Symptoms of syphilis in men vary depending on the stage of this infection, and may include a hard, round lesion that does not hurt, painless sores on the penis, anus, mouth or fingers, malaise, nausea, fever and headache.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacteria pale treponema which is transmitted through sexual intercourse without a condom with an infected person, by sharing contaminated needles or from mother to baby during pregnancy or birth. Understand better what causes syphilis.
In the presence of symptoms indicative of syphilis, it is recommended to consult a urologist, infectious disease specialist or general practitioner to carry out a complete assessment and, if necessary, recommend treatment, which may include the use of benzetacil injections and oral antibiotics.
Check out more details about the symptoms of syphilis in the following video:
Main symptoms
Symptoms of syphilis in humans vary depending on the stage of this infection.
1. Symptoms of primary syphilis
The main symptoms of primary syphilis are:
- Hard, round lesion that does not hurt;
- One or more painless wounds;
- Groin creases.
These primary lesions, called hard chancre, appear around the foreskin of the penis, in the anus, mouth or fingers, between 10 and 90 days after direct contact with another person’s syphilis sore, and disappear spontaneously approximately 3 to 6 weeks, without leaving scars.
Read too: Primary syphilis: what it is, symptoms and treatment
2. Symptoms of secondary syphilis
The symptoms of secondary syphilis are:
- Red or reddish-brown spots on the skin, palms and soles;
- Flat or raised lesions on the skin, mouth, armpits, penis or anus;
- Fatigue and malaise;
- Headache;
- Fever;
- swelling throughout the body;
- Sore throat;
- Weight loss.
Symptoms of secondary syphilis may disappear with or without treatment. However, if there is no treatment, this infection progresses to the latent stage and probably tertiary stage of this disease.
Latent, or hidden, syphilis is a phase where the person does not show symptoms or visible signs of infection, which can last a year or more. Although there are no symptoms at this stage, the bacteria that causes syphilis has not been eliminated.
Read too: Secondary syphilis: what it is, symptoms and treatment
3. Symptoms of tertiary syphilis
The main symptoms of tertiary syphilis are:
- Larger lesions on the skin, mouth and nose;
- Intense or constant headache;
- Muscle weakness;
- Changes in vision or pain in the eyes;
- Hearing Loss;
- Dizziness or vertigo;
- Mental confusion or memory problems.
The symptoms of tertiary syphilis can vary according to the affected organ, such as the heart, brain, central nervous system, bones, muscles, eyes, liver or blood vessels, for example.
Tertiary syphilis can appear 2 to 40 years after the beginning of the infection, especially when medical treatment is not carried out.
Online symptom test
To find out your risk of having syphilis, please select the symptoms you present in the test below:
This test is a tool that should only be used as a means of guidance and, therefore, should not replace consultation and diagnosis by a urologist, infectious disease specialist or general practitioner.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of syphilis in men is made by a urologist, infectious disease specialist or general practitioner, through the assessment of the symptoms and signs presented by the person.
If you want to confirm your risk of syphilis, make an appointment with the specialist closest to you:
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To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order the rapid syphilis test, treponemal serology, such as FTA-ABS or TPHA, or the VDRL test, to check the levels of antibodies in the blood against the bacteria and thus determine the severity. of this infection. Find out how the VDRL exam is done.
How the treatment is carried out
The treatment of syphilis in men varies depending on the stage of the infection and may include:
- Penicillin-Benzathine Injectionsin a single dose for the treatment of primary, secondary and latent syphilis, and from 3 to 14 doses for tertiary syphilis;
- Ceftriaxone, intravenously or intramuscularly, for the treatment of primary, secondary, latent and tertiary syphilis;
- Doxycycline or oral tetracycline 100 mg oral,twice a day for 14 days to 28 days.
A man with syphilis must be monitored by a doctor 6, 12 and 24 months after treatment, for evaluations and serial non-treponemal tests, such as VDRL and RPR.
Read too: Medicines indicated for the treatment of syphilis
