Syphilis
is a bacterial infection. The disease affects your genitals, skin and mucous
membranes, but it can also involve many other parts of your body, including
your brain and your heart.
The
signs and symptoms of syphilis may occur in four stages — primary, secondary,
latent and tertiary. There's also a condition known as congenital syphilis,
which occurs when a pregnant woman with syphilis passes the disease to her
unborn infant. Congenital syphilis can be disabling, even life-threatening, so
it's important for a pregnant woman with syphilis to be treated.
Primary syphilis
The
first sign of syphilis, which may occur from 10 days to three months after
exposure, may be a small, painless sore (chancre) on the part of your body
where the infection was transmitted, usually your genitals, rectum, tongue or
lips. A single chancre is typical, but there may be multiple sores.
The sore
typically heals without treatment, but the underlying disease remains and may
reappear in the second (secondary) or third (tertiary) stage.
Secondary syphilis
Signs
and symptoms of secondary syphilis may begin three to six weeks after the
chancre appears, and may include:
Rash marked by red or reddish-brown,
penny-sized sores over any area of your body, including your palms and
soles
Fever
Enlarged lymph nodes
Fatigue and a vague feeling of discomfort
Soreness and aching
These
signs and symptoms may disappear without treatment within a few weeks or
repeatedly come and go for as long as a year.
Latent syphilis
In some
people, a period called latent syphilis — in which no symptoms are present — may
follow the secondary stage. Signs and symptoms may never return, or the disease
may progress to the tertiary stage.
Tertiary syphilis
Without
treatment, syphilis bacteria may spread, leading to serious internal organ
damage and death years after the original infection.
Some of
the signs and symptoms of tertiary syphilis include:
Lack of coordination
Numbness
Paralysis
Blindness
Dementia
Neurosyphilis
At any
stage, syphilis can affect the nervous system. Neurosyphilis may cause no signs
or symptoms, or it can cause:
Headache
Behavior changes
Movement problems
If you
suspect you have an STI, see your doctor
If you
suspect you have these or other STIs or that you may have been exposed to one,
see your doctor for testing. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important to
avoid or delay more-severe, potentially life-threatening health problems and to
avoid infecting others.
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