Syphilis Symptoms, Causes and Treatments Singapore
by: Dr. Paul Chang, General Practitioner, Regis Medical
What is Syphilis?
Syphilis is a common STI caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. The STI develops in stages with different signs and symptoms. If left untreated, the STI can cause serious health complications.
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Symptoms of Syphilis
The symptoms of Syphilis differ depending on the stage. There are four stages of syphilis. These include the primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary.
Primary Stage
During the primary stage of syphilis, the main symptom you will notice is a sore, or multiple sores. These sores usually occur in, on, or around the penis, vagina, anus, rectum, lips, or in the mouth. These sores are painless and may not be noticeable.
Secondary Stage
During the secondary stage, you may experience symptoms such as sores and skin rashes in your mouth, vagina, or anus. The rash can also appear on your palms or the bottom of your feet. Other symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Swollen lymph glands
- Sore throat
- Patchy hair loss
- Headaches
- Weight loss
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
Latent Stage
In the latent stage, you will not experience any visible signs or symptoms of syphilis.
Tertiary Stage
In this stage of the infection, the disease damages your organ systems, such as the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system, and can even result in death.
Neurosyphilis, Ocular Syphilis, and Otosyphilis
When left untreated, the infection can spread to:
- The brain and nervous system (Neurosyphilis)
- The eye (Ocular Syphilis)
- The ear (Otosyphilis)
This spread can happen in any of the above stages.
Symptoms of neurosyphilis include:
- Severe headaches
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty with muscle movements
- Changes to your mental state, such as experiencing difficulty focusing, confusion and personality changes
- Dementia, or problems with memory, thinking or decision making
Symptoms of ocular syphilis include:
- Eye pain
- Redness of the eyes
- Vision changes
- Blindness
Symptoms of otosyphilis include:
- Loss of hearing
- Tinnitus
- Dizziness or vertigo
Causes and Risk Factors of Syphilis
Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, which is transmitted through direct contact with a syphilis sore on a carrier’s body. This typically happens during sexual activity. However, the bacteria can also be transmitted if it enters your body via cuts in your skins or through your mucous membranes.
Risk Factors of Syphilis include:
- Having unprotected sex
- Having multiple sex partners
- Having HIV
- Are a man who has sex with men
Diagnosing Syphilis
If you experience any signs or symptoms of syphilis, or suspect that you may have gotten a STI, it is important to get STD Tests.
To diagnose syphilis, these tests may be used:
- Syphilis Point of Care Rapid Test. A sample of your blood will be tested for the presence of antibodies that are produced to fight infections.
- Cerebrospinal fluid. If your doctor suspects that you have nervous system complications of syphilis, a sample of your cerebrospinal fluid may need to be collected through a lumbar puncture for testing.
Complications of Syphilis
It is important to seek treatment for syphilis. The STI can cause damage throughout the body, leading to health complications. Treatment will help to prevent damage but will not reverse damage caused by the STI, thus making it important to get treated early. Health complications caused by syphilis include:
- In the later stages of syphilis, bumps can develop on the skin, bones, liver or any other organ.
- Syphilis can cause neurological problems such as headache, stroke, meningitis, hearing loss and dementia.
- Syphilis can cause damage to your heart valves and cause bulging in your major arteries.
- HIV infection. Patients with syphilis are at an increased risk of HIV infection.
- Pregnancy complications. A pregnant woman who has syphilis run the risk of passing the infection to their child. In addition, congenital syphilis greatly increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or your new-born's death within a few days after birth.
Treatment Methods for Syphilis
Early treatment is crucial for an STI like syphilis that progresses in stages. Syphilis is easier to cure in its early stages and early treatment will prevent syphilis from progressing further.
Medication
Penicillin is used to treat syphilis at all stages. In the early stages, a single dose of penicillin is used. In the later stages, additional doses may be necessary. Penicillin is an antibiotic medication.
After you have been treated for syphilis, you will need to:
- Have regular check-ups to ensure that you are responding to the usual dosage of penicillin. This will depend on the stage of syphilis you were diagnosed with.
- Avoid sexual contact with new partners until the treatment is completed and blood tests indicate the infection has been cured.
- Notify your sex partners so that they can also be tested and get treatment if necessary.
- Be tested for HIV infection.
Preventing Syphilis
Anyone who is sexually active will be at risk of syphilis. However, there are preventive steps that you can take to reduce your risk of syphilis. These include:
- Using a condom while having sex, be it oral, anal or vaginal sex.
- Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have syphilis.
- Get tested regularly for STIs if you engage in casual sex.
Consult a Doctor Regarding Your Condition
If you experience any signs or symptoms of syphilis, or suspect that you may have been infected with a STI, it is important to consult a trusted healthcare provider and get yourself screened. While it may be embarrassing to discuss your sexual history with a doctor, it is crucial information that will help a doctor decide the best course of action regarding your condition.
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SYPHILIS, HealthHub, 21 Feb. 2022, https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/diseases-and-conditions/92/syphilis.
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Syphilis - Symptoms and Causes - Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, 25 Sept. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/syphilis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351756.
Syphilis: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, WebMD
