Features/Symptoms
- Primary Syphilis:
- Lesions form around genital area;
- Lesion are raised, and form firm red border;
- Lesions develop a dark pink color;
- Develop swollen glands;
- Although lesions generally heal, without treatment the disease will progress.
- Secondary Syphilis:
- Once the primary lesions have healed, new symptoms will appear;
- Secondary lesions normally form on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet;
- Secondary lesions can also form in other areas;
- Other symptoms include a sore throat, low-grade fever, headache and a rash;
- The rash does not itch and is usually not uncomfortable;
- Without treatment the disease will continue to progress.
- Latent Syphilis:
- About 25% of clients may experience a re-occurrence of some of the secondary symptoms;
- In most cases, the latent stage is asymptomatic;
- Latent syphilis may stay with clients for life or late syphilis may appear.
- Late Syphilis:
- Late syphilis may emerge in any area of the body as late as 30 to 50 years;
- Late syphilis may take the form of late benign syphilis, cardiovascular syphilis or neurosyphilitic disease
Progression
- Primary Stage: 1-3 months;
- Secondary Stage: 3-6 months;
- Latent Stage: 6 months – 2 years.
Without treatment, syphilis can cause irreversible damage to the brain, nerves, and body tissues.
Causes
Syphilis is a disease caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. The bacteria penetrate chafed skin or the mucous membranes. Men are more vulnerable to contracting syphilis than women.
Treatment/Management
Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin (an antibiotic) will cure a person who has been infected with syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has been infected with syphilis for longer than a year. For people who are allergic to penicillin, other antibiotics are available to treat syphilis. There are no home remedies or over-the-counter drugs that will cure syphilis. Treatment will kill the syphilis bacterium and prevent further damage, but it will not repair the other physical damage caused.