, enters the body through tiny scratches or abrasions in the skin or mucous membranes, commonly during sexual activity. The illness is communicable throughout both its primary and secondary stages, when a rash may emerge on the torso, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and other parts of the body.

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Risk Factors of Syphilis

The risk of contracting syphilis, including developing a syphilis rash, increases if you:

Men who have sex with men may face a higher risk due to factors such as reduced access to healthcare, lower condom use, and finding partners through social media apps.

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Complications of Syphilis

Syphilis can cause damage to the body if not treated. Syphilis raises the chance of contracting HIV and can create complications during pregnancy. Treatment can help prevent future harm, but it cannot cure or reverse existing damage.

Small bumps or tumour

Bumps (gummas) can appear on the skin, bones, liver, or any other organ in the late stages of syphilis. Gummas commonly go away following antimicrobial therapy.

Neurological problems

Syphilis can cause a number of problems with the nervous system, including

The aorta, the body's main artery, and other blood vessels may bulge and enlarge as a result. Syphilis can cause heart valve damage.

HIV infection

Adults with syphilis or other genital sores are more likely to get HIV. Because syphilis lesions bleed freely, HIV can enter the bloodstream quickly during sexual activity.

Pregnancy and childbirth complications

If you're pregnant, you might infect the unborn child with syphilis. Congenital syphilis raises the chances of miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of the infant within a few days of delivery.

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Prevention for Syphilis

Syphilis can be prevented by taking the following steps:

Having syphilis once does not imply a person is immune to it in the future. It is possible for a person to get syphilis again after therapy has effectively eradicated it from their body.

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Diagnosis & Treatment

Before doing clinical tests to confirm syphilis, a doctor will perform a physical examination and inquire about a person's sexual history. If anyone suspects they have syphilis, see a doctor as soon as possible. One may also test at a local health facility if they wish. The tests include the following:

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Syphilis Treatment

Syphilis treatment can be effective, especially in the early stages. The treatment plan will be determined by the symptoms and the length of time the bacterium has been present. People with syphilis will often get an intramuscular injection of penicillin G benzathine during the primary, secondary, or tertiary stages.

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Lifestyle Change and Self Care

Syphilis, like many other sexually transmitted illnesses, may be easily prevented or treated, and there are a few strategies to avoid passing it on to others.

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Do’s And Don’ts With Syphilis

Syphilis is transmitted by sexual contact with a person who has the disease. It can be transmitted through vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse. As a result, understanding how to have safer sex is critical. When having intercourse, using protection greatly reduces the risk of contracting an STD. However, following the prescribed dos and don'ts can help you prevent the disease's bad consequences. Some guidelines are as follows:

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Care at Medicover Hospitals

At Medicover, we have the best team of Dermatologists and infectious disease doctors who work together to provide syphilis disease treatment with utmost precision. Our highly skilled team utilizes the latest medical equipment, diagnostic procedures and technologies to treat various types of dermatological conditions and ailments. For treating Syphilis, we adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to provide all-around care to the patients and attend to all of their medical needs at once for faster and sustained recovery.