However, when it does happen it can affect many different organ systems. These include the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 10—30 years after your infection began. In tertiary syphilis, the disease damages your internal organs and can result in death.
Without treatment, syphilis can spread to the brain and nervous system neurosyphilis or to the eye ocular syphilis. This can happen during any of the stages described above. Most of the time, a blood test is used to test for syphilis. Some health care providers will diagnose syphilis by testing fluid from a syphilis sore. Yes, syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics from your health care provider. However, treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done.
Having syphilis once does not protect you from getting it again. Only laboratory tests can confirm whether you have syphilis. Follow-up testing by your health care provider is recommended to make sure that your treatment was successful. It may not be obvious that a sex partner has syphilis. This is because syphilis sores can be hidden in the vagina, anus, under the foreskin of the penis, or in the mouth.
Unless you know that your sex partner s has been tested and treated, you may be at risk of getting syphilis again from an infected sex partner. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Minus Related Pages. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease STD that can have very serious complications when left untreated, but it is simple to cure with the right treatment. Basic Fact Sheet Detailed Version View Images of Symptoms Basic fact sheets are presented in plain language for individuals with general questions about sexually transmitted diseases.
Example of a primary syphilis sore. Secondary rash from syphilis on palms of hands. Secondary rash from syphilis on torso.
Darkfield micrograph of Treponema pallidum. It's important to get it treated because syphilis won't normally go away on its own and it can cause serious problems if left untreated. A short course of antibiotics can usually cure syphilis. These are only available on prescription, so you'll need to be tested for syphilis to get them. Syphilis that has lasted less than 2 years is usually treated with an injection of penicillin into your buttocks, or a day course of antibiotic tablets if you can't have penicillin.
Syphilis that has lasted more than 2 years is usually treated with 3 penicillin injections into your buttocks given at weekly intervals, or a 28 day course of antibiotic tablets if you can't have penicillin. More serious cases that affect the brain are usually treated with daily penicillin injections given into your buttocks or a vein for 2 weeks, or a 28 day course of antibiotic tablets if you can't have penicillin. Around 2 in every 5 people experience short-lived flu-like symptoms , such as:.
These symptoms usually only last 24 hours and can often be treated with paracetamol. Get advice from your doctor if they're severe or don't settle down. There's also a risk of having an allergic reaction shortly after a penicillin injection. You'll be monitored after treatment to check for this and will be treated if it occurs. These sores may develop on the skin or mucous membranes of the vagina, anus, rectum, lips, or mouth.
Syphilis is most likely to spread during oral, anal, or vaginal sexual activity. People rarely pass the bacteria on through kissing. The first sign is a painless sore on either the genitals, rectum, mouth, or another part of the skin.
Some people do not notice the sore, as it does not cause pain. These sores resolve on their own. However, if a person does not receive treatment, the bacteria remain in the body. They can remain dormant in the body for decades before reactivating and damaging organs, including the brain. Doctors categorize the stage of syphilis as either primary, secondary, latent, or tertiary. A variety of symptoms define each stage. The disease can be contagious during the primary and secondary stages and, occasionally, the early latent phase.
Tertiary syphilis is not contagious, but it has the most severe symptoms. The symptoms of primary syphilis include one or more painless, firm, and round syphilitic sores, or chancres. These appear 10 days to 3 months after the bacteria enter the body. Chancres resolve within 2—6 weeks. However, without treatment, the disease may remain in the body and progress to the next phase. These symptoms may resolve a few weeks after they first appear. They might also return several times over a longer period.
Read more about secondary syphilis. The latent phase can last for several years. During this time, the body will harbor the disease without symptoms. However, the T. Doctors still recommend treating syphilis at this stage, even if symptoms do not occur. Tertiary syphilis can occur 10—30 years after the onset of the infection, usually after a period of latency during which there are no symptoms.
Organ damage means that tertiary syphilis can often lead to death. Treating syphilis before it reaches this stage is, therefore, critical.
Neurosyphilis is a condition that develops when T. It often has links to latent and tertiary syphilis. However, it can occur at any time after the primary stage.
A person with neurosyphilis may be asymptomatic for a long time. Alternatively, symptoms might develop gradually. Symptoms include :. Congenital syphilis is severe and frequently life threatening.
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