Syphilis Disease

Syphilis is an infectious disease that can have serious consequences in the medical world and is common worldwide. Syphilis, which has an important place, especially among sexually transmitted diseases, can significantly reduce the quality of life of the person and cause various health problems if left untreated. In this article we have written for you, we will give information about what syphilis disease is, how it is transmitted and its types.

What is Syphilis Disease?

Syphilis is a contagious infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. This disease, which has affected the lives of many people throughout history, manifests itself with various symptoms and can cause permanent damage if not treated in time.

Syphilis is divided into four different stages and each stage has different symptoms. In the first stage, painless sores called chancre occur, while rashes and other symptoms appear in the second stage. In the third stage, the disease may not show symptoms, but in the fourth stage, it can cause serious health problems.

How is syphilis transmitted?

Syphilis is usually transmitted sexually. During sexual intercourse, microorganisms are exchanged between the skin or mucosal surfaces of the infected person and the healthy person, thus transmitting the disease. There is also a risk of transmission from infected mothers to their babies during birth. In rare cases, syphilis can also be transmitted through blood transfusions or organ transplants. However, there is no risk of transmission of the disease from common areas such as social contact, towels and toilets.

What are the Types of Syphilis?

Syphilis is divided into four main stages according to its symptoms and course:

Primary syphilis; It is the first stage of the disease and manifests itself with the formation of painless, hard, and round wounds called chancre within 10-90 days after infection. These sores usually appear on the genitals, in the anus or in the mouth.

Secondary syphilis; It starts 2-8 weeks after the primary stage and occurs with symptoms such as rashes, fever, and lymph node swelling. In this stage, the disease spreads on the skin and mucosal surfaces and is more easily transmitted.

Latent syphilis; In the third stage of the disease, the symptoms disappear and the disease enters a silent period. This phase can last for years and the disease ceases to be contagious.

Tertiary syphilis is the fourth and most dangerous stage of the disease. In this stage, the disease can damage important organs such as the heart, brain, nervous system and bones. This stage occurs in 15-40% of untreated patients and can lead to serious health problems.

Syphilis can be controlled with early diagnosis and treatment and permanent damage can be prevented. Therefore, it is important to be aware of sexually transmitted diseases and to have regular health checks.

What are the Causes of Syphilis?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis is transmitted through wounds or tissue damage to the skin and mucous membranes during sexual intercourse. In addition, an infected mother can pass the disease to her baby during pregnancy or at birth; this is called congenital syphilis.

The transmission routes of syphilis can be briefly listed as follows;

• Contact with an infected partner during vaginal, anal or oral sexual intercourse
• Transmission from an infected mother to her baby
• Rarely, contact with the blood of an infected person (e. g. needle sharing)

Factors that increase the risk of syphilis are as follows;

• Multiple sexual partners
• Unprotected sexual intercourse
• Being HIV positive
• The presence of another sexually transmitted infection

What are the Stages of Syphilis?

Syphilis disease progresses in four stages. These are primary, secondary, latent and tertiary syphilis.

Primary Syphilis: It is the first stage of the disease and occurs approximately 3-4 weeks after the onset of infection. At this stage, a painless and hard wound (chancre) forms at the site of infection. Chancre usually appears on the genitals, anus or mouth. When this sore heals, the disease passes into the secondary stage.

Secondary syphilis: In this stage, the disease becomes more widespread and manifests itself with symptoms such as rashes on the body, fever, fatigue, swelling of the lymph nodes and headache. Symptoms of secondary syphilis can last for weeks or months without treatment and then pass into the latent stage.

Latent Syphilis: This stage is when signs and symptoms disappear and the disease is not active. Latent syphilis can last for months or years. Some people continue to remain in this stage, while others move on to the final stage of the disease.

Tertiary syphilis: The most serious and final stage of the disease. In this stage, syphilis can damage organs such as the brain, nervous system, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints. Tertiary syphilis can lead to fatal complications in untreated individuals.

What are the Symptoms of Syphilis?

Syphilis disease shows different symptoms according to its stages. The symptoms of each stage can be briefly listed as follows;

Primary Syphilis Symptoms:

• Painless and hard wound called chancre
• Swollen lymph nodes around the chancre

Symptoms of Secondary Syphilis:

• Rashes on the body (usually on the palms and soles of the feet)
• Fever, fatigue and weakness
• Swelling of the lymph nodes
• Headache and muscle pain
• Sore throat and difficulty swallowing
• Hair loss
• Loss of appetite and weight loss

Symptoms of Latent Syphilis:

• Absence of signs and symptoms

Symptoms of Tertiary Syphilis:

• Neurological problems (headache, mental deterioration, paralysis, balance and coordination problems)
• Cardiovascular complications (aortic aneurysm, aortic narrowing)
• Eye problems (loss of vision, double vision)
• Damage and inflammation of internal organs
• Bone and joint deformations

Syphilis can be successfully treated with early diagnosis and treatment. If syphilis is suspected, it is important to consult a health professional.

How is syphilis diagnosed?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a bacterium called Treponema pallidum. Syphilis can be diagnosed with the patient’s symptoms, medical history and laboratory tests. The steps followed in the diagnosis of syphilis are briefly as follows;

Syphilis is divided into four stages: primary, secondary, latent and tertiary. The presence of the disease can be suspected by examining the signs and symptoms seen in these stages. It is also important to get information about the patient’s sexual partners, sexual history and prevention methods.

The doctor examines the patient’s body, looking for signs of syphilis, such as sores called chancre, rashes and swollen lymph nodes.

A microscopic examination is carried out. A sample of fluid from the chancre wound is examined under a microscope for the presence of the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

Blood tests are performed. The patient’s blood samples are tested to check for the presence of antibodies against syphilis. The VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) and RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin) tests are used in the early stages of syphilis infection. The FTA-ABS (Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody Absorption) and TPPA (Treponema pallidum Particle Agglutination) tests are more specific and sensitive.

What is done in the treatment of syphilis?

It is important to treat syphilis in the early stages, otherwise, the disease can progress and cause serious health problems. The following methods are generally used in the treatment of syphilis;

The most commonly used drug in the treatment of syphilis is penicillin. Alternative antibiotics are also available for patients with penicillin allergy. Depending on the stage and duration of the disease, your doctor may prescribe penicillin in the form of a single injection or a series of injections.

During the course of treatment, it is important that the patient has regular medical check-ups and blood tests. This helps to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and change the treatment plan if necessary.

Because syphilis is sexually transmitted, it is also important to treat the patient’s sexual partners. This helps to prevent the spread of the disease and prevent the patient from becoming re-infected.

What can be done to prevent syphilis?

We can briefly list the measures that can be taken to prevent syphilis for you as follows;

• Safe sexual intercourse,
• Limitation of sexual partners,
• Regular screenings,
• Open communication
• Avoiding needle sharing,

Syphilis Treatment Prices in Turkey

Turkey has managed to announce its name to the world with its investments and studies in the field of health. Especially the latest technological devices used in diagnosis and treatment procedures have been a beacon of hope for many diseases. However, there has been an increase in health tourism in Türkiye.

• Hospitals are large, clean, spacious and fully equipped in terms of technological equipment.
• Turkish doctors are specialized, successful, and skilled in their fields.
• Nurses and carers are friendly and compassionate.
• Finding answers to the questions asked quickly and accurately.
• Patience and understanding of all staff, including the intermediary company dealing with the patient.
• Turkey offers holiday opportunities with its natural and historical beauties.
• Easy transportation.
• Diagnosis, treatment, accommodation, eating, drinking, dressing, and holiday needs can be met at affordable prices.

Such situations are shown among the reasons for preference. We can see that patients and relatives of patients who want to come to Turkey are doing research on syphilis treatment prices in Turkey. However, it would not be right to give clear price information at this stage. Many factors such as the type of disease, stage, diagnosis process, treatment process, and stay in Türkiye affect the price issue. If you want to get more detailed price information, you can contact us. In addition, if you come to Turkey for treatment through us, we can facilitate your visa application process with the invitation letter sent by us to the consulate.