- 1. Primary syphilis
- 2. Secondary syphilis
- 3. Tertiary syphilis
- Symptoms of congenital syphilis
- Can syphilis cure?
- How to diagnose syphilis
The first symptom of syphilis is a wound that does not bleed and does not hurt, which arises after direct contact with someone else's syphilis wound. This wound can take 3 to 12 weeks to appear and when rubbed it releases a clear liquid.
This wound tends to disappear on its own, without any treatment, but this does not represent that the disease has healed, but that it is advancing to the second stage of syphilis. See how to treat and cure this disease.
Syphilis can manifest in 4 different ways: primary, secondary, tertiary and in the congenital form that occurs when a pregnant woman has syphilis and does not undergo treatment, passing the disease on to the baby. Each form of syphilis has its characteristics:
1. Primary syphilis
Primary syphilis is the initial stage of the disease, which appears about 3 weeks after contact with the bacteria responsible for the disease, Treponema pallidum . This phase is characterized by the appearance of hard cancer, which corresponds to a small wound or lump that does not hurt or cause discomfort, and that disappears after about 4 to 5 weeks, without leaving scars.
In men, these wounds usually appear around the foreskin, while in women they appear on the labia minora and the vaginal wall. It is also common for this wound to appear on the anus, mouth, tongue, breasts and fingers. During this period, it may also appear in the groin or near the affected region.
2. Secondary syphilis
After the disappearance of the lesions of the hard cancer, which is a period of inactivity can last from six to eight weeks, the disease can go back into activity if it is not identified and treated. This time, the compromise will occur on the skin and internal organs, since the bacteria was able to multiply and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream.
The new lesions are characterized as pink spots or small brownish lumps that appear on the skin, in the mouth, on the nose, on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet, and there can sometimes also be intense peeling of the skin. Other symptoms that may arise are:
- Red spots on the skin, mouth, nose, palms and soles; Peeling skin; Tongue all over the body, but mainly in the genital region; Headache; Muscle pain; Sore throat; Malaise; Mild fever, usually below 38ºC; Lack of appetite; Weight loss.
This phase continues during the first two years of the disease, and appears in the form of outbreaks that regress spontaneously, but that become increasingly lasting.
3. Tertiary syphilis
Tertiary syphilis appears in people who have not been able to spontaneously fight the disease in its secondary phase or who have not been properly treated. At this stage, syphilis is characterized by:
- Major injuries to the skin, mouth and nose; Problems with internal organs: heart, nerves, bones, muscles, liver and blood vessels; Constant headache; Nausea and frequent vomiting; Stiff neck, with difficulty moving the head; Convulsions; Hearing loss; Dizziness, insomnia and stroke; Exaggerated reflexes and dilated pupils; Delusions, hallucinations, decreased recent memory, ability to orient, perform simple mathematical calculations and speak when there is general paresis.
These symptoms usually appear 10 to 30 years after the initial infection, and when the individual is not treated. Therefore, to avoid complications in other organs of the body, treatment should be performed soon after the first symptoms of syphilis appear.
Better understand the stages of syphilis in the following video:
Symptoms of congenital syphilis
Congenital syphilis happens when the baby acquires syphilis during pregnancy or at the time of delivery, and it is usually due to the woman who has syphilis not getting the right treatment for the disease. Syphilis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, malformations or death of the baby at birth. In live babies, symptoms can appear from the first weeks of life to more than 2 years after birth, and include:
- Rounded spots of pale red or pink color on the skin, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet; Easy irritability; Loss of appetite and energy to play; Pneumonia; AnemiaBody and teeth problems; Hearing loss; Deficiency mental.
Treatment for congenital syphilis is usually done with the use of 2 penicillin injections for 10 days or 2 penicillin injections for 14 days, depending on the child's age.
Can syphilis cure?
Syphilis is curable and can be easily treated with penicillin injections, but its treatment should be started as soon as possible to avoid the appearance of serious complications in other organs such as the brain, heart and eyes, for example.
How to diagnose syphilis
To confirm that it is syphilis, the doctor must look at the person's intimate region and investigate whether he or she had intimate contact without a condom. Even if there is no sore on the genital area or other parts of the cup, the doctor can order a test called VDRL that identifies Treponema pallidum in the body. Learn all about the VDRL exam.
This test is usually performed every trimester of gestation in all pregnant women because syphilis is a serious disease that the mother can pass on to the baby, but is easily cured with antibiotics prescribed by the doctor.
