Primary syphilis was treated 20 years ago. What does a syphilitic rash look like? Do animals get syphilis?

The descriptions of syphilis by Spanish doctors from Barcelona Skilatus and Diaz de Isla, which date back to 1493, are historically reliable. Their first patients were sailors of Christopher Columbus who returned from a trip around the world. It was found that they received their disease from the natives of the island of Haiti, where it had long been known to the local population. Soon the disease spread among the inhabitants of Barcelona, ​​and then the epidemic spread to neighboring cities and states. The campaign of the French king Charles VIII of Valois in Italy in 1494 and the subsequent siege of Naples contributed significantly to the spread of syphilis. In the army of Charles VIII there was a detachment of 300 Spanish mercenaries, among whom were patients with syphilis. After the war, Charles VIII's multi-tribal mercenaries spread the disease throughout all European countries, causing a significant pandemic in Europe and then in Asia. At first, syphilis occurred in extremely severe, malignant forms among European residents, which was facilitated by the complete lack of methods for treating it.

There is, however, another point of view, according to which syphilis was found in Europe back in ancient times. When studying skeletons excavated by archaeologists from ancient burials, bone and dental changes characteristic of congenital syphilis were sometimes discovered. G. Forberg (1924) believed, for example, that the busts of Socrates in the Vatican and Louvre museums depicted typical external signs of congenital syphilis (such as a saddle-shaped nose). This statement, of course, cannot be considered indisputable.

12. What does the word "syphilis" mean?

A detailed description of syphilis was given in the work of the famous Renaissance scientist, physician and poet Girolamo Fracastoro. The work was called "On the French Disease." The same author, in a poetic poem, outlined the love story of a shepherd named Syphilis, who was punished by the gods for disobeying them with a previously unknown disease. Fracastoro described the manifestations and course of the “French disease” in Syphilis, doing it so clearly that subsequent authors already used the name Syphilis as a common noun.

At first, syphilis had many names in different countries. In total, up to 300 names of this disease are known. So, in France this disease was called Spanish, in Italy and Poland - French, in Russia it was called Polish and French, in Japan - Chinese disease.

13. What are the first signs of syphilis?

Immediately after infection, syphilis does not detect itself. The disease seems to be gaining strength before manifesting itself openly. In the body there is a rapid proliferation of pathogens - Treponema pallidum, but there is usually no temperature or any complaints. Only three weeks after infection (the so-called incubation period), a small painless ulcer appears at the site of the introduction of Treponema pallidum, dense to the touch - a chancre. It is usually located on the genitals (if the infection is sexually transmitted), but if the infection occurs through household contact or through other contacts (for example, a kiss, a bite, infected saliva or mucus getting on the skin abrasions of a healthy person), a hard chancre can be located on the lip, in mouth, hands and other parts of the body. The lymph nodes closest to the chancre are significantly enlarged, which helps the doctor distinguish an ulcer of another origin from a syphilitic one.

Sometimes from the moment of infection to the appearance of hard chancre, not three weeks pass, but more or less. The incubation period of syphilis is shortened if it affects a person weakened by other diseases (tuberculosis, chronic pneumonia, alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, rheumatism, etc.), poorly nourished, and with weak resistance to infections. An extension of the incubation period can be observed in cases where the patient begins to take antibiotics during this period for another reason. Usually their dose is insufficient to stop the onset of syphilis, but it delays its manifestations, makes the symptoms “erased”, unclear, and complicates the diagnosis.

Three weeks after the appearance of chancroid, the correctness of the diagnosis can be confirmed by specific blood tests of the patient. It should be remembered that with some forms of syphilis infection, for example transfusion, that is, when blood is transfused from a donor with syphilis, chancroid does not occur and there are no described signs of infection. The disease immediately manifests itself with its next stage - secondary syphilis.

14. How does syphilis occur?

Syphilis is a common chronic infectious disease that affects all organs and tissues of the human body. If left untreated, the duration of syphilis is unlimited; it can last for decades. Syphilis is extremely diverse in its clinical manifestations, depending on the predominant damage to certain organs. However, several regular periods can be distinguished during its course. First of all, this is the already mentioned incubation period without any external manifestations of the disease, lasting 3 weeks. Then - primary syphilis, its duration is 6 - 7 weeks. It is characterized by the presence of hard chancre at the site of entry of the pathogen, enlarged lymph nodes and the appearance of positive serological reactions in the blood. Only a little over two months after infection does a pronounced clinical picture of a common general disease appear - secondary fresh syphilis. The most demonstrative skin lesions are in the form of a rash, and in some patients - pigmentation and baldness. Internal organs also suffer: syphilitic tonsillitis, hepatitis, meningitis, neuritis, etc. may occur. Even in the absence of treatment, after some time the symptoms of the disease smooth out, subside, and the disease seems to “go inside.” After some time, however, a relapse of secondary syphilis occurs. Such relapses can occur repeatedly, over 2 to 4 years or more, after which syphilis enters the third stage (tertiary syphilis). This stage is characterized by foci of specific inflammation of the skin and internal organs in the form of gummas and tubercles, while the affected body tissues disintegrate with the formation of extensive ulcers and then rough scars. Some patients develop malignant forms of damage to the spinal cord and brain - tabes dorsalis and progressive paralysis. These forms of the disease are fatal if left untreated.

15. Is a patient with syphilis always contagious?

A patient with syphilis is contagious during all periods of the disease. It is especially dangerous for others in stages I and II of syphilis, which is why the latter are called highly infectious forms. The surface of the chancre contains a large number of pale treponema. Numerous rashes on the skin and mucous membranes in the secondary fresh and recurrent periods of syphilis can, when moistened and rubbed (on the genitals, in the mouth, in the folds of the skin), grow, become wet and ulcerate, releasing a huge number of pale treponemas, and pose a great epidemiological danger to everyone, who comes into contact with the patient or the objects he used (dishes, cigarettes, toilet seats, clothes, etc.). Treponema pallidum is found in the saliva, milk of a nursing mother, semen and other physiological fluids of patients.

Let us give as an example two cases of indirect transmission of syphilis.

1st case. An 81-year-old woman with an ulcer on her back came to one of the dispensaries. Much to the doctor's surprise, the ulcer bore all the typical features of chancroid. Enlarged, dense, painless lymph nodes were felt in the right armpit (on the side of the chancre). Laboratory testing revealed the causative agent of syphilis - Treponema pallidum. As a result of an epidemiological survey, an unusual method of household infection with syphilis was identified. The patient lived alone, in a separate apartment with all amenities. She didn’t go anywhere, but 1.5 months ago her son stayed with her while passing through for one day and spent the night in her bed. She did not change her underwear after her son. A request was sent to the skin and venereal disease clinic at the son’s place of residence with instructions to carry out a medical examination of him. My son turned out to have secondary fresh syphilis. Consequently, when he was visiting his mother, he had a hard chancre, the discharge from which he stained his underwear, and his mother became infected through the underwear from her son.

2nd case. A young engineer, a good family man, went to the dispensary about a skin rash. Upon examination, a chancre was found on the gum, a profuse syphilitic rash and enlarged lymph nodes. The wife has been diagnosed with primary syphilis; she contracted it from her husband. All residents of the communal apartment in which the patient lived were examined. A neighbor, a single man, was diagnosed with secondary recurrent syphilis. As it turned out, the sick engineer mistakenly used a neighbor's toothbrush, which was very similar to his own, which turned out to be enough to transmit syphilis.

16. Is the patient contagious with latent (latent) syphilis?

Contagious. However, the degree of its epidemiological danger to others is somewhat less than with acute infectious forms of syphilis. Although such a patient does not have any external manifestations of syphilis, he can transmit his disease to others through sexual contact, since the semen of a patient with latent syphilis and the vaginal secretions of women may contain Treponema pallidum. Such a patient can always have manifestations of syphilis on the mucous membrane of the mouth that are invisible to him and can transmit syphilis through saliva when kissing or using shared utensils. In addition, a patient with latent syphilis may experience a relapse of the disease with active manifestations at any time.

17. Should I tell my loved ones about being infected with syphilis?

This is decided individually in each specific case, taking into account the interests of the patient and the health of the people around him. All persons who were in contact with the sick person are examined to determine possible infection. The examination is carried out correctly, and where there is no need, neither the patient’s name nor the real reason for the examination is mentioned. Of course, the wife or husband, as well as persons who had sexual contact with the patient, should be informed about the disease. If the patient follows all the doctor’s instructions, his secret is maintained.

18. Is it possible to cure syphilis without seeing a doctor?

Treatment of syphilis requires high professional training of the doctor, knowledge of the general pathology of syphilis, and the characteristics of the course of syphilis during various periods of the disease. Treatment regimens and methods are varied. A combination of a number of drugs is used in a certain sequence and timing. The biggest mistake a patient makes is self-medication. It is dangerous in all respects: incorrectly selected drugs and their doses, irregular administration, insufficient concentration of drugs in the body, etc. - all this will result in the transfer of the pathogen into the so-called “survival forms” - L-forms and cysts , which lose any external resemblance to treponema pallidum, are surrounded by a multi-layered membrane, are persistently preserved in the patient’s tissues and are no longer amenable to the further action of commonly used medications. The external symptoms of the disease disappear, but years will pass, and syphilis will manifest itself with more severe consequences or be found in the patient’s offspring.

19. Do animals get syphilis?

Syphilis is a human disease. Although some sexually transmitted infections have been described in some animals, they do not suffer from syphilis under natural conditions. Only in experiments can monkeys, rabbits, white mice and rats be infected with syphilis. However, clinical manifestations of syphilis in white mice and rats, despite reliable infection, are virtually absent. In laboratory conditions, they are used as biological reservoirs for the preservation of certain strains of Treponema pallidum. Only in great apes the disease with syphilis occurs like in humans. But the most accessible in laboratories is the modeling of syphilis in rabbits. If a number of conditions are met, they manage to develop chancroid and manifestations of secondary syphilis. Vaccination of syphilis in animals, especially rabbits, is effectively used in scientific laboratories to develop new treatment methods and study general issues of the pathology of syphilis.

20. Syphilophobia - what is it?

Fear of contracting syphilis can also become a disease. Sometimes people who have had casual sexual intercourse and have experienced the fear of becoming infected make a diagnosis for themselves, based on random, insignificant signs. Having decided that they are sick, such people visit doctors many times, insisting on repeated examinations and courses of treatment, do not believe assurances that they do not have a disease, believe that doctors are “hiding the bitter truth from them,” or treat them inattentively. Sometimes patients with syphilophobia insist on examining family members, most often their children, and also convince them that they have “syphilis.” In all these cases, we are essentially talking about mental disorders from mild, reversible “overvalued ideas” to delusional experiences indicating the presence of psychosis. Patients with syphilophobia need consultation and help from a psychiatrist.

21. How does syphilis of parents affect the offspring?

A pregnant woman with syphilis may become infected with the developing fetus and develop congenital syphilis in the child. Infection usually occurs as a result of syphilitic damage to the placenta (baby place), often in the 4th to 5th months of pregnancy. The causative agent of syphilis, Treponema pallidum, finds favorable conditions in the tissues of the fetus for its rapid reproduction. There is significant damage to fetal tissue: lungs, liver, nervous system, spleen, bones, etc. In many cases, these damage to internal organs are so severe that they become incompatible with life, and the fetus dies in utero, followed by miscarriage or stillbirth. Many children with congenital syphilis die soon after birth. A newborn suffering from congenital syphilis often has a characteristic appearance: wrinkled, grayish skin, low weight, large belly, where a significantly enlarged liver and spleen are visible. It is typical that the more “recent” the mother’s disease is, the more often cases of intrauterine fetal death are observed, and the more severe the disorders in newborns are.

22. Can congenital syphilis be cured?

We will certainly heal. Modern treatment methods provide a complete guarantee of this. It is important to recognize the disease in time and carry out proper treatment.

23. If a child becomes infected during childbirth, passing through the mother’s birth canal, can this syphilis be considered congenital?

There are cases when a woman becomes infected with syphilis in the last trimester of pregnancy, and Treponema pallidum does not have time to infect the fetus before the infection begins to generalize. In these cases, the child enters labor healthy, but during the passage of the birth canal becomes infected from contact with the affected mucous membranes of the mother. Following this, he develops primary syphiloma after the usual incubation period, and syphilis proceeds in the same way as in persons with acquired infection. The approach to treatment and prognosis for such cases is different, more favorable than for congenital syphilis.

24. Is congenital syphilis common today in our country, what measures are being taken to prevent it?

Exceptionally rare. The USSR has organized a well-thought-out system for the prevention of congenital syphilis as one of the sections of comprehensive measures to combat sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Instructions of the USSR Ministry of Health for 1976, a double examination for syphilis is carried out: at the first visit of a pregnant woman to an obstetrician-gynecologist (usually in the first half of pregnancy) and at 5, 6, 7 months before maternity leave.

The blood must be tested according to the generally accepted set of classical serological reactions to syphilis. If necessary, to clarify the diagnosis, more labor-intensive and more informative specific reactions to syphilis are performed - the Treponema pallidum immobilization reaction (TRE) and the immunofluorescence reaction (RIF).

Pregnant women who have had syphilis in the past, who have completed treatment, but have not been removed from the register during the observation period, receive additional specific treatment during pregnancy. An additional course of anti-syphilitic treatment is also carried out during the first pregnancy of those women who previously had syphilis, but have already been removed from the register.

Congenital syphilis is registered mainly in the children of women who did not know about their illness, who went to the doctor late, and mainly in the children of women with antisocial behavior, suffering from alcoholism, indifferent to their health, to the health and fate of their unborn child, who did not apply during pregnancy to a medical institution.

25. Can a father pass syphilis to his offspring, while the mother remains healthy?

No. There cannot be hereditary syphilis, that is, syphilis transmitted through germ cells, in particular through sperm. The latter die when Treponema pallidum is introduced into them. A sick father is guilty of infecting the expectant mother, and a sick mother is guilty of infecting the child in utero. Therefore, we need to say “congenital” syphilis, and not “hereditary”.

26. Is it possible, if you have syphilis, not to know about it?

Such cases are quite possible. Syphilis can occur hidden if the initial symptoms went unnoticed by the patient, and subsequently syphilis did not show itself for some time. More often women do not know about their disease, less often - men, since in women primary syphiloma (hard chancre) can be located in the cervix. In addition, chancre may remain unrecognized both by the patient himself and by doctors of other specialties who are not sufficiently familiar with the clinical picture of syphilis. A chancre on the tonsils is mistaken for a sore throat, in the area of ​​the nail phalanx - for a panaritium, in the area of ​​the anus - for a fissure, etc.

Syphilis often becomes latent when the dose of antibiotics taken during the incubation period (usually for another reason) turns out to be insufficient to prevent it, but makes the classic symptoms of the initial stages of syphilis “erased” and less noticeable.

Unknown syphilis is usually discovered during an active examination of contacts of other patients, during a blood test for the Wasserman reaction as a general clinical examination, or during a relapse of syphilis based on manifestations on the skin, bones, and internal organs.

Manifestations of secondary syphilis, as a rule, do not give subjective sensations; the rash is usually faded, without itching or pain, and may temporarily disappear on its own, without any treatment. All this is the reason that the patient does not consult a doctor in a timely manner, is unaware of his illness and can infect others.

Let us give the following illustrative example.

An excited young woman came to an evening appointment with a doctor at a skin and venereal disease clinic with a request to examine her. The patient, getting ready for the theater, took a shower and put on a sleeveless dress. A friend who was present drew attention to some kind of rash on the patient’s skin, which the latter had not noticed before. During a medical examination, in addition to a skin rash, a hard chancre was discovered in the cervical area. The diagnosis of syphilis was confirmed by laboratory tests. As it turned out, 2.5 months before the events described, the patient was in a rest home and had a casual relationship with an unfamiliar man. Thus, before the appearance of symptoms of secondary fresh syphilis, the patient did not suspect anything about the disease she had. After taking a shower, the rash became brighter and more noticeable.

27. Is it possible to get infected with syphilis and gonorrhea at the same time?

Simultaneous infection with these two sexually transmitted diseases is not uncommon. Due to the fact that each of them has its own clinical course, they appear at different times after infection. Gonorrhea reveals itself after 3 - 5 days, and the incubation period for syphilis is 21 - 28 days. Every patient with gonorrhea, in cases where the source of infection has not been identified, must be under the supervision of a doctor for six months. This is done because the antibiotics used in the treatment of gonorrhea also act on Treponema pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, with the only difference that their total dose in the treatment of gonorrhea is insufficient to prevent syphilis, just as the method of their administration is unsatisfactory for this purpose (for syphilis, the concentration of the drug in the blood must be constantly high, and therefore injections are made every three hours, and for gonorrhea - 1-2 times a day). However, even in insufficient doses, antibiotics can delay the manifestations of syphilis and lengthen the incubation period to 4 months or more, which determines the need for physician supervision of this category of patients. During this period, repeated examinations of patients and serological blood tests for syphilis are carried out.

28. What does the “subscription” that is taken from venereal patients oblige you to?

The subscription is a legal document that sets out the existing legislation regarding criminal liability for contracting a sexually transmitted disease under Art. 115 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR with amendments and additions made to the article by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 1, 1971 “On strengthening responsibility for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.” The subscription states that the patient is informed of the presence of a contagious venereal disease, of the need for treatment and observation by a doctor until removal from the dispensary register, compliance with the prescribed regimen and the need to abstain from sexual activity until complete recovery. The patient gives his signature, and the subscription is subsequently stored in the medical history.

29. How is syphilis treated?

Currently, doctors have a whole arsenal of highly effective medications at their disposal to treat syphilis, ensuring a complete cure of syphilis. Considering the full responsibility of treating such a serious disease, the consequences of poorly treated syphilis, the ability of pallid treponema (according to the latest scientific data) with insufficient doses of drugs to turn into “survival forms” - L-forms and cysts, “protected” from adverse effects by multilayer membranes with a special structure , treatment of syphilis in our country is carried out only in strict accordance with the “Instructions for the treatment and prevention of syphilis”. In this regard, syphilis is the only infection where the choice of drugs, their doses, sequence of administration and timing of treatment must be carried out without any deviations from the instructions. That is why in the USSR the treatment of syphilis by private practitioners is strictly prohibited and prosecuted by law.

The “Instructions” are periodically updated taking into account the latest scientific data and the results of clinical testing of treatment regimens and new drugs, summarizing the accumulated experience and analyzing the results of the work of all scientific and practical institutions in the country. The latest “Instructions” of 1976 were compiled by a team of authors from the Central Research Dermatovenerological Institute of the USSR Ministry of Health. 7 research institutes, departments of skin and venereal diseases of the country's largest medical universities and some large skin and venereal disease dispensaries took part in its development.

Penicillin and bismuth preparations are mainly used to treat syphilis. Iodine preparations, vitamins, drugs that have a stimulating effect (pyrogenal, prodigiosan, aloe), autohemotherapy, sulfur preparations and others are used as auxiliary agents.

All patients newly diagnosed with syphilis and suffering from contagious forms of syphilis are subject to mandatory inpatient treatment. This is done in the interests of society (isolation of an infectious patient) and in the interests of the patient himself, since it is important to administer medications at a certain time (for example, penicillin is administered every 3 hours around the clock).

Treatment of syphilis begins and is carried out only if an accurately established diagnosis is confirmed by clinical and laboratory data (detection of treponema pallidum, positive serological reactions).

30. What is the duration of treatment for syphilis?

The duration of treatment for syphilis depends on a number of circumstances: the clinical form of syphilis, the age of the patient, his general condition, the presence of concomitant diseases, drug tolerance, the dynamics of the disease and the rate of negativity of serological reactions during treatment. On average, treatment with penicillin antibiotics for primary syphilis with a negative Wasserman reaction lasts from 40 to 68 days, with a positive reaction - from 76 to 125 days, for secondary fresh syphilis - from 100 to 157 days. In all other cases - with secondary recurrent syphilis, with tertiary and congenital - only a course of treatment with various drugs is carried out. The course duration for combined treatment is on average from 40 to 60 days, with a break of 1 month. The number of courses depends on the form of syphilis, ranging from 2 to 8 courses.

31. What is preventive treatment and who is it prescribed for?

This is a preventative treatment. It is prescribed to persons who had contact (sexual or domestic) with a patient with syphilis when there was a possibility of infection. Drugs, timing and doses of treatment are prescribed depending on the duration of contact. If no more than two weeks have passed since possible infection, one course of treatment with penicillin or ecmonovocillin is prescribed. For a longer period (from 2 to 4 months), treatment is carried out as for primary syphilis with a negative Wasserman reaction (primary seronegative syphilis).

Of particular importance is the so-called preventive treatment of pregnant women who previously had syphilis and completed treatment before pregnancy. Treatment is prescribed to them in order to maximum guarantee the birth of a healthy child. Preventive treatment is also carried out for children born to mothers who previously had syphilis, even if these children are practically healthy, with negative serological reactions to syphilis.

32. Is syphilis completely curable?

Modern treatment methods make it possible to guarantee a complete cure of syphilis, which is proven by extensive experience in clinical observations, experimental studies, and the birth of healthy children from mothers who previously had syphilis and completed treatment by the beginning of pregnancy. Convincing evidence of the curability of syphilis is re-infection with it, accompanied by manifestations of primary syphilis. Decisive and determining the outcome and prognosis of syphilis is the timely initiation of treatment and its implementation in full accordance with current instructions and taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient.

33. Is it possible to get re-infected with syphilis?

Syphilis after treatment does not leave immunity, that is, immunity to re-infection. A person who has had syphilis and was successfully treated can become ill with syphilis again. There are known cases of not only double, but also triple and even quadruple syphilis. Repeated infection is called reinfection. Each time during reinfection, the disease begins and proceeds in the same way as during the first infection: with a chancre, in the absence of treatment - with subsequent generalization of the infection, enlarged lymph nodes, baldness and other common manifestations of syphilis. Immunological changes are also consistently increasing, which are revealed by changing periods of syphilis, the appearance of a positive Wasserman reaction and other serological reactions. Reinfection indicates complete cure of syphilis from a previous infection.

34. Are there any features of the course of syphilis during re-infection?

Upon careful study and analysis of cases of re-infection with syphilis, it was found that most often people with antisocial behavior, abusing alcohol, and leading a promiscuous sex life are re-infected. In such people, even with primary infection, a more unfavorable course of the disease is observed. However, when comparing equal populations of people with primary and repeated infection, it was found that with repeated infection, syphilis is more severe: ulcerative and multiple chancre, purulent (pustular, with tissue decay) rashes are more often observed, the positive Wasserman reaction is more persistent, and a longer period is often required treatments, additional courses of therapy, restoratives and stimulants. Simultaneous anti-alcohol treatment in persons suffering from chronic alcoholism is of great importance.

35. If a person is sick with latent syphilis and has had contact with a patient with a contagious form of syphilis, will he become infected again?

In such a situation, there will not be a re-infection, but a layering of infection or a so-called superinfection. At the same time, as experimental and clinical studies show, no reaction develops at the site of penetration of treponemes or an element of rash appears that corresponds to the clinical picture of the stage of syphilis that the patient has: for example, with secondary syphilis - a papule (nodule), with tertiary syphilis - a tubercle with ending in the rumen. Hard chancre, which develops as a response to Treponema pallidum in a previously healthy person, usually does not occur during superinfection.

36. Is it possible to become infected with syphilis through a blood transfusion?

This possibility cannot be excluded if the donor had syphilis in the incubation period at the time of donating blood, but he did not know about it. When examining such a donor, there were no clinical manifestations of syphilis, serological reactions to syphilis were negative and there was no reason to suspect infection. In order to prevent such cases, appropriate sanitary and educational work is carried out with donors. Before donating blood, all donors are examined by a doctor, and the blood taken from them is examined using a complex of classical serological reactions for syphilis. In turn, each patient is necessarily asked whether he has donated blood, and a corresponding entry is made in the medical history.

37. Can a person who has had syphilis be a donor?

38. What measures are taken if a person receives a blood transfusion from a person with syphilis?

First of all, if it is established that a donor donated blood and later turns out to have syphilis, the blood taken is destroyed. If the patient’s blood has already been used, it is immediately established when and to whom it was transfused. All persons who have received infected blood are given preventive treatment.

39. Is disinfection carried out in the house of a patient with syphilis?

The causative agent of syphilis - treponema pallidum (spirochete) - quickly dies outside the human body, especially when dried out, exposed to disinfectants and even hot water and soap. Therefore, special disinfection is not required in the patient’s home. It is recommended to boil underwear and bed linen, washcloths and towels with the addition of washing powders. Of course, you need to treat the bathtub, toilet, sink used by the patient with a disinfectant solution (for example, chloramine), and then wash them with hot water.

40. How does syphilis occur in patients who abuse alcohol?

Systematic alcohol abuse significantly reduces the body's resistance to many infections, including syphilis. In chronic alcoholics, syphilis, as a rule, is more severe, often malignant. The so-called galloping course of syphilis is often noted. The incubation period may be shortened, generalization of the syphilitic infection occurs unusually early (after 4 weeks), and specific signs of the disease such as swollen lymph nodes and a positive Wasserman reaction are often absent, which makes diagnosis difficult. Manifestations of secondary syphilis are more polymorphic; pustular (purulent) rashes are often found, which are similar to pustular skin diseases - acne, boils, purulent ulcers.

In chronic alcoholics suffering from syphilis, syphilitic alopecia and pigmentary syphilide in the neck area are more common, tertiary gummous manifestations and severe damage to the nervous system occur early - meningitis, tabes dorsalis, progressive paralysis, liver damage develops, resulting in cirrhosis.

The famous French syphilidologist Fournier pointed out that syphilis preferentially affects organs that have a pathological past. Such an organ in patients suffering from chronic alcoholism is the liver. Double harm - alcoholic and syphilitic poisons - has a detrimental effect on the vascular wall and nervous tissue, determining an unfavorable prognosis of the disease. To illustrate, one clinical observation can be cited.

A young man who fell ill with syphilis in the North received one course of treatment and told the doctor that he had decided to return to his parents, informing the city and address where he was leaving. The patient was given a referral for further treatment and a notice was sent to the dermatovenerological dispensary of the city indicated by the patient. But the patient, having received a large sum of money during the settlement, decided to “take a walk” first before going to his parents. For six months he did not work, drank a lot, which he was prone to before. After being beaten in a drunken brawl, a thick knot appeared on his neck, which turned into an ulcer. Over time, the ulcer not only did not heal, but continued to spread, covering almost half of the neck, although the pain was of little concern. 2 months after the appearance of the ulcer, the patient was hospitalized and upon examination he was diagnosed with gummous syphilis. By this time, only 10 months had passed since the infection. Under the influence of specific treatment, the ulcer quickly healed, but an extensive scar remained, causing torticollis, which is why plastic surgery was performed at the end of treatment for syphilis.

Syphilis is a serious disease that is characterized by damage to the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs of a person.

It is classified as a classic sexually transmitted disease. Unprotected sexual intercourse with an unreliable or casual sexual partner can cause syphilis.

The symptoms of syphilis are very diverse, and the manifestations of the disease largely depend on its period. Previously, this infection was considered incurable, but nowadays it can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

How is syphilis transmitted?

In most cases, syphilis is contracted through sexual contact in the vagina, mouth or rectum. Treponema enters the body through minor defects in the mucous membrane of the genital tract.

However, there are cases of infection through domestic means - the disease is transmitted from one partner to another through saliva during a kiss, through common objects on which there is undried discharge containing pale treponema. Sometimes the cause of infection can be a transfusion of infected blood.

Pathogen

A mobile microorganism from the order of spirochetes, Treponema pallidum is the causative agent of syphilis in women and men. Discovered in 1905 by German microbiologists Fritz Schaudin (German Fritz Richard Schaudinn, 1871-1906) and Erich Hoffmann (German Erich Hoffmann, 1863-1959).

Incubation period

On average, it is 4-5 weeks, in some cases the incubation period of syphilis is shorter, sometimes longer (up to 3-4 months). It is usually asymptomatic.

The incubation period may increase if the patient has taken any antibiotics due to other infectious diseases. During the incubation period, test results will show a negative result.

Symptoms of syphilis

The course of syphilis and its characteristic symptoms will depend on the stage of development at which it is located. However, symptoms in women and men can be very diverse.

In total, it is customary to distinguish 4 stages of the disease - starting from the incubation period and ending with tertiary syphilis.

The first signs of syphilis make themselves felt after the end of the incubation period (it occurs without symptoms) and the beginning of the first stage. It is called primary syphilis, which we will talk about below.

Primary syphilis

The formation of a painless hard chancre on the labia in women or the glans penis in men is the first sign of syphilis. It has a dense base, smooth edges and a brown-red bottom.

Ulcers form at the site of penetration of the pathogen into the body, these can be other places, but most often chancres are formed on the genitals of a man or woman, since the main route of transmission of the disease is through sexual intercourse.

7-14 days after the appearance of hard chancre, the lymph nodes closest to it begin to enlarge. This is a sign that triponemes are spread throughout the body through the bloodstream and affect the internal organs and systems of a person. The ulcer heals on its own within 20-40 days after it appears. However, this cannot be regarded as a cure for the disease; in fact, the infection develops.

At the end of the primary period, specific symptoms may appear:

• weakness, insomnia;
• headache, loss of appetite;
• low-grade fever;
• pain in muscles and joints;

The primary period of the disease is divided into seronegative, when standard serological blood reactions are negative (the first three to four weeks after the onset of chancroid) and seropositive, when blood reactions are positive.

Secondary syphilis

After the end of the first phase of the disease, secondary syphilis begins. Symptoms that are characteristic at this moment are the appearance of a symmetrical pale rash throughout the body, including the palms and soles. This does not cause any pain. But it is the first sign of secondary syphilis, which occurs 8-11 weeks after the first ulcers appear on the patient’s body.

If the disease is not treated at this stage, then over time the rash disappears and syphilis flows into a latent stage, which can last up to 4 years. After a certain period of time, the disease relapses.

At this stage, there are fewer rashes and they are more faded. The rash most often occurs in areas where the skin is exposed to mechanical stress - on the extensor surfaces, in the inguinal folds, under the mammary glands, in the intergluteal fold, on the mucous membranes. In this case, hair loss on the head is possible, as well as the appearance of flesh-colored growths on the genitals and in the anus.

Tertiary syphilis

Today, fortunately, infection at the third stage of development is rare.

However, if the disease is not treated in a timely manner, then after 3-5 or more years from the moment of infection, the tertiary period of syphilis begins. At this stage, the infection affects the internal organs, and foci (threshing floors) form on the skin, mucous membranes, heart, liver, brain, lungs, bones and eyes. The bridge of the nose may become sunken, and when eating, food gets into the nose.

Symptoms of tertiary syphilis are associated with the death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord; as a result, in the advanced third stage, dementia and progressive paralysis can occur. The Wasserman reaction and other tests may be weakly positive or negative.

Do not wait for the development of the last stage of the disease, and at the first alarming symptoms, immediately consult a doctor.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of syphilis will directly depend on the stage at which it is. It will be based on the patient’s symptoms and the tests obtained.

In the case of the primary stage, hard chancre and lymph nodes are subject to examination. At the next stage, the affected areas of the skin and papules of the mucous membranes are examined. In general, bacteriological, immunological, serological and other research methods are used to diagnose infection. It should be taken into account that at certain stages of the disease, test results for syphilis may be negative in the presence of the disease, which makes it difficult to diagnose the infection.

To confirm the diagnosis, a specific Wasserman reaction is performed, but it often gives false test results. Therefore, to diagnose syphilis, it is necessary to simultaneously use several types of tests - RIF, ELISA, RIBT, RPGA, microscopy method, PCR analysis.

Treatment of syphilis

In women and men, treatment of syphilis should be comprehensive and individual. This is one of the most dangerous sexually transmitted diseases, leading to serious consequences if not treated correctly, so under no circumstances should you self-medicate at home.

The basis of treatment for syphilis is antibiotics, thanks to which the effectiveness of treatment is close to 100%. The patient can be treated on an outpatient basis, under the supervision of a doctor who prescribes comprehensive and individual treatment. Today, penicillin derivatives in sufficient doses (benzylpenicillin) are used for antisyphilitic therapy. Premature cessation of treatment is unacceptable; it is necessary to complete the full course of treatment.

At the discretion of the attending physician, treatment complementary to antibiotics may be prescribed - immunomodulators, vitamins, physiotherapy, etc. During treatment, any sexual intercourse and alcohol are strictly contraindicated for a man or woman. After completion of treatment, it is necessary to undergo control tests. These may be quantitative non-treponemal blood tests (for example, RW with cardiolipin antigen).

Consequences

The consequences of treated syphilis usually include decreased immunity, problems with the endocrine system, and chromosomal lesions of varying severity. In addition, after treatment of treponema pallidum, a trace reaction remains in the blood, which may not disappear until the end of life.

If syphilis is not detected and treated, it can progress to the tertiary (late) stage, which is the most destructive.

Late stage complications include:

1. Gummas, large ulcers inside the body or on the skin. Some of these gummas “resolve” without leaving traces; in place of the rest, syphilis ulcers are formed, leading to softening and destruction of tissue, including the bones of the skull. It turns out that the person is simply rotting alive.
2. Lesions of the nervous system (latent, acute generalized, subacute (basal), syphilitic hydrocephalus, early meningovascular syphilis, meningomyelitis, neuritis, tabes spinal cord, paralysis, etc.);
3. Neurosyphilis, which affects the brain or the membrane covering the brain.

If Treponema infection occurs during pregnancy, the consequences of the infection may appear in a child who receives Treponema pallidum through the mother’s placenta.

Prevention

The most reliable prevention of syphilis is the use of a condom. It is necessary to conduct timely examination in case of contact with infected people. It is also possible to use antiseptic drugs (hexicon, etc.).

If you discover an infection in yourself, it is important to inform all your sexual partners so that they also undergo appropriate examination.

Forecast

The prognosis of the disease is favorable in most cases. Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment leads to complete recovery. However, with a long-term chronic course and in cases of infection of the fetus in the womb, persistent irreversible changes develop, leading to disability.

Good afternoon, dear ones! I was 35 years old and 10 years ago I contracted syphilis and underwent inpatient treatment (I received injections for a month). I have a healthy family and a child, but the tests are still “positive”. At every opportunity, doctors say that I have RV. I have to explain that it was a long time ago. All this is very unpleasant. So the question is, is it possible to remove syphilis from the blood, i.e., so that when the tests are taken they are negative?

ANSWERED: 06/16/2017

Hello, thanks for the question. Antibodies from previous syphilis remain in the blood. YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN TREATED.

Clarification question

QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION 17.06.2017 Andrey, Moscow

Thanks for the answer. That is, when taking tests, even after 20 years, will the factor be positive? Is there any way to make sure the tests were erased?

ANSWERED: 06/17/2017

Hello, thanks for the question. We cannot influence the presence of antibodies in the blood, their production, or immunity.

Clarification question

QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION 19.06.2017 Andrey, Moscow

You are not answering the question. Does the positive factor remain in the blood forever or not?

ANSWERED: 06/19/2017

Hello, yes, every time there will be antibodies that indicate the disease.

Clarification question

Related questions:

date	Question	Status
29.04.2018	Good afternoon, dear ones! I was 35 years old and 10 years ago I contracted syphilis and underwent inpatient treatment (I received injections for a month). I have a healthy family and a child, but the tests are still “positive”. At every opportunity, doctors say that I have RV. I have to explain that it was a long time ago. All this is very unpleasant. I went to the doctor and he sent me for an extensive analysis. The analysis showed the RPHA titer was 160, the doctor prescribed 10 injections of Rocephen, six months later the RPHA analysis became 1: 320. So the question is, is it possible to remove it from the blood...
24.01.2017	Good afternoon My situation is this: In 2005, early latent syphilis was detected. All tests are strongly positive. RV 4+ and even with high credits. Treatment with procaine penets. 20 injections. The credits were falling, but it was still 4+. After 1.5 years additional Treatment with ceftriaxone 14 injections. Immediately there was a shift of 2+. So that’s where it stopped: MP 2+, IG 12 KP. Then the pregnancy is already 3+, IG G KP 9.5. No professional treatment was prescribed. She gave birth in 2009. The child had blood taken from a finger prick to test for antibodies using the express ELISA method at 3 and 6 months. ...
26.08.2015	Hello! Help me please. In 2011, I was diagnosed with syphilis, I completed a full course of specific treatment in hospital with pinecillin. And after this the analysis does not improve in any way, the titer does not decrease as it should. In 2013, I was re-treated with ceftriaxone, but the treatment had to be interrupted due to an allergic reaction to the drug; 10 out of 20 injections were given. Then the titer dropped a little, and my doctor told me to come back for a blood test in six months. (My partner has been...
02.07.2015	Hello! In 2010, she suffered from syphilis. She completed a course of treatment. The tests were good after treatment. The doctors didn’t take me off the register and waited for even better results. In 2014, I became pregnant, the RPR blood tests were negative, and the RPGA seemed to be two crosses. No prophylactic treatment was carried out. Now the child is 8 months old. There are no external signs, it is developing well. Is it possible that the child will have congenital syphilis?
11.08.2015	In 2006, I was accidentally diagnosed with syphilis. They installed an early hidden form. Treated with penicillin. She was registered with the KVD for 3 years. During this time, I regularly visited the doctor once a quarter and donated blood. But the blood was restored poorly, I don’t understand the names of the tests well, I remember in 2008 the titers were still 1: 16. In 2008, on the advice of a doctor, I underwent repeated treatment in the hospital with penicillin and physiotherapy. It was deregistered in 2009, but the credits remained 1:4 if I'm not mistaken. In 2012, the...

Syphilis is a venereal disease, most often chronic, manifested in the form of gradual destruction of the skin, some organs and bones, and also affects the nervous system.

The causative agent of this common disease is Treponema pallidum. Today, the most popular way of contracting this disease is through sexual transmission of bacteria.

Today, syphilis can be treated, but only on condition that you do not let the disease progress.

A sexually transmitted disease (hereinafter simply STD) affects almost 50 people out of 100,000 thousand people per year.

The government of each country is trying to contribute to a significant reduction in the number of cases by informing the population about prevention and methods of protection.

Syphilis bacteria

We have known about syphilis since the beginning of the 20th century, when this disease was the most common, and every 5 people were infected with it.

At that time, this disease went by the more typical name for that time, “French disease.”

After a while, scientists concluded that this disease is bacterial in nature, and this significantly helped in its timely diagnosis and treatment.

Treponema pallidum first received this name due to the fact that when studying it under a microscope, scientists simply could not identify it.

After all, its entire structure, in fact, had no color, was simply transparent and at the same time very poorly painted by various methods.

To expose it, they used silver staining, the Gizma method, and a microscope with dark lenses.

With the help of further studies over time, it turned out that treponema can function and replicate only in a living organism.

The optimal temperature for the reproduction of this bacterium is the body temperature of a living organism 37 o C; under optimal conditions it divides every day.

Thanks to these data, a new treatment method was created: forcibly increasing body temperature to the maximum level, using the malaria virus.

Thus, it was easier for the patient to tolerate the manifestations of the underlying disease.

What does syphilis look like?

When Treponema pallidum enters the body of each of us, it goes through an incubation period, which can last from 1 week to 1.5 months.

At this time, the disease does not manifest itself in any way, so we may not even know who lives inside us.

With a simple examination during the incubation period, syphilis may not be found; all readings will be within normal limits.

During such a period, there is a high probability that one person who carries this disease in himself in the incubation phase and, not suspecting that he is a carrier, can transmit it sexually to his partners.

The disease begins to manifest itself after the incubation period has expired, when primary syphilis occurs.

The first signs of the disease appear on the skin, in the form of a rash, hard dark brown spots (ulcers), as well as on the genitals, in the oral cavity (precisely on the mucous membrane of these organs).

Transmission routes

Syphilis is classified as a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Transmission is ensured through traditional sexual intercourse, anal and oral sex, even if the carrier has syphilis in the incubation phase.

After the incubation period, a small ulcer will appear at the site where the treponema pallidum bacterium passes, which will only grow if measures are not taken to treat the disease.

When caring for a patient, infection is possible through contact with his personal belongings and the carrier himself.

With this method of infection, signs of syphilis will initially appear on the skin of the legs and arms, and after chancre will form on the genitals.

This sexually transmitted disease can be transmitted, like everything else, through blood. When reusing syringes, razors and other personal hygiene items.

Differences in syphilis by gender

As for women, after an asymptomatic period (about a month after syphilis enters your body), the time comes for the disease to manifest itself in all its glory.

The first sign is the appearance of ulcers in the mouth, labia or anus. An ulcer (chancre) manifests itself as a response of our immune system to the invasion of harmful bacteria.

A chancre is an inflammatory area of ​​the skin or mucous membrane, usually round in shape and having a flat base.

At first, the growth on the skin will not show painful spasms, but later it will definitely be accompanied by a rash on different parts of the body and mucous areas.

The course of syphilis in men is no different from the manifestations of the disease in women. Most often, in men, syphilis first appears on the penis, its base and head.

But, despite this, ulcers (chancres) can also occur in the above mentioned places (oral cavity, anus).

The subsequent treatment regimen is not divided according to genital characteristics; the treatment is the same for men and women.

From the birth of syphilis to chronic disease

Not many people with the capabilities of modern medicine go through all the existing stages of development of this disease.

With the last stage, a person can live from 10 to 20 years, followed by death. Let's take a closer look at each stage of this disease.

Incubation period

Duration up to six months. During this period, there are no visible manifestations on the body or in the body itself. If infection occurs several times in different places, then this period is reduced to 7-14 days.

This stage is prolonged due to the person taking strong immunoprotective drugs, such as antibiotics for influenza.

The end of the incubation period can be taken as the appearance of an ulcer on the skin, followed by inflammation of the lymph nodes.

In the case when the penetration of syphilis bacteria occurred directly through the blood, then syphilis bypasses the primary stage and immediately passes into the second.

Primary syphilis

Symptoms of primary syphilis include the following:

• The appearance of ulcers on the skin and mucous membranes. Initially, it will not cause any problems or complaints. In the future, it will acquire a more bluish or even purple tint, which will mean an inflammatory process that will lead to pain;
• After 7 days, inflammation begins in the lymph nodes and in the vessels around the previously manifested ulcers. Inflamed nodes are a growth with swelling near the chancre. If the chancre is located in the mouth, then swelling of the tonsils and throat is possible, which makes it difficult to breathe and swallow saliva. The occurrence of these symptoms makes it difficult to walk, defecate, eat, etc.

The transition to the second stage of syphilis can be considered the manifestation of a syphilitic rash on visible parts of the body.

Modern medicine can diagnose such a disease after the first signs appear.

For this, modern medicine uses specialized tests:

• ELISA is a qualitative and quantitative immunological method for isolating almost all combinations, molecules and viruses;
• PCR is one of the biological methods that allows us to increase the density of our DNA in one sample of genetic material.

These diagnostic methods can only be prescribed by your personal therapist or venereologist.

The cost of such tests will not hit your pocket hard, but it will certainly confirm or refute the previously made diagnosis.

But do not forget that such tests will give results and show an accurate picture only at the primary stage of the disease.

Primary syphilis is characterized by the appearance of chancres (ulcers) of varying diameters on the skin; it is hard in nature and follows as a response of the immune system to the penetration of harmful bacteria into your body.

Places of its manifestation: the oral cavity (the tongue with syphilis can also be dotted with ulcers), fingers, anus, genitals.

It doesn’t cause much concern, which most often does not contribute to an early visit to specialists at the clinic. This is followed by the development of chancre and inflammation of the lymph nodes near its location.

Associated symptoms are: frequent and severe dizziness, increased body temperature, painful condition.

When infected with Treponema pallidum through the blood, after the incubation period the second stage follows or the disease goes into a latent stage.

Second stage

The main signs of the second stage of syphilis include:

• The skin around the chancre is dotted with spots reaching up to 1.1 cm in diameter. Such a rash can grow over time and, increasing its area, turn into large spots. In this case, it can be flat pink or red up to 5 cm in diameter, flat with conical growths along the entire diameter, or purulent pimples may form due to syphilis. You can easily find photo reports on what these symptoms of syphilis look like on the World Wide Web;
• With the appearance of lesions on the skin, the central nervous system begins to suffer, mainly: vision, memory, attentiveness, ease and smoothness of movements. A quick response and taking measures to treat syphilis can stop further damage to the nerves, but not restore them;
• One of the last symptoms of the second stage is hair loss. First the head: split hairs appear, then they become much thinner, and then they simply fall out. Even after intensive and timely treatment, the hairline is not restored.

Experts divide it into 4 successive phases:

1. Early phase - begins after 2 months from the date of infection, lasting up to 14 days. During this period, our immunity begins to actively respond to the release of toxins from syphilis bacteria, that is, multiple ulcers appear on the body. The main impact falls on internal organs, the central nervous system and bone tissue. Associated symptoms: body temperature up to 38 o C, cough, painful condition, rhinitis, inflammation of the eye mucosa. Inflammation of the lymph nodes, absence of pain, mild or complete hair loss.
2. The latent phase begins 2 months after infection. Throughout its life, Treponema pallidum bacteria can be stopped by the human immune system. The chancre no longer spreads throughout the body, and the rash is no longer observed. But this is not the end, each of us should know that in the fight against this difficult disease, the return of syphilis is always possible.
3. Latent phase - during this period, a global resumption of the primary symptoms of the disease is possible. This is possible due to severe stress, colds, injuries, or simply poor nutrition throughout the day. In this case, absolutely all the symptoms are repeated, starting from the primary stage with a new formation of chancre.
4. Primary neurosyphilis - usually this period occurs no earlier than 2 years after the disease. Its main destructive effect affects the central nervous system, brain, heart, liver, bones and joints of the human skeleton. An accompanying symptom is necessarily meningitis. Pressure increases in the blood vessels of the brain, which leads to frequent and severe headaches. When the central nervous system is damaged, abilities such as memories, attentiveness, simplicity and ease of movement begin to weaken. Such changes do not return to normal.

Third stage

It is also divided into several phases:

1. Latent persistent syphilis – the period of manifestation is up to 20 years. It often happens that people who are carriers of syphilis at this stage are not even aware of the development of such a disease within themselves. After the next resumption of the disease, when the immune system simply cannot cope, the person may receive lifelong disability or it may end in death;
2. Tertiary form - during this period almost the entire body suffers. There is an active formation of purulent tumors in the vessels of the brain. It is not uncommon that in the process such tumors attract many other bacteria, which subsequently lead to gangrene and abscess.
3. The final stage lasts from 10 to 20 years and leads to a serious degree of disability followed by death. Complete damage to the central nervous system, paralysis, mental disorders, tumors of the brain and bones.

Attention, abnormal!

After the incubation period, the time comes for the formation of ulcers and, accordingly, the disease enters the first stage.

But, despite the presumptive outcome for each phase, abnormal phenomena on the skin are possible.

Based on this, unexpected manifestations are divided into several categories:

• Damage to skin vessels that occur around syphilitic chancre. This symptom changes the color of the penis, scrotum of men and female genitalia to a darker color with a blue tint. Women are more likely to experience syphilis on the lips. It is often confused with other gynecological inflammatory processes. However, only syphilis is characterized by swelling, which during diagnosis will not show any deviations from the norm, but the person’s lymph nodes will be inflamed.
• Idiopathic syphiloma is an inflammation that causes Treponema pallidum on the three main fingers of the hand. Pieces of skin peel off at the affected areas, which leads to slight blood loss, more similar to a recent moderate burn.
• Syphilitic amygdalitis is an inflammation of the submandibular or cervical tonsil. With this anomaly, the structure of the tonsil itself does not change, only an inflammatory process is present, which makes it difficult to swallow saliva and food. All accompanying symptoms are more reminiscent of a sore throat (fever, pain, pain when swallowing), but in our case, inflammation is present in only one tonsil.

From birth side by side with danger

Syphilis can be transferred from mother to child during pregnancy, which negatively affects the fetus during the prenatal period.

Modern medicine has identified the main indicators by which it can be judged that syphilis affected intrauterine growth:

• Interstitial keratitis is an inflammation of the outer mucous membrane of the eye and the eyeball. This can be observed as significant redness and suppuration of the eyes. After completing the course of treatment, traces of surgical intervention will remain on the eyeball, and leukoma (white mesh) will also appear on the eyes. Typically, such changes also lead to a significant decrease in vision, pain and tearing of the eyes.
• Chronic lack of hearing - the fetus during intrauterine growth is subject to an active attack by Treponema pallidum, as a result of which hearing loss is one of the main symptoms of a woman suffering from syphilis during pregnancy;
• Hutchinson's teeth are unfinished development of dental tissue during pregnancy in the fetus. In this case, the teeth have an unpleasant appearance, may grow sparsely, and are not completely covered with enamel. And all this leads to their early destruction.

If a woman has undergone a course of treatment and got rid of Treponema pallidum, the child will still have a chronically weakened immune system.

But with incorrect and untimely treatment, the child will definitely have external abnormalities after birth.

Breastfeeding in the presence of syphilis is strictly prohibited for mothers; milk with Treponema pallidum bacteria automatically passes to the child, causing only harm.

A woman after treatment for syphilis can have children, but for a more accurate conclusion, you need to get a referral from your GP for the two main tests described above.

Methods of treating the disease

Since the mid-20th century, this STD has been treated with antibiotics, mainly using penicillin or analogues based on it. Since Treponema pallidum is simply not adapted to this type of antibiotics.

Syphilis is treated with this method in the initial stages, before transitioning to the neurosyphilis stage.

After this, treatment with antibiotics is continued, administered by injection, and the method of forcibly increasing the patient’s body temperature is used.

When the third stage occurs, patients with syphilis are placed in a special hospital, and subsequent treatment is carried out using highly toxic doses of drugs based on the substance bismuth.

If a person is diagnosed with the initial phase of syphilis, compulsory treatment of all his sexual partners over the past three months is necessary.

All personal belongings of the patient and things that he used in everyday life are subject to forced disinfection.

During the primary stage, immediate hospitalization of the person is not required; it is quite possible to get by with outpatient treatment.

If the patient is already in the second stage of the disease, then he will be immediately admitted to the hospital.

Otherwise, self-medication can do more harm and only give Treponema pallidum a vessel for ideal development.

Thank you

The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!

There is hardly a single person in the world who has never heard of such a venereal disease as syphilis. Syphilis sounds threatening. This disease has truly become a threat to the whole world, as the number of people affected by syphilis increases every year. This disease is usually transmitted through sexual contact.
So, can't people protect themselves from dangerous sexual relationships? How far has a person fallen that he cannot think about his health in advance?
But syphilis is not just a dangerous, but a very dangerous disease. Its consequences are so extensive that not a single venereologist can foresee what will happen to you tomorrow.

What are the consequences of syphilis?

.site) will tell you right now.

Having penetrated the human body, treponema pallidum, primarily affects the central nervous system. The vessels and lining of the brain are primarily affected. As a result, a person becomes a “hostage” of such diseases as: meningitis, neuritis, hydrocephalus and some others. At this stage of development of syphilis, the patient is concerned about frequent headaches, increased intracranial pressure, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tinnitus. Damage to blood vessels and the lining of the brain can cause the patient to develop epileptic seizures. Serious speech impairments are also quite common.

In addition to the brain, the organs of vision and hearing are also greatly affected. Most often, disturbances in the functioning of these organs make themselves felt in the form of hearing loss, pupillary abnormalities, retinitis pigmentosa, neuritis or optic atrophy. It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that the progression of syphilis will also contribute to increased disruption of the functioning of these organs, and, consequently, to the development of more serious diseases.

How does syphilis affect different organs and systems of the body?

In the presence of syphilis, the entire musculoskeletal system is affected. First, the lining of the musculoskeletal system is affected, causing a disease such as osteoarthritis. Then there is swelling of the joints, skin damage, and limitation of movements of both the upper and lower extremities. Most often, in the presence of this venereal disease, the joints of the knees, legs, collarbones, feet, and chest are affected.

Syphilis does not bypass the cardiovascular system, making itself felt in the form of shortness of breath, low blood pressure, heart murmur, disruption of the aortic valves, angina pectoris, circulatory disorders, as well as general weakness. Surely you understand that poor circulation will, without a doubt, cause the development of myocardial infarction.

As for syphilis of the respiratory system, its development takes a fairly long period of time. The first symptoms of this type of syphilis are shortness of breath, wet cough and bronchitis. Then symptoms that are completely similar to the symptoms may make themselves known tuberculous pneumonia.

The liver is one of the vital organs that suffers greatly when exposed to Treponema pallidum. Long-term lack of treatment for syphilis leads to the development of acute yellow atrophy of the liver. The skin, conjunctiva, and mucous membranes become yellow, the size of the liver decreases significantly, convulsions, hepatic colic, and even hallucinations appear. In this case, the liver can be saved only in very rare cases. Most often it ends in hepatic coma, and, consequently, the death of the patient.

So we have reached the point where the gastrointestinal tract is affected by syphilis. At the very early stage of development of this venereal disease, the patient is bothered by symptoms characteristic of ordinary gastritis. Quite often, syphilitic gastritis is confused with a stomach tumor, which makes it impossible to begin the necessary treatment in a timely manner.

As you can see, the consequences of syphilis are truly terrible. That is why if a doctor has diagnosed you with syphilis, do not wait for the weather to come, start treatment immediately. And do not forget that in addition to all the medications and instructions that will be prescribed to you by your doctor, you must also maintain a healthy lifestyle and help your body cope with the infection by using special dietary supplements (dietary supplements).

Before use, you should consult a specialist.

Reviews

After many years, cerebrospinal fluid taken from the spine can definitely show that 20 years ago you had syphilis (tested on yourself.

If I understand correctly, then all these consequences if it is not treated. And if it is treated in a timely manner, although it was already stage 2, does it also have consequences? If yes, which ones? My mother had such a problem in 2001, now she is already 66 years old and began to have problems with her head, namely mild inadequacy, lack of feelings of resentment, lethargy and memory loss. Could all this be a consequence and how can it be treated and with what?

Can tests show that I had syphilis 40 years ago and was treated at the time?

Hello! I would like to know from you if I have had the 3rd stage of syphilis, will I be able to have children and will I get sick again?

How can you cure gonorrhea with an unknown statute of limitations. By the way, I didn’t even suspect that I had such an infection until they told me

After treatment of stage 2 syphilis, is it completely cured or healed? After 20 years it can manifest itself and how???

If I understand correctly, then all these consequences if it is not treated. My question is: does treated syphilis (and the blood has long since recovered) also have consequences? If so, what are they?