Chlamydia, what is it?

What is chlamydia?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) common throughout the world. This STD is often silent and can affect both men as women, do not difficult to treat. But if you do not receive due attention, can trigger more serious health problems.

causes

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It can be transmitted via anal sexual contact, oral or vaginal and can also be congenital, or can be passed from mother to child during pregnancy.



Risk factors

Keep unprotected sex is the main risk factor for chlamydial infection. Regardless of the number of partners that a person will have, the determining factor for the transmission of this and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is the absence of a condom during sex.



Symptoms of Chlamydia

The early stages of chlamydia not usually have symptoms. When they occur, this usually happens one to three weeks after exposure to the bacteria causing the disease. Even when the symptoms manifest themselves, they are weak and passengers. Check out the main chlamydial infection signs:

Burning sensation when urinating
Abdominal pain
vaginal discharge
penile discharge
painful penetration during sex, in the case of women
breakthrough bleeding and after intercourse
Pain in the testicles
Pain or rectal discharge
Symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease.
One in four men with chlamydia have no symptoms, and only about 30% of infected women exhibit the typical signs of the disease.



Seeking medical help

Consult a professional if you experience symptoms of chlamydia.

Because many people with chlamydia do not manifest symptoms, sexually active adults should perform tests periodically.

In the medical consultation

Among the specialties that can diagnose chlamydia are:

Medical clinic
Infectious Diseases
Urology
Gynecology.
Be prepared for the consultation can facilitate diagnosis and optimize time. This way, you can now get to the consultation with some information:

A list of all the symptoms and how long they appeared
Medical history, including other conditions that the patient has and medications or supplements he takes regularly.
The doctor will likely make a series of questions such as:

When your symptoms started?
You had unprotected sex recently?
Do you feel pelvic pain?
Do you feel pain or burning during urination?
You have noticed unusual discharge?
Diagnosis of Chlamydia
The test for chlamydia detection is recommended for pregnant women, young people up to 25 years and men and women who have had multiple partners over the past months. But this test is recommended, especially for people who had sex without using condoms

.

To make the diagnosis of chlamydia, procedures are considered very simple. The tests involve collecting samples of urethral discharge or secretions from the cervix. If the individual practicing anal sex, taken from the rectum samples can also be requested. The sample is routed to a test or fluorescent monoclonal antibody, DNA probe test or cell culture. Some of these tests may also be performed on urine samples.


Treatment of Chlamydia

To be caused by bacteria, Chlamydia treatment is done using antibiotics. The doctor will tell you how long you should take the medicine and how many times a day.

If you have chlamydia, your partner should also conduct examinations to diagnose the disease and if it is positive, the treatment given will be the same - even if he or she has not manifested any symptoms.

The chlamydia treatment does not guarantee immunity to the disease. That is, if there is no proper care, she can return.

Medicines for Chlamydia
The most commonly used drugs for the treatment of chlamydia are:

amoxicillin
Amoxil BD
Star
azithromycin
ciprofloxacin
Clordox

Only a doctor can tell what the most appropriate medicine for your case as well as the correct dosage and duration of treatment. Always follow strictly the guidelines of your physician and NEVER automedique. Do not stop the drug without consulting a doctor before and, take it more than once or in much larger quantities than prescribed, follow the instructions on the label.

possible complications

Untreated chlamydia can lead to more serious health problems, such as:

Other STDs
Pelvic inflammatory disease
epididymitis
Inflammation of the prostate
Contamination of a newborn, in case of congenital disease
Infertility
Reactive arthritis.

expectations

Antibiotic treatment at the beginning works very well and can prevent the development of long-term complications. The untreated infection, on the other hand, can lead to complications.

The treatment lasts on average ten days. While the person is taking antibiotics, she should avoid practicing sex.

Prevention

The only way to 100% guaranteed of not contracting chlamydia is not having sex. But the use of condoms during sex is already a very effective preventive method against this and other sexually transmitted diseases