Treatment of syphilis: when to start and what to do?

Treatment of syphilis

Treatment of syphilis is not an easy task and not quick, but today from this disease can be eliminated once and for all. The main thing to consult a doctor in time, and then he will be held without damage to health.

Syphilis is an ancient disease, with a long history of treatment attempts. The first includes treatment of rashes ointments and powders on the basis of mercury, lead, arsenic. Surprisingly, this treatment did give some result. The causative agent of syphilis (Treponema pallidum) are sensitive to these substances, so that with regular reception did manage to slow the development of disease, and in some cases even get rid of it.

Since Treponema pallidum is able to survive and reproduce only in a narrow temperature range (about 37 degrees), used infecting a patient with malaria. This disease causes periods of prolonged increase in temperature up to 39-40 degrees. Such a systemic hyperthermia leads to the death of Treponema. Interestingly, this method, in rare cases, use today, but to increase the temperature use special drugs.

Some effect was also given treatment rash iodine, but this treatment did not affect the number of pathogens in the blood

Also not proven and surgical treatment of syphilis. Some time tried excising the primary chancre. But, as shown by more detailed studies, already at the initial stage in the patient's blood has a large number of pathogens, and therefore removal of the ulcer does not affect the course of the disease.

The turning point came in the 40-ies of the last century with the beginning of the use of antibiotics. The first open and widely used drug, penicillin was very effective against Treponema pallidum. Even the modern treatment is largely based on this drug.

Basic principles of treatment of syphilis

Treponema pallidum is one of the few bacteria that becomes resistant to drugs. Despite the fact that the therapy of this disease is based on the use of penicillin for over 70 years, it still remains an extremely effective drug.

In some cases, the doctor prescribes the rate of other drugs. As a rule, it is only intolerance of penicillin. In these cases, prescribe drugs other ranks: macrolides, cephalosporins, tetracycline.

Even modern treatment in most cases uses the classical scheme: a long course, at least three weeks, during which time every three hours an injection or another method to introduce antibiotic. This course is effective in most cases, but it is quite difficult and unpleasant. To control such treatment of syphilis is not so often recommended for this period of hospitalization.

This scheme is extremely uncomfortable so a long time doctors were looking for ways to simplify the scheme. And now there is a more convenient option – the so-called durante drugs, that is, the antibiotic of prolonged action. And instead of eight injections per day requires only one injection a week.

Today some clinics that claim to treat will need only one injection. Unfortunately, such methods yet. Maximum short circuit described above, three or four injections with a one week break.

A separate issue is the treatment of neurosyphilis. This relatively rare form of the disease requires the introduction of an antibiotic into the spinal canal. Only such a difficult and painful injection allows to deliver the drug directly to the brain. Because such a course cannot provide in ordinary countycasino, often patients are transferred to the neurological Department.

Additional therapy

The main course of therapy, including antibiotics, supplemented with other drugs. Most often the doctor prescribes the means of stimulating the immune system, vitamins, hepatoprotectors. A long course of antibiotics may be detrimental to the condition of the intestinal and vaginal flora in women. Therefore, your doctor may recommend medications to restore it.

For the preservation and recovery of reproductive functions both in men and women often recommend physical therapy. Methods are selected individually for eachcase's.

Control recovery

How many of treated syphilis depends on the stage of the disease. Primary and secondary stage doctor will be able to cure for 3-4 weeks. For late secondary and tertiary syphilis requires a more complicated scheme, especially if there were complications and lesions of the internal organs.

Therefore, all methods of control recovery are to conduct laboratory analyses. They work on different principles: identify antibodies to syphilis, or the presence of the bacteria. To monitor recovery use the second methods, because antibodies persist for some time in the blood after full recovery.

The doctor said with certainty that the patient is healthy, you need to get a few "clean" tests: after three, six and twelve months after the last injection.

Preventive therapy

At the time of treatment is strictly prohibited sexual intercourse and it is highly desirable that any physical contact. For the prevention of domestic infection of people living in the same house with the patient, it is important to observe personal hygiene. Necessary strictly individual towel, bath accessories, dishes, linens. In some cases, the doctor recommends you to undergo preventive treatment.

Important issue – the prevention of syphilis. If there is a possibility that during casual sexual intercourse you could be infected with syphilis, it is necessary to carefully handle the external genitals with a disinfectant solution (Miramistin, Chlorhexidine). Women suggest douching with the solution for men – introduction into the urethra. Such methods do not provide complete protection against infection, but reduces their likelihood. But after that you should contact the doctor for advice. The doctor will recommend additional preventive therapy that is appropriate for your case.

Therapy of syphilis in pregnancy

Today, the treatment of syphilis is very effective. Today it is possible to get rid of it fairly quickly and without significant complications. But there is an exception to this is pregnancy.

In most cases, a pregnant woman infected by syphilis can transmit it to the fetus. Typically, this occurs in the period of 10 weeks.

To prevent this, at the planning stage of pregnancy, it is extremely important to pass the examination. In addition, during the observation in the antenatal clinic three times a woman goes for tests for syphilis – when setting not account, for the period of about 20 weeks and before birth.

If it turns out that she was infected with syphilis, the doctor prescribes emergency therapy. Its effectiveness depends on what time of the identified infection. In the first trimester the treatment is effective for both the mother and the child. Penicillin has no harmful effects on fetal development. In the later stages require additional examination to determine how much the child suffered.

Often mothers who are diagnosed with syphilis, the doctor offers to terminate the pregnancy for medical reasons. Not to stand in front of this difficult choice, it is important to be screened prior to pregnancy or at a very early period. But, in any case, the decision about the abortion itself takes a woman, on the basis of the consultation and the results of the survey.

Even in pregnancy, syphilis is curable. Most importantly, the doctor on time prescribed a course until the baby fetus did not receive critical damage.

I hope that now you will not have the question, whether syphilis is curable. A course of antibiotics, a number of control analyses, surveillance – and you can forget about it. The main difficulty is to promptly contact their doctor. If you don't pay attention to the symptoms can not only cause the infection of other children, but also to prevent the emergence of complications, which can significantly undermine health.