Chlamydia Symptoms

Chlamydia is considered to be a hidden venereal disease, about a quarter of infected women and a half of infected men have no Chlamydia symptoms. If symptoms have an open nature, Chlamydia signs appear within 1 to 3 weeks after getting infected. Alcohol may speed up the appearance of external symptoms of Chlamydia.

In women, the bacteria initially places in the cervix and urethra. There occurs mucous discharge with an unpleasant odor, burning during urination. When the infection is spreading from the cervix to the fallopian tubes, some women may not feel any Chlamydia symptoms or signs. Others may receive abdominal pain, back pain, nausea, and fever. They also observed painful sexual intercourse. The menstrual cycle is disrupted.

In men, the main Chlamydia symptom is burning sensation during urination, itching of penis balanus. At later stages of the disease one can have swollen or tender testicles.

Men and women who have anal sex can be infected with Chlamydia infection in the rectum; there occur pain and rectal bleeding. With oral sex, the infection can develop in the throat of the patient.

If untreated, infection can progress to serious complications, up to infertility. Like the disease itself its consequences may be hidden.

In women, the infection can spread to the uterus and fallopian tube and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This happens in almost 40% of infected women. Inflammation damages the fallopian tubes, uterus and surrounding tissues. Damage may result in chronic pelvic pain, infertility, as well as a potentially fatal ectopic pregnancy. Women infected with chlamydia infection are nearly five times more likely to be infected with HIV through contact with HIV-positive.

To prevent the serious consequences of chlamydia, you must at least once a year pass screening. Women and men younger than 25 years should undergo this medical examination twice a year. The annual survey is recommended for older women, who have relations with new sexual partner. All pregnant women should be tested for chlamydia.

In men, complications are much rarer. Infection sometimes spreads to the testicles, which causes pain, fever and in rare cases infertility.

Very rarely, a form of genital chlamydial infection can cause arthritis that can be accompanied by skin lesions and inflammation of the eye and urethra (Reiter’s syndrome).

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia refers to a group of sexually transmitted infection (STI). The disease is caused by bacterium Chlamydia trahomatis. If untreated, the disease can lead to irreversible processes in the female genital organs and cause infertility, at that the problem is relevant for women, as well as for men.

Even if the chlamydia symptoms are almost invisible or absent, you are not impervious to serious complications, which can result in irreparable damage to your health.

How common is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the U.S.

Patients with chlamydia are often unaware that they are infected and become active disseminators of chlamydia. The lack of sexual culture, multiple sexual partners, and inconsistent condom use encourages the rapid spread of infection.

How do you get chlamydia?

Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Also chlamydia can be passed from an infected mother to baby during childbirth.

Anyone who has sexual relations may be infected. The more sexual partners you have, the higher is the risk of being infected. Teenage girls and young women are particularly susceptible to disease; they are more amenable to infection by virtue of the natural physiological features and high sexual activity.

Why disease is dangerous for a pregnant woman and her baby?

In pregnant women, infection can cause premature birth. Children of infected mothers can get chlamydial infections of the respiratory tract, eyes (chlamydial conjunctivitis). The infection may be a reason for neonatal pneumonia.

How to diagnose chlamydia?

To diagnose chlamydia infections there are a variety of laboratory tests. Some types of testing are performed on urine, while others – on laboratory materials of smear.

Men also are at risk not only during sex with women, but also due to having sex with a male partner.