Syphilis is a dangerous infectious disease that is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. Infection can occur in utero. Children with congenital syphilis in most cases are doomed to prolonged treatment and inevitable torment.
The consequences of the progression of this pathology can be many. The most common complications caused by the activity of pale treponema (the causative agent of syphilis), in addition to disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, include external lesions of the genitals, skin, face. Many believe that if, for example, the nose with syphilis has changed, the patient does not have much time. But is death really inevitable? And why does the nose fail with syphilis? This manifestation of the disease can be met infrequently. By the way, to look at the disfigured face of a sick person, you need to have iron nerves and a stable psyche.
How syphilis kills the body
This disease always proceeds in a chronic form, develops rapidly, for the general condition and well-being of a person poses a significant threat. With the progression of the disease, the face is distorted: the nasal cartilage is destroyed, the nose is deformed, the hard palate falls.
Nose damage in syphilis is not the only serious problem. This disease at an advanced stage leads to a serious disruption in the activity of the central nervous system, the destruction of hard and soft tissues, internal organs. The changes that occur are irreversible and inevitably lead to the death of the patient.
As already noted, the causative agent of an infectious disease is pale treponema. This pathogenic cell has a spiral shape, and its length does not exceed 14 microns. The danger of treponema lies in its excessively high mobility. The microbe is able to affect not only the mucous membranes, but also the epidermis. To attach to the glands and internal organs, the pathogen is screwed into them.
How the infection is transmitted, and why the nose is affected
The most common transmission of syphilis is through the sexual. With unprotected intimacy, treponema passes from a sick partner to a healthy one. Moreover, the microbe is transmitted during vaginal, anal sex and oral caress, as well as through a kiss. You can get syphilis in the household way, by contacting with objects that the patient used. Infection is transmitted from mother to child through the placenta during pregnancy.
It is not difficult to answer the question of why the nose is affected by syphilis. Here the reason lies in the direct contact of the mucosa with the pathogen. For infection, it is enough not to wash your hands once after shaking hands with a person who has characteristic chancre rashes on the palms, or to use medical devices that were used by the patient.
Characteristic symptoms
The first signs of syphilis occur in the nasal membrane and on the skin. In that part of the epidermis through which the infection has entered the body, a specific bright red spot forms. It quickly grows and turns into a purulent wound. This ulcer is called chancre. No other symptoms appear at the initial stage of the disease, while the patient does not experience any painful and unpleasant sensations. As a rule, patients at first do not realize the real scale of the disease and the need for urgent treatment.
The incubation period lasts for 1.5-2 months. Symptoms of syphilis of the nose can occur much later if the patient drank antibiotics or hormonal drugs throughout this time. On average, the first chancre ulcerations form a month after infection.
And most importantly: is the nose of a patient with syphilis a carrier of infection, and is this person dangerous for others? It is important to understand that the presence of chancre on the skin, regardless of localization, indicates the progression of infection. Ulcers consist of infected infected cells, so they are really unsafe for people around.
This sexually transmitted disease goes through three stages of development. If you start treatment in the first two stages, the patient has a good chance of recovery. Symptoms of syphilis of the nose depend not only on the degree of development of the disease, but also on whether the disease is acquired or congenital.
What happens in the primary stage
For this stage of the disease, the formation of small reddish nodules near the nasal inlets is characteristic. At first, small rashes are localized exclusively on the septum, the tip of the nose, the edges of each nostril, wings. At the end of the incubation period, that is, a couple of months after infection, the patient develops an unlike syphilitic nodule resembling a bleeding ulcer. By itself, it does not cause any sensations, to the touch it seems to slightly rise above the upper layer of the epidermis.
A few days later, the appeared nodule dissolves on its own, and in its place a yellowish crust forms, under which with the naked eye a small erosive speck of scarlet color is visible, which has seals along the edges. Inside the chancre there is a lot of serous fluid and bacterial cells. Each ulcer is a real hotbed of pale treponema.
In the primary stage, syphilis of the nose does not bother. Some patients notice an increase in lymph nodes under the jaw and behind the ears, which become painful on palpation. With syphilis, the nose can block, which interferes with full nasal breathing.
Secondary syphilis, features of the course
This stage is characterized by the appearance of profuse rashes and lesions of the skin, mucous membranes. When the nose is affected, patients experience a catarrhal runny nose, and wet cracks form near the nostrils. The patient is constantly worried about congestion, runny nose, swelling. Cartilage and membranes are gradually destroyed. In parallel with the nose, the infection affects the mucous membrane of the oral cavity.
Some people think that with syphilis the nose cannot fall off, and these are just made-up horror stories that motivate partners to have safe sex using condoms. But in fact, changes occurring in the secondary stage are not evil fiction. Those violations that managed to occur at this time, can be eliminated only with the help of a surgical scalpel.
With congenital syphilis, a child develops a runny nose, which is not treated with any drugs. Due to the constantly stuffy nose, the child sniffles, his breathing is difficult. At the same time, greenish mucus, which has an unpleasant putrefactive odor, is liberally liberated from the nasal passages. At the entrance to the nasal cavity, wounds that are covered with brown crusts are noticeable.
Third stage
If a person has already dropped his nose, syphilis has probably reached the extreme stage. Although in practice, a real failure of the nose can be observed extremely rarely. With a disfigured face, without a nose, a person remains due to improper treatment or none at all.
At the beginning of the tertiary stage, gummy infiltrates appear in the oral cavity on a soft and hard palate, which cause the destruction of cartilage and bone tissue. The consequence of this process is the formation of a deep ulcer. The skin acquires a reddish tint, the nose becomes swollen, wide, shapeless.
At this stage of the disease, chronic rhinitis develops, a characteristic feature of which are purulent discharge with bloody impurities. Other signs of syphilitic rhinitis are:
- violation of nasal breathing;
- unpleasant persistent odor from the nose and mouth;
- congestion not eliminated by vasoconstrictor drugs;
- dyspnea;
- pain in the sternum, heart;
- general weakness and malaise.
At the tertiary stage of syphilis, the nose hurts very much, the wings and nose bridge begin to sink. The first dips become noticeable when the ulcers deepen so deep that they destroy neighboring cartilage tissue and close the nasal passage. The patient is no longer recognized, since his face is severely disinfected.
Signs of Congenital Syphilis
One of the specific manifestations of congenital syphilis in newborns is nosebleed. With syphilis in a child, part of the posterior oral cavity, in particular, the hard palate, is slowly destroyed. It is very difficult to identify pathology at an early stage. The difficulty is as follows: if the mother became infected during pregnancy, the Wasserman reaction can be false negative. This is the main reason why congenital syphilis is diagnosed mainly in the later stages.
If untreated, the child will have new symptoms of the disease. As you grow older, the lack of integrity of the teeth will become noticeable - they are either completely destroyed or uneven, affected by caries. Often, children with congenital syphilis experience problems with bleeding gums.
From medical practice, few cases are known when the child's nose fell off with syphilis. Other symptoms are more common:
- Visually noticeable swelling in the nasal septum;
- rapidly developing inflammation;
- shortness of breath, oxygen starvation;
- consistently high body temperature (above 38 ° C);
- frequent vomiting, nausea;
- weakness, irritability, lethargy.
If you start treatment immediately after the baby is born, the disease will have no chance of further progression. In a serious form, the disease usually passes for such reasons as:
- vulnerability of the immune system, immunodeficiency;
- inferior drug therapy;
- concomitant development of diseases of the blood, heart, endocrine system, kidneys, liver;
- deficiency of nutrient intake.
Methods for diagnosing syphilis
The choice of diagnostic method largely depends on what stage the disease is currently at. In order to confirm the diagnosis of syphilis, the patient will have to take blood tests. At the initial stage, the specialist examines the skin of the patient, interrogates him, tries to find out how long the infection occurred. If the patient, who suspects infection, will go to the clinic himself in the first days after the potential infection has occurred, he will be able to start treatment as soon as possible, and this, in turn, gives great chances for recovery.
In order to diagnose secondary syphilis, in addition to a positive blood test for RW, the patient should have brown or yellow rashes typical of the disease on the septum and wings of the nose. It is precisely those ulcerations that form on the nasal septum that mainly cause the destruction of cartilage. Tertiary syphilis can be confirmed using a positive Wasserman test and biopsy results.
Regardless of the stage of the disease, the state of internal organs is examined. The patient is prescribed an ultrasound, an electrocardiogram, and to clarify complex diagnoses - an MRI or CT. Persons suffering from syphilis must be examined by specialized specialists, including an ophthalmologist, neurologist, otolaryngologist, etc.
If there is a mention of syphilis in the history of a woman who is planning a pregnancy, she is advised to undergo a second comprehensive examination, pass serological tests and other laboratory tests for the detection of treponemas.
How is the affected nose treated
A systemic therapy for a disease such as syphilis is prescribed by a venereologist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. After confirmation of the pathogen in the blood, penicillin-type antibiotics are prescribed to the patient. If treatment begins at an advanced stage of the disease, bismuth-based medicines are used. Anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to eliminate symptoms and reduce the severity of symptoms.
In case of nasal affection after syphilis, it is advisable to use local medicines, rinse the nasal passages with a solution of sodium bicarbonate. If the patient has swallowing disorders, light herbal decoctions and tinctures (from chamomile, marigold, thyme) or a solution of hydrogen peroxide diluted with water are used.
If the nose has already failed, you can fix the appearance only with the help of a plastic surgeon. Surgery is performed after the final cure. Patients who are left without a nose (syphilis is manifested by overgrowth of the nasal passage due to scarring of affected tissues) are recommended to temporarily use inflatable sprays.
Probable complications
If the treatment was done on time, the prognosis will be favorable. It is difficult enough to help patients with the tertiary stage of syphilis and complete deformation of the face. The disease can change the patient beyond recognition. Distortion in appearance may be of the following types:
- Saddle nose - occurs due to the destruction of the upper or middle part of the nose, the complete removal of the nasal septum.
- Lornet nose - the cause of its formation is scarring of the edges of the pear-shaped opening of both nostrils.
- Bulldog nose - the tip and wings of the nose, as well as its outer part, sink inward. The patient loses the ability to breathe through the nose.
- The nose, like a parrot, is formed with the complete destruction of the cartilage in the nasal septum. In this case, the tip of the nose becomes retracted and flat.
If rhinitis has been bothering you for a long time, you should consult a doctor to rule out a serious illness.