How to Treat Syphilis
Recognize the early symptoms of syphilis., Know the complications of late stage syphilis., Get a formal test for syphilis., Inform a physician if you are pregnant before beginning syphilis treatment., Ask about alternative antibiotics if you have a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize the early symptoms of syphilis.
If you think you have syphilis, then you will need to seek a diagnosis and medical treatment.
Syphilis has multiple stages with different types of symptoms.
These symptoms may come and go, but it doesn’t mean the disease is gone unless you have been treated.
In the later stages, you may have no symptoms of syphilis itself but instead suffer from severe effects such as brain, liver, nerve, and bone damage.
Early symptoms of syphilis include:
A chancre, which is a small sore that appears near your mouth, anus, penis, or vagina.
This is typically associated with swollen lymph nodes in the groin area.
A rash that starts on your torso and then spreads to the rest of your body, including palms and soles which is indicative of the secondary stage of syphilis Warts around the mouth and/or genitals.
Muscle aches Fever Sore throat Swollen lymph nodes -
Step 2: Know the complications of late stage syphilis.
In the latent or later stages of syphilis, the early symptoms disappear.
Without treatment you can continue to carry syphilis for years. 10 to 30 years after the initial infection you may develop late stage syphilis.
This can cause severe symptoms, including:
Difficulty coordinating your muscle movements Paralysis Numbness, Blindness Dementia Organ damage that can lead to death , A variety of tests can be used to detect syphilis and the stage of its progression.
These can range from examination of the sores’ fluid to spinal fluid examination and echocardiograms.
Most commonly, a quick and cheap blood test is sufficient to diagnose syphilis.Blood tests are used to confirm antibodies your body makes to fight the illness.Testing fluid scraped from sores will show the presence of the bacteria, but can only be done when sores are present.Spinal fluid tests should be used when you think you may have cerebral forms of this disease., Certain antibiotics can be dangerous to the developing baby if used during pregnancy.
Penicillin is typically used to treat syphilis in pregnant women.
Penicillin G is the only known means by which to prevent transmission of syphilis to the child during pregnancy.Syphilis during pregnancy greatly increases the chances of stillbirth., Other antibiotics that can be used to treat syphilis include tetracycline, doxycycline, cephalothin, and erythromycin.
Consult your doctor to learn more about these medicines and how they might work for you.
Do not take medicine that has not been prescribed to you.
Tetracycline and doxycycline are both in the Tetracycline class of antibiotics.Cephalothin is in the class: cephalosporins.Erythromycin is one of the macrolides. -
Step 3: Get a formal test for syphilis.
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Step 4: Inform a physician if you are pregnant before beginning syphilis treatment.
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Step 5: Ask about alternative antibiotics if you have a penicillin allergy.
Detailed Guide
If you think you have syphilis, then you will need to seek a diagnosis and medical treatment.
Syphilis has multiple stages with different types of symptoms.
These symptoms may come and go, but it doesn’t mean the disease is gone unless you have been treated.
In the later stages, you may have no symptoms of syphilis itself but instead suffer from severe effects such as brain, liver, nerve, and bone damage.
Early symptoms of syphilis include:
A chancre, which is a small sore that appears near your mouth, anus, penis, or vagina.
This is typically associated with swollen lymph nodes in the groin area.
A rash that starts on your torso and then spreads to the rest of your body, including palms and soles which is indicative of the secondary stage of syphilis Warts around the mouth and/or genitals.
Muscle aches Fever Sore throat Swollen lymph nodes
In the latent or later stages of syphilis, the early symptoms disappear.
Without treatment you can continue to carry syphilis for years. 10 to 30 years after the initial infection you may develop late stage syphilis.
This can cause severe symptoms, including:
Difficulty coordinating your muscle movements Paralysis Numbness, Blindness Dementia Organ damage that can lead to death , A variety of tests can be used to detect syphilis and the stage of its progression.
These can range from examination of the sores’ fluid to spinal fluid examination and echocardiograms.
Most commonly, a quick and cheap blood test is sufficient to diagnose syphilis.Blood tests are used to confirm antibodies your body makes to fight the illness.Testing fluid scraped from sores will show the presence of the bacteria, but can only be done when sores are present.Spinal fluid tests should be used when you think you may have cerebral forms of this disease., Certain antibiotics can be dangerous to the developing baby if used during pregnancy.
Penicillin is typically used to treat syphilis in pregnant women.
Penicillin G is the only known means by which to prevent transmission of syphilis to the child during pregnancy.Syphilis during pregnancy greatly increases the chances of stillbirth., Other antibiotics that can be used to treat syphilis include tetracycline, doxycycline, cephalothin, and erythromycin.
Consult your doctor to learn more about these medicines and how they might work for you.
Do not take medicine that has not been prescribed to you.
Tetracycline and doxycycline are both in the Tetracycline class of antibiotics.Cephalothin is in the class: cephalosporins.Erythromycin is one of the macrolides.
About the Author
Kimberly Bailey
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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