Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Discuss your health condition with your doctor
• Method 2 of 3: Choose the Right Treatment
• Method 3 of 3: How to prevent transmission of syphilis to others during treatment
• Tips
• Warnings

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by a microorganism of the species Treponema pallidum (pale treponema). It is an infectious disease that disrupts the functioning of the nervous system, affects the brain and all tissues of the body. Syphilis can be fatal if left untreated. Syphilis is fairly easy to treat if diagnosed early. More aggressive medications are used to treat later stages of the disease.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Discuss your health condition with your doctor

1. 1 Pay attention to the early symptoms of syphilis. If you suspect that you may have contracted syphilis, see your doctor as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. This infection goes through several stages of development, each of which is characterized by its own symptoms. These symptoms may come and go, but this does not mean that the disease has receded without any treatment. In the later stages, the patient may not feel any signs of syphilis at all, but at the same time he will suffer from a malfunction of the internal organs (brain, liver, nervous system), as well as damage to the bones. Early symptoms of syphilis include:
   • A chancre is a small mass that most often appears on the lining of the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina. Chancres usually look like enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area.
   • A rash that starts on the skin of the abdomen and then spreads to the entire body, including the palms and soles. This is the second stage of syphilis.
   • Warts around the mouth and genitals.
   • Muscle pain and aches.
   • Heat.
   • A sore throat.
   • Enlarged lymph nodes.
2. 2 Be aware of the complications of late stages of syphilis. In the latent and late stages of syphilis, the early symptoms disappear. However, without proper treatment, a person can transmit syphilis for years. The disease progresses, sometimes reaching late stages only 10-30 years after infection. Late symptoms include the following:
   • difficulties in coordinating muscle movements;
   • paralysis;
   • numbness;
   • blindness;
   • dementia;
   • damage to internal organs, which can be fatal.
3. 3 Get tested for syphilis. Many different tests and methods are used to detect syphilis at different stages: from examining a smear from ulcers to analyzing cerebrospinal fluid and an echocardiogram. Most often, a blood test is sufficient to diagnose syphilis - a relatively inexpensive and quick diagnostic method.
   • A blood test is used to confirm the presence of antibodies in your body, which are produced in response to an invasion of infection and to effectively fight it.
   • A smear examination will show the presence or absence of a specific microorganism that causes syphilis. But this research can only be done if there are ulcers.
   • The study of cerebrospinal fluid is used if there is a suspicion of the presence of cerebrospinal syphilis.
4. 4 If you are pregnant, it is important to inform your doctor before starting treatment. The fact is that some antibiotics can adversely affect the development of the child if taken during pregnancy. Pregnant women are usually given antibiotics from the penicillin range. Penicillin G is currently the only effective drug that prevents the transmission of infection from mother to child during pregnancy. Syphilis greatly increases the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.
5. 5 If you are allergic to penicillin, find out what other antibiotics would be most effective in your case. There are a number of other groups of antibiotics that are successfully used in the fight against syphilis: tetracycline, doxycycline, cephalothin, erythromycin. Talk with your doctor to gather more information about each of these drugs and to work with your doctor about which will work best for you. Do not take any medications without a doctor's prescription!
   • Tetracycline and doxycycline belong to the tetracycline group of antibiotics.
   • Cephalothin belongs to the group of cephalosporins.
   • Erythromycin belongs to the macrolide group.

Method 2 of 3: Choose the Right Treatment

1. 1 Work with your doctor to outline a treatment plan and adhere to it strictly. If you've only been diagnosed with stage 1 syphilis, treatment is likely to include a single injection of an antibiotic. However, you may have to be examined and re-tested for syphilis several more times during the year. If the infection cannot be cured the first time, you will most likely have to undergo re-treatment.
   • On the first day of treatment, the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction may appear, but usually it disappears after a while (from several hours to a day). This specific reaction includes several symptoms: fever, nausea, soreness, headache, and chills.
   • Even if syphilis was treated during pregnancy, the newborn will still be prescribed medications.
2. 2 Don't skip doses. If your treatment includes several doses of an antibiotic over several days or weeks, it is very important to adhere to these dosages exactly. If the time of administration and dosage of the drug is violated, there is a risk of recurrence of the infection, since in this case it will not be possible to completely remove it from the body. And then you will have to undergo another course of treatment.
   • Antibiotic therapy is most effective when the doctor's prescriptions are followed closely. In addition, compliance with all recommendations and undergoing a full course of antibiotic therapy helps prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of the causative agent of syphilis.
   • Treatment of the second stage of syphilis can last up to a year, but it is necessary to prevent irreversible disruption of the internal organs, which occurs with tertiary syphilis.
3. 3 Remember to get tested regularly. This is necessary not only in order to confirm your complete recovery, but also in order to speed up the process of diagnosis and treatment in case you suddenly become infected again. During the observation period, when you will need to be tested on a regular basis, sexual intercourse should be avoided. In addition, it is recommended to take the opportunity and get tested for HIV at the same time.
   • Remember - immunity to syphilis does not develop even after the disease has been transferred. Even after successful treatment, there is a risk of contracting syphilis again.

Method 3 of 3: How to prevent transmission of syphilis to others during treatment

1. 1 Refrain from sexual intercourse. If you have already been diagnosed with syphilis, it is necessary by all means to prevent the possibility of transmitting this disease to other people, because you are a carrier of syphilis, even if you are already undergoing antibiotic therapy. Remember that you can infect your partner even during treatment and in the absence of obvious symptoms. If you are infected, it is on your conscience and responsibility to refuse any sexual contact (including oral, anal, vaginal sex) during the treatment period - this will prevent the spread of the disease.
   • If you have ulcerative lesions on the oral mucosa, you should also avoid even kissing, because this disease tends to be transmitted through these very ulcers.
2. 2 It is necessary to inform all your sexual partners that you have been diagnosed with syphilis. This also applies to ex-partners, who may also be affected, because they may have infected you or become infected even before you started treatment. It is very important that all your former and current sexual partners are informed about this situation so that they can get tested and, if necessary, start treatment. They may also decide to refuse sexual contact with you until you are fully recovered. If you skip this important step, the risk of transmission and spread of this disease increases.
3. 3 Use condoms. This method of contraception helps prevent the transmission of syphilis to your partner, even during your treatment. Condoms must be used for all sexual intercourse, including vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Remember that using a condom is only effective when all affected areas and areas of the body are covered with latex. This is important to prevent contact with the infected partner's mucous membrane and skin ulcers.
   • If you are having oral sex with a girl, remember to use a latex wipe or rubber dam.

Tips

• To avoid contracting syphilis, refrain from casual sex in favor of a long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections and tested negative.

Warnings

• Be sure to adhere to the treatment plan suggested by the doctor, and also undergo all the necessary examinations. If you delay the treatment and allow the infection to reach the final third stage, no treatment, unfortunately, will cope with this disease.
• The ulcers that appear on the mucous membrane and genital area facilitate the transmission and infection of HIV, which is also sexually transmitted.
• Avoid sex if you notice your partner has unusual lesions, sores, or rashes in the genital area. See a doctor as soon as possible.
• Spermicidal condoms are not much more effective at preventing the spread of STIs than condoms with another lubricant.
• If untreated, the pregnant patient syphilis spreads to the fetus and can even lead to its death.
• It was noted that since 2006, the number of registered cases of infection with syphilis and other STIs has been increasing. There are probably many people who are not aware of the risks faced by anyone with syphilis, so it is important to understand the severity of this disease.