Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease. Next, we consider the features of its primary stage, as well as what symptoms it has, what features it has and how it is treated.
General information
Primary syphilis is the period that occurs during the maturation of the disease in the human body. It should be noted that it was at this point that the first symptoms of the disease were already clearly manifested, but at that time they were not yet expressed in the form of overt injuries in the region of the human genital organs.
You need to understand that the ability to recognize the first symptoms of syphilis at its very first stage of nucleation can save a person’s life at one point, who will be able to contact a specialist in the field of venereology in time to establish the cause of the disease and its timely treatment. Practice shows that the treatment of syphilis at the very first stage of its occurrence, as a rule, helps to prevent the onset of more serious stages of the disease, as well as the onset of dire consequences.
The period of primary syphilis can last for several weeks from the moment of infection, and its symptoms appear almost immediately.
Medical history
From the history of primary syphilis, three theories of the occurrence of the disease in question can be distinguished: European, African and American.
According to American theory, this disease appeared in Europe in the 15th century, and, in all likelihood, it was "brought" by crew members of the ship Christopher Columbus, who were infected with the virus while still in America. Scientists came to such conclusions after they found bacteria that were quite similar to syphilis in livestock. It is believed that the cause of this disease was the love of American Aboriginal people for bestiality, in fact, from which the human infection occurred. Of course, the virus has somewhat modified in the human body. However, the reliability of such a theory raises some doubts, since syphilitic processes were found in many ancient human remains, as well as mentions of such a disease are found in various chronicles and other ancient sources of Ancient Greece, Egypt and Persia.
The African theory of the onset of the disease says that syphilis is a separate branch of the development of another disease - frambesia. Until now, this disease is very common in countries of the African continent. By its nature, it is very similar to syphilis, however, unlike it, it is not sexually transmitted, but penetrates the body through the pores and cracks formed on the skin. Currently, experts are suggesting that syphilis is a subspecies of frambesia, it was brought to Europe during the time of the active slave trade, which was carried out with the African continent.
And finally, another theory of the origin of the disease is European. It says that the disease in question existed in the Bronze Age, when humanity was just emerging. Scientists made such conclusions after they found a lot of human remains of those times that were subject to certain changes that could only occur under the influence of syphilis.
In the history of mankind, several cases are known when Europe, Russia and other countries of the world were covered by an epidemic of this disease. Modern specialists in the field of medicine also draw the attention of the public to the fact that nowadays, symptoms of primary syphilis are more often observed in patients of venereological departments of clinics, as well as this disease is detected at later stages. That is why they believe that conducting educational events, especially among the younger generation, is a very important activity.
Ways to acquire syphilis
In order to protect yourself from such a disease, you must be aware of how it is transmitted.
First of all, of course, you should be aware that the most common way of transmission of the disease in question is through sexual intercourse. In order to protect yourself from unwanted infections, you must carefully protect yourself. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that only a condom can save from sexually transmitted diseases, since only this tool can withstand direct contact of the penis of the partner with the body of the partner. Moreover, it should be noted that syphilis is a disease that can be transmitted with any type of sexual contact: vaginal, anal and even oral.
The disease in question can also be transmitted in everyday conditions: through saliva, bath towels, bedding, washcloths. A common way to transmit the disease is through blood and breast milk.
Symptoms of the primary period of syphilis: chancre
Any person must know about what the first signs that appear in the body and human body indicate infection with a dangerous disease. First of all, the formation of a solid chancre is among these. Many photos with primary syphilis show how this phenomenon looks. As a rule, it is formed in the genital area: on the labia minora and labia minora (in women), at the end of the penis (in men), in the anus (most often among homosexuals or those women who practice anal sex), and also on the back commissure. Primary syphilis in women can be manifested on the vaginal walls or in the cervical region, which is impossible to notice on their own - only a gynecologist can detect such a symptom at the time of examination.
In practice, it often happens that chancres are extragenital in nature, that is, they are formed not in the genital area. Often this phenomenon most often manifests itself on the arm and back.
What does a chancre look like? First of all, it appears in the form of round or oval spots, characterized by density and characteristic soreness when pressed on it. The described neoplasm has strictly defined boundaries, and their size, as a rule, is about 10 mm in diameter. All spots that are the primary symptoms of syphilis have a crimson or murky pink hue, and on top they have a varnished surface, which is due to the presence of a small amount of secretion that is released through the chancres at the time the disease begins.
In some cases, venereologists may encounter ulcer type chancres on the bodies of patients. They are characterized by great pain in the sensations, as well as the occurrence of decay processes at the place of their formation, which indicates a greater aggravation of the problem. This type of chancre is very common in homosexuals, in the organisms of which there is a primary syphilis virus.
Amygdalite
In fact, amygdalitis manifests itself as an ordinary viral catarrhal disease. As a rule, it occurs when oral contact with the virus carrier occurs. The same applies to cases of acquisition of the disease by domestic means.
Specialists in the field of venereology characterize amygdalitis as a syphilitic tonsillitis, which affects the mucous membrane of the throat. The pathological process of its course is one-sided. As a rule, the main changes relate to the area of the tonsils, which within a short period begin to swell, redden and become covered with chancres or even ulcers. In the process, the lymph nodes can become larger than the usual size by several centimeters.
This symptom can occur after a couple of weeks from the moment of infection of the body, as a result of which in medical practice it is often called the "concomitant bubo".
It should be noted that this phenomenon is eliminated for a very long time. In the process of treatment at the sites of inflammation for a long time, pale treponema will be observed, as a result of which the disease from the primary stage can develop into a secondary one.
Damage to the vascular wall
A sign of primary syphilis are also lesions that can occur in the area of the lymphatic network. This manifestation of the disease can easily be determined by a venereologist, even without conducting an additional examination. The symptom is clearly manifested on the outside, with a visual examination. The element of primary syphilis lesion is presented in the form of lymphangiitis, which looks like a dense lace. This formation is completely painless and is detected, as a rule, during palpation.
Other symptoms
Other symptoms may be attributed to the symptoms of the primary period of syphilis. Most of them, a person can notice on their own and in time contact a venereologist. It should be noted that all the symptoms presented in this section, as a rule, appear after the formation of chancres, as well as inflammation of the lymph nodes.
A person whose body is infected with a bacterium that causes syphilis, almost immediately after the end of the incubation period, begins to experience general malaise throughout the body, which, as a rule, is especially well observed in people who lead an active lifestyle. Future patients of a venereologist begin to experience sharp headaches, aching joints, as well as discomfort in the legs. As a rule, such sensations are accompanied by fever and muscle pain.
As a result of laboratory tests, a person who develops primary syphilis may experience a reduced hemoglobin level, as well as a marked increase in the number of white blood cells.
If such symptoms are found in themselves, all medical experts unanimously recommend contacting the clinic for general tests. It should be noted that such symptoms accompany the end of the incubation period of many life-threatening diseases.
Incubation period
It should be noted that primary seronegative syphilis has its own incubation period during which the disease may not reveal any signs. If we consider the average indicators associated with the duration of the incubation period, then the disease can remain in a "sleeping" state from 21 to 50 days from the moment the virus enters the body. As the practice of doctors shows, during the three-week period from the moment the bacteria enter the body, the results of all the tests studied in the laboratory can have a negative answer, as if the body was not infected. As a rule, the first symptoms described above can be manifested on the 21st day and later.
There are certain reasons that contribute to the prolongation of the incubation period of the virus. These include high body temperature, which has been observed for a long time. In addition, the disease will manifest itself much later if a person is undergoing treatment in which a course of antibiotics is present. Also, the patient’s age affects the period of determining the disease: the older he is, the longer the incubation period can take.
It should be noted that the duration of the incubation period affects the overall course of the disease. So, for a longer period, the spirochete bacterium, which is the main causative agent of the disease, manages to multiply significantly and penetrate into many organs and, in particular, into the lymph. In this case, the body will experience a serious inflammatory process, which can lead to consequences that are dangerous to health and life.
The incubation period can be very short. This happens when a critically large number of treponemals enter the body, which multiply at a rapid speed.
Diagnostics
Before starting treatment for primary syphilis, a diagnosis of the disease is carried out, which is carried out in the laboratory. In parallel with this, clinical symptom studies should also be conducted.
Diagnosis of primary syphilis, as a rule, begins with the Wasserman reaction - this procedure is fundamental in determining the disease. In the event that after it is carried out on the patient’s body, a chancre forms, then this means that its result is negative, and there is a disease in the body that lasts less than a month. In the event that the test shows a positive result, then this means that the disease lasts more than one month, as evidenced by the accumulation of a large number of antibodies. In this case, the specialist can safely say that seroconversion has occurred in the human body, as a result of which the seronegative period has been replaced by a positive one.
Actually, the primary signs of syphilis can also be used to diagnose the disease. In particular, specialists in the field of venereology conduct some research of chancres by direct microscopy in a dark body. If a causative agent of syphilis is detected here, then this factor is indisputable evidence of the presence of a disease in the human body.
Diagnostics after the incubation period
After the incubation period of the disease passes, a person begins to experience symptoms of primary syphilis, visible signs of the presence of the disease appear on his body, and the general condition of the body worsens significantly. It should be noted that all tests performed in this period begin to show the presence of the disease. How is the diagnosis of the disease in this period?
First of all, a specialist in the field of venereology prescribes a serological diagnosis, which implies the process of detecting pathogenic bacteria (treponemas) in chancres. Based on the results obtained in the course of the research conducted in the laboratory, the doctor draws up his opinion regarding the presence of the disease and the stage of its course.
After the described procedure, a number of other studies are carried out: the body is studied by the Wasserman reaction, microreaction on glass, microrecipitation, as well as passive hemagglutination. In the process of diagnosing primary syphilis (the skin manifestations of the disease are shown in the photo), actions are taken to immobilize treponema, as well as its immunofluorescence.
After all the necessary studies are completed and the results are obtained, the doctor should examine the patient’s health status and prescribe the most appropriate course of treatment.
It should be noted that all the described types of diagnostics can be carried out if chancres are already clearly visible on the human body, genital erosion occurs, as well as ulcers or, for example, balanoposthitis, gradually developing into gangrene.
Treatment
The procedure for treating primary, secondary, and tertiary syphilis is different. However, it should be noted that all the manipulations are most effective at the first stage, when the disease has not yet managed to affect most of the cells of the body. The main task of a specialist who treats the primary period of syphilis is to create all the conditions so that the disease does not go to the secondary stage, since further processes may already be irreversible. Immediately, it should be borne in mind that the treatment procedure is a rather lengthy process, which consists of several stages, which are tested, laboratory tests of various types, as well as some operations and observations. In the event that the patient timely contacted the venereologist with the problem, the treatment procedure may take about 90 days or a little longer, but if a later stage is detected, the process can drag on for at least a year.
In addition to the patient himself, all members of his family, as well as those who have close contact with him or live under the same roof, should undergo examination in the clinic. This condition is connected with the fact that the disease in question at any stage has the property of being transmitted by domestic means.
If the primary signs of syphilis are detected, treatment is carried out by the method of penicillin administration, which is done every three hours under stationary conditions. This course of treatment is about 24 days. In the event that the patient had primary syphilis, his treatment is carried out in a clinic for at least three weeks.
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It should be noted that these treatment methods are used exclusively in the case of a primary period of syphilis. In the event that the patient has a more advanced stage of the disease, the specialist, as a rule, uses other treatment methods. Any patient should also understand that when the first signs of the disease in question are detected, you should immediately contact a doctor, since their manifestation only indicates that the disease has already survived the stage of the incubation period and has begun to be absorbed in the body. In this case, any delay can be dangerous not only for health but also for life.
Drugs prescribed for the treatment of syphilis
In order to overcome primary syphilis on the penis, in the labia, in the mouth or in any other part of the body, you should certainly consult a specialist. He will prescribe the most appropriate course of treatment, as well as select drugs that support the immune system and kill bacteria that cause irreversible processes in the body.
For the treatment of primary and secondary syphilis, venereologists most often recommend the use of such drugs as Josamycin, which is necessary to use 750 mg three times a day, as well as Erythromycin and Doxycycline, which should be taken orally four times a day 0.5 mg
As part of the treatment for the primary stage of syphilis, independent or additional intramuscular injections can be prescribed. The most effective specialists among this form of the drug are Extensillin, which has only two injections per course, and Bicillin, which is also administered twice, but the procedure should be repeated five days later until the disease subsides.
Prevention
There are certain preventive measures that avoid infection with syphilis. It should be noted that even an absolutely healthy person who leads an orderly sexual life can suddenly meet with a carrier of a pathogenic bacterium and become infected with it by an unpleasant ailment. So what measures should be taken in order to protect oneself as much as possible from this?
In order to surely avoid infection with a bacterium, you should definitely thoroughly approach the choice of a sexual partner. Specialists in the field of medicine of various profiles, as well as sexologists recommend avoiding sexual intercourse with unfamiliar people. In the case of sex, you should definitely use a condom, regardless of what type of contact occurs (anal, oral or vaginal).
In the event that a person understands that he has had sexual or bodily contact with a person who is infected with the disease in question, he should immediately contact a medical specialist (venereologist) to undergo an examination and analysis. In parallel with this, you will need to immediately undergo a small course of preventive treatment that will prevent infection of the body - such preventive measures will help to avoid the disease, as well as its deplorable consequences.