For those who do get symptoms of syphilis, the first sign is one or more sores or ulcers at the site of the infection (genitals and mouth). Over time this can develop into rashes, skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, muscle and joint aches, headaches and fatigue.
Other symptoms can include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, wart like lesions, condyloma lata, may develop in warm moist areas, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue or feeling very tired.
It can take 3 weeks or more for the symptoms of syphilis to appear after you're infected. Sometimes the symptoms can improve or go away completely, but if you have not been treated the infection is still in your body. This means you can still pass it on and you're at risk of getting serious problems later on.
The incubation period for primary syphilis is 14 to 21 days. Symptoms of primary syphilis are: Small, painless open sore or ulcer (called a chancre) on the genitals, mouth, skin, or rectum that heals by itself in 3 to 6 weeks. Enlarged lymph nodes in the area of the sore.
Many people who have syphilis don't know it. You can have syphilis even if you don't notice any symptoms. The first symptom is a painless, round, and red sore that can appear anywhere you've had sex. You can pass syphilis to others without knowing it.
The only way to know is by getting tested. Many men who get syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet they remain at risk for health problems if they are not treated. Additionally, the painless sores that show up during the early stages of syphilis often go unrecognized by the person who has them.
While syphilis and herpes are completely different STIs, they do share one significant thing: they are both easy to miss. Both STDs can present a few noticeable symptoms or symptoms that are easy to mistake for other skin conditions. This is partly why they spread so easily among sexual partners.
The characteristic rash of secondary syphilis may appear as rough, red, or reddish brown spots both on the palms of the hands and the bottoms of the feet. However, rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body, sometimes resembling rashes caused by other diseases.
Primary syphilis: The first stage happens two to 12 weeks after exposure to someone with syphilis. During this stage, a smooth, hard sore called a chancre develops on your genitals or mouth. A chancre is small and usually painless, so you may not even know it's there.
Like primary syphilis, the signs and symptoms of secondary syphilis go away on their own without treatment in 2 to 6 weeks. But, you still have syphilis and it is dangerous. You should see your health care provider even if you do not have signs or symptoms.
There are four stages of syphilis (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). Each stage has different signs and symptoms.
Syphilitic chancres and mucous patches usually are painless, unless they become secondarily infected. Both of these lesions are highly infectious. The chancre begins as a round papule that erodes into a painless ulcer with a smooth grayish surface (see Figure 13-4). Size can range from a few millimeters to 2 to 3 cm.
Tertiary Syphilis
It can appear 10–30 years after a person gets the infection, and it can be fatal. Tertiary syphilis can affect multiple organ systems, including the: brain. nerves.
Syphilis is often referred to as a silent infection, with many people experiencing little or no symptoms in the initial stages. This can be particularly damaging as those with undetected Syphilis infections are more likely to transmit the STI to others without knowing.
If you give or receive oral sex, you may expose yourself to syphilis. This is true even if you can't see a sore. Using a condom for oral sex can reduce your risk.
What does a syphilis sore (chancre) look like? When this ulcer first appears, it will look like a small pimple or area of swelling. The skin then breaks down and becomes a raised open sore. This is when Treponema pallidum enters through your skin into your body.
Secondary stage
During secondary syphilis, a person is highly contagious. A rash appears 2 to 12 weeks after the chancre develops and sometimes before it heals. The rash often forms over the body, often on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Herpes, Syphilis and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are common sexually transmitted infections that trigger these types of symptoms. The only way to know which STI you have contracted is to get tested as soon as possible.
Syphilis is difficult to diagnose, therefore a series of blood tests are often necessary. The body produces antibodies in the immune system to fight foreign substances, such as the bacteria that cause syphilis. A syphilis blood test can confirm whether or not the body has these antibodies.
You should know that you can still test positive and negative as a couple when cheating didn't take place. Historically, this has been known as a discordant STI result, and it refers to a situation where a sexually active couple receives different negative and positive diagnoses after taking an STI test.
Syphilis is spread (transmitted) through close skin-to-skin contact. You can catch syphilis by having unprotected oral, vaginal or anal sex with anyone who is in the first 2 stages of the infection. Syphilis is highly contagious when the sore or rash is present.
Summary. Syphilis is the seventh most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States in terms of new infections.
The first sign of syphilis is a small sore, called a chancre (SHANG-kur). The sore appears at the spot where the bacteria entered your body. While most people infected with syphilis develop only one chancre, some people develop several of them. The chancre usually develops about three weeks after exposure.
A syphilis sore (called a chancre) pops up — that sore is where the syphilis infection entered your body. Chancres are usually firm, round, and painless, or sometimes open and wet. There's often only 1 sore, but you may have more.
Although kissing is considered to be low-risk when compared to intercourse and oral sex, it's possible for kissing to transmit CMV, herpes, and syphilis. CMV can be present in saliva, and herpes and syphilis can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, particularly at times when sores are present.