Syphilis with Syphilis Photos. Syphillus Symptoms.

What is Syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) which is caused by Treponema pallidum bacteria. It is often referred to as 'imitator' because many of its symptoms and signs are similar to symptoms of other diseases.

Prior to the introduction of antibiotics in 1940, prevalence of primary and secondary forms of syphilis was about 100,000 cases. The syphlis statistics started to decline steadily with antibiotic treatment to less than 10,000 cases by 1955-56. In the span of next 25 years, the prevalence of syphalis rose to about 35,000 and then again began to decline because of safer sexual practices being employed by the public because of the AIDS epidemic around 1980's.

Stages of Syphilis:

Three stages of syphilis are known, each of these stages has its own set of syphillus symptoms. The very first stage starts between three to twelve weeks after an individual gets infected. The usual first signs are open sores known as chancre (pronounced as SHANK-er). A chancre is characteristically painless, brownish-red in appearance and usually develops on the infected individuals genitals, in the mouth or inside the vagina or rectum.  Although such sore goes away by itself after one to five weeks, a individual who had a chancre still has syphilus.

The second stage of syphilis begins about two to seven months after getting infected. Syphillus symptoms during second stage of syphlis can include rashes on the body, hands, or feet, patchy hair loss (known as alopecia), mucous patches, formation of clustered hard and white colored warts which appear on the genital area. These symptoms go away by themselves with time like chancre, however, the person still harbors syphilis.

The third stage of syphilis, can begin even years after first exposure and contraction of the infection. The third stage can cause loss of hearing and eyesight and also brain damage or a heart disease. Individuals who are HIV positive tend to develop third stage faster than those individuals who do not have HIV.

Syphilis bacteria has the tendency to spread from the sores of an infected individual to the mouth, genital area,  and anus of a uninfected sex partner. The sifilus causing bacteria passes through broken skin. And on rare occasions syphilis can spread by contact with objects of common use such as towels and toilet seats. An syphilis harboring pregnant woman can pass the disease to the fetus. Such infection can result in serious mental and physical problems in new born babies.

Treatment of Syphilis:

If treated in early stages, syphalis is easy to cure. Treatment of syphilis usually comprises of penicillin injections. For patients who are allergic to penicillin, are given other antibiotics. A single intramuscular dose of penicillin injection, will cure a patient who was suffering from syphalis for less than a year. A longer therapy may be required for patients who had syphilis for longer period. For people who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. Syphilis treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevents any further damage. However the syphalis treatment is not capable of repairing damage already done.

It becomes necessary for patients being treated for syphilis to get periodic blood tests, in order to check that the syphilis causing bacteria has been totally eliminated from the body. Individuals receiving syphilis treatment should not indulge in sexual activity with new partners until the syphilus sores have completely healed.