Among venereal diseases, syphilis firmly occupies a leading position. And, since the 90s, the incidence rate is constantly growing. Therefore, people who are not inclined to frequent changes in their sexual partners are interested in: is it possible to catch syphilis by the household way?
How is household syphilis transmitted?
There are several ways of infection. The syphilis is rarely transmitted by the household way. Nevertheless, syphilis in everyday life is almost inevitable, if one of the partners is sick, but carefully conceals this fact from the second partner. You can also get infected from a relative or close friend.
The cause of infection can be the penetration of saliva with a kiss, the use of common objects, such as a toothbrush, utensils, a towel, lipstick. Household infection with syphilis causes a common bath. In principle, any object on which pale treponema virus is present can become a source of infection. Sometimes, the disease is transmitted through blood transfusion. A sick mother can infect an infant while breastfeeding.
Since they become infected with syphilis, even if there is no characteristic rash on the skin, the sick person may not even suspect that it is the source of the spread of the virus.
Signs of domestic syphilis
A characteristic feature of the disease is the alternation of active and latent periods. Symptoms of domestic syphilis in this case do not differ from signs of sexual infection. There are incubation period, primary, secondary, and also, tertiary. The duration of the incubation period, as a rule, is one month.
Primary syphilis is characterized by the appearance of a red spot - a solid chancre. At the base of the spot, a pronounced compaction is felt. The spot has sharply outlined boundaries. Subsequently, the chancre is transformed into a papule and an ulcer. A hard chancre can appear on the tongue, lips, fingers, prianalnoy area and on the mammary glands. There is an increase in lymph nodes. They acquire a sufficiently dense, elastic consistency. Palpation of the nodes does not cause painful sensations.
The secondary period causes the spread of the rash on the skin surface. The rash is quite diverse. Most often, there is a roseolous rash, in the form of random pink spots. Gradually the spots degenerate into papules, the size of which varies from the size of the millet grain to 2.5 cm. About six months after infection with the pale treponema virus on the side of the neck, the appearance of pigmented spots is possible. Usually, this symptom is manifested in women.
Papules can be located in the oral cavity, on the scalp, soles and palms. Syphilis secondary period, at times, leads to alopecia. The appearance of papules on the vocal cords causes a hoarse voice. In patients with significantly reduced immunity, the appearance of pustular elements is likely.
Even with a domestic infection, the symptoms of syphilis of the Tertiary period will necessarily appear after 3-5 years if the patient has not received proper treatment, or it has not been brought to an end. On the patient's body emerge dark red tubercles, which turn into ulcers that leave scars after healing. Irreversible changes in the surface of the skin are observed. The internal organs are damaged: the stomach, lungs, liver, kidneys, cardiovascular and nervous systems.
Treatment of syphilis should take place with the obligatory supervision of a professional doctor using modern antibacterial drugs.