Syphillis is caused by the treponema pallidum bacteria and is a common sexually transmitted infection. This infection affects the lips, mouth and genital areas along with anus in men as well as women. Sexual contact with an infected person can result in transmission of this infection. The bacteria can also pass on from an infected pregnant woman to her infant.

In the early period of the syphillis infection normally a small but painless sore is observed. This may be accompanied with swelling of the lymph nodes. The incubation period of this infection is between 9 days to 3 months after which the symptoms of this infection are observed. The sore in the primary stage may be observed in regions like the genital, mouth and rectum as well. This sore may feel firm and is like a button.

Even after the sore heals the syphillis infection continues to spread. In the secondary stage the symptoms include headaches, general feeling of being unwell along with aches and pain, loss of appetite, fever and sickness. The rash in secondary stage tends to last for as long as few weeks or even months. This rash is observed in areas such as the face, back, hands and the feet.

Along with this rash some other symptoms of this infection include sores in the genital areas along with the nose throat and the skin folds. Hair fall in patches may also be observed. The latent stage of syphillis can last for few months or it may last for as long as 50 years. The symptoms may not present in this stage and after 2 years a patient may not infectious but the syphilis is still present in this stage and can be detected through blood tests.

The last stage of syphillis is called the tertiary stage. In around one third of cases the infection enters the third stage if treatment is not sought. Some common symptoms in stage include skin ulcers and lesions on the ligaments, bones and joints. In this stage the infection can attack a patient’s nervous system along with heart and blood vessels and this can result in paralysis, insanity and blindness.

Congenital syphillis is observed in cases where a fetus becomes infected within the womb. Such a condition can result in bone problems, liver and kidney enlargement, teeth abnormalities, brain infection, swollen lymph nodes and skin rashes. For diagnosis the doctor may seek sample of the sore to perform a dark field exam.

A rapid plasma reagin or venereal disease research laboratory test may be performed for disgnosis of the syphilis infection. Penicillin is used as treatment for this infection. Those individuals who are allergic towards penicillin can take other antibiotics such as tetracycline, doxycycline or even erothromycin.