Understanding Syphilis -- Symptoms
What Are the Symptoms of Syphilis?
There are three stages of syphilis. Call your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- In the first (primary) stage, which usually starts about three weeks after exposure, a painless sore called a chancre appears on the genitals, rectum, anus, or mouth. Lymph glands near the chancre may be swollen as well. The chancre lasts three to six weeks and will heal on its own. This does not mean that you are cured. Left untreated, the disease may progress to the second stage.
- In the second (secondary) stage, which occurs approximately two weeks to two months after the appearance of the painless sores, a non-itchy red or reddish-brown spotty rash may appear anywhere on the body (often on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet). You may have symptoms, such as headache, fever, fatigue, sore throat, muscle aches, swollen lymph glands, patchy hair loss, loss of appetite, weight loss, and pain in bones and joints (all of which could be symptoms of other diseases, as well). Symptoms may then disappear, but without treatment the bacteria remain in the body.
- In the third (late) stage, which can start anytime from one year to several decades later, joints may be affected, resulting in arthritis. The infection also can affect other specific parts of the body, including the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, bones, and liver. About 15 percent of people that have not been treated will develop late stage syphilis. This can result in cardiovascular syphilis and neurosyphilis.
Syphilis is a highly contagious disease spread primarily by sexual activity, including oral and anal sex. Occasionally, the disease can be passed to another person through prolonged kissing or close bodily contact. Although this disease is spread from sores, the vast majority of those sores go unrecognized. The infected person is often unaware of the disease and unknowingly passes it on to his or her sexual partner. Pregnant women with the disease can spread it to their baby. This disease, called...
Cardiovascular syphilis can appear 10-30 years after the initial infection, causing damage to the heart and blood vessels.
Neurosyphilis can occur in the nerves and may cause paralysis, blindness, dementia, psychiatric problems, or loss of sensation in the legs.
Without treatment, syphilis can be life-threatening. It is extremely important to treat it before it progresses to a later disease stage. Treatment should be taken even if there are no current symptoms.
Call Your Doctor If:
- You see the characteristic chancre sores or rash of syphilis
- You have been exposed to someone with the disease
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