The Great Imitator
Syphilis is known to be passed from person to person through direct contact with a sore caused by this disease. It cannot be contracted from doorknobs, hot tubs, swimming pools, eating utensils, bathtubs or toilet seats. It is a sexually transmitted disease and found mainly on external genitals, rectum or anus but sores can also appear on the mouth or lips. Women who are pregnant can pass it to their babies.
It can often take years for syphilis symptoms to appear and this will leave the person with a risk for complication because of a late diagnosis. Some syphilis sores are not recognized as what they are so the person with these sores can pass on the illness without knowing. In the primary stage a sore will appear that is firm, round, small and totally painless. The place where the syphilis entered the body is where this sore will be. This sore will remain for three to six weeks and can heal without any treatment at all. If adequate treatment is not administered, the sore will go on to the secondary stage.
The secondary stage will show a skin rash that will be on one or more areas of the body. Other types of rashes can also appear and can look like other diseases which is why syphilis is often called the “great imitator.” Many signs and symptoms can look like other diseases so the actual disease can be overlooked. Other secondary symptoms may include swollen lymph glands, sore throat, fever and patchy hair loss. Without treatment the syphilis infection will go on to the late stage. This stage can last for years and show no symptoms even though it is still within the body. The late stage can appear ten to twenty years after the initial infection first began. Internal organs can be effected and include eyes, heart, blood, brain , nerves, liver, bones and joints. A difficulty with muscle movements, paralysis and dementia can be the late stages of this infection. There can also be gradual blindness and numbness and the progression of this damage can cause death. Your doctor can diagnose syphilis if you have a sore that he can get a sample from. A microscope will reveal the syphilis bacteria. A blood test can also be used to diagnose syphilis. If the syphilis bacteria is present in the blood, there will be signs of the antibodies that can remain for years after successful treatment.
