STAGES OF SYPHILIS

Syphilis is an infection that can stay in the body for years if not recognized and treated promptly.
Syphilis infection has three different stages from when it’s contracted, and each of these stages has distinct symptoms.
The first stage is called PRIMARY SYPHILIS: It is characterized by the development of a painless lesion called a chancre. The chancre usually develops in the genital area. It can also develop on the lips, tongue or rectum if these areas have been exposed to a syphilis chancre on another person during oral or anal sexual contact. The chancre can appear at any time from 10 days to three months after exposure. The chancre heals in one to five weeks.

The second stage is called SECONDARY SYPHILIS: In this stage the bacteria that causes syphilis spread throughout the body and cause additional symptoms such as fever, multiform skin eruptions, iritis, alopecia, mucous patches and severe pain in the head and joints. Symptoms begin to appear after about six weeks after the chancre has resolved and include flu-like symptoms (The flu, medically known as influenza, is a common infection of the respiratory tract, including the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. The flu is caused by a virus and is very contagious. The effects of the flu can vary from mild to severe to life-threatening, depending on the type of flu and individual factors, such as age, general health status, and coexisting conditions, such as renal failure). Other symptoms include patchy hair loss, skin rashes, and a rash around the rectum. These rashes do not itch and exposure to these rashes can transmit syphilis to others
N/B: the first stage develops into the second if not treated early enough.

The third stage of syphilis called TERTIARY SYPHILIS: at this stage, it is characterized by late generalized syphilis with involvement of many organs and tissues can lead to serious complications. These complications includes dementia(it is a characterized significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning), paralysis(The loss of motor function due to dysfunction of the spinal cord.), blindness, aortic aneurysm(A localised dilatation of the aorta which results in a 50% increase in its diameter.) and death. Syphilis can also increase the risk of HIV infection, which causes AIDS
N/B: If left untreated, the syphilis infection continues even though there may not be symptoms for as many as 20 years.