The problem of sexually transmitted disease is increasing day-by-day and it is becoming very important to spread the awareness about safety as well as protected sexual intercourse. One such sexually transmitted disease is known as chlamydia.
Here, we have tried to provide all the important information about the problem of chlamydia along with its symptoms in both men and women. We have also listed some of the major causes of the disease as well as some of the important treatment measures, which you should consider to get rid of the disease.
What is Chlamydia?
As mentioned earlier, the problem of chlamydia is one of the most sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. This infection is caused due to a bacteria are known as Chlamydia trachomatis. According to the experts, the problem of chlamydia is highly similar to the problem of gonorrhoea. The most important thing to note about the disease of chlamydia is that most of the people, both men and women, who are suffering from the disease does not actually know that they are facing the problem as it does not have any strong symptoms.
In women, the problem of chlamydia can cause permanent damage to the fallopian tube along with infertility as well as the risk of ectopic pregnancy. In the condition of pregnancy, women suffering with chlamydia, may face the problem of preterm labor as well as delivering a baby with a lower amount of weight.
Chlamydia in Women
According to the statistics, one teenage girl of age range 14-19 in every 15 girls is infected due to the problem of chlamydia in the United States. Therefore, it is known as one of the common sexually transmitted disease in the country. The disease carries a high percentage of spreading as it does not cause any strong symptoms and the sufferers can pass it to others very easily. For preventive reasons, it is beneficial to get yourself tested regularly. Testing also cuts the risk of causing any other sexually transmitted disease, through chlamydia such as HIV.
Most commonly chlamydia bacterium first attacks on the cervix and causes symptoms such as bleeding between periods, stomach pain, pain during urination as well as vaginal discharge. The infection then spreads to the other parts of the body such as the uterus, urethra as well as fallopian tube. It has been found that the disease can turn to pelvic inflammatory disease, if left untreated.
Some of the major symptoms of chlamydia in women are listed below.
- Pain while urination
- Inflamed eye
- Bleeding, discharge or rectal pain
- Vaginal discharge
- Fever○ Nausea
- Lower backache
- Pain in lower part of stomach
- Pain during sex
- Sore throat
- Bleeding in menstrual cycle
Chlamydia in Men
In men as well, the problem of chlamydia does not show any symptoms considering very silent nature of the disease. Along with pain in the penis while urination other common symptoms may include yellow-coloured discharge or burning sensation in the penis. You may also experience pain as well as swelling in the testicles, however, these symptoms are rare. It is important to treat the disease as soon as possible. Otherwise, if left untreated, the problem can cause infection of the urethra, epididymis. Men who are involved in regular sexual activities need to get themselves checked for chlamydia to get rid of the future complications.
Some of the common symptoms of chlamydia in men include,
- Pain while urination
- Rectal pain or bleeding and discharge
- Discharge from penis
- Inflamed eye
- Sore throat
- Swelling and pain in testicles
- Burning or itching around the opening area of the penis
Causes of Chlamydia
The infection chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, is caused by the bacteria knowns as Chlamydia trachomatis. In the condition of infection, the bacteria may present in the cervix, vagina, urethra as well as rectum of the infected person. Sometimes, it may also live in the area of the throat. Any type of sexual contact to these organs with the infected person can spread the disease to another person.
People who are sexually active at the young age are more at the risk of suffering with the problem of chlamydia.
During pregnancy, if the mother is already infected, the disease can be passed to the baby at the time of birth as the baby delivers through the vaginal canal. Due to this problem, baby can have infections such as eye damage as well as pneumonia.
Even though you are treated with the infection chlamydia, there are high chances that you can get the disease again in the future. Therefore total care along with following the correct preventive measures as well as treatment is highly necessary to keep the disease away.
What is the treatment of chlamydia? Can it be Cured?
The infection of chlamydia can very much be cured with the help of antibiotic therapy. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotics as a single day or a 7-day course. It has been recommended that the person should stay away from sexual activities during the course along with seven more days after the course is completed. This is helpful in reducing the risk of spreading an infection to the others.
Although various antibiotics can be used to treat the disease, most commonly Azithromycin, as well as doxycycline, can be used to treat the problem of chlamydia. With the help of the proper dose of antibiotics, the disease can be cured in the condition of pregnancy.
It is also important to test the sexual partner, who was diagnosed with chlamydia before, to cut the risk of reinfection, the future spread of the disease as well as other future complications. It should be noted that the women, whose sexual partners are not tested properly, are of the high risk of getting the problem of chlamydia or developing the reinfection of the disease.
There are some of the important points you should always remember while treating the problem of infection of chlamydia. Following proper treatment measures and identifying the disease earlier is highly helpful in treating the condition of chlamydia fast. It is also helpful in reducing the risk of getting re-infected due to the problem of chlamydia.
