Chlamydia
Posted by Health articles on September 11th, 2009
Chlamydia: Symptoms And Treatment
Chlamydia is the most frequently reported infectious disease in the United States. More than 450,000 cases were reported in 1995. Chlamydia is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and is a very common sexually transmissible infection (STI). It is often called the ’silent infection’ because most people do not realise they have it. Chlamydia can infect the eyes if they come in contact with genital secretions from an infected person. The bacteria can also be spread to a baby during birth if the mother has the infection, causing problems with the baby’s eyes or a lung infection (pneumonia).
Symptoms
Symptoms of chlamydia normally occur one to three weeks after infection. However, many people who have chlamydia are unaware that they have the infection. Symptoms of chlamydia may be similar in men and women. Symptoms of Chlamydia infection in the eyes generally occur within 10 days of birth. Although your baby will be alert and aware, his eyes will be irritated and red.
Symptoms of chlamydia can lead to occurence of cancer. Symptoms of chlamydia are vague, mainly an unusual vaginal discharge, and 70 percent of women don’t have any at all that is why it’s called a ’silent’ infection. Left untreated, chlamydia can cause infertility, so see your doctor if you’re concerned.
Painful sexual intercourse, burning sensation during urination and fever are also some of its symptoms. Pelvic pain or lower abdominal pain can be an early indicator of pelvic inflammatory disease or PID, one of the leading causes of infertility in women. Pain and swelling in the testicles are uncommon. Pain and inflammation on the testicles are also found in some cases. Both men and women, who received the infection as part of anal sex, are likely to develop rectal pain and bleeding.
Treatment
Chlamydia can easily be treated. Both partners must be treated at the same time. Chlamydia is the leading cause of pneumonia in infants under 6 months of age. Pneumonia infects 5 to 20% of infants whose mothers had chlamydia at the time of birth, more than 30,000 babies a year.
If Chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause health and fertility problems. In 2002, 834,555 chlamydial infections were reported to CDC from 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is actually the result of bacteria being passed from one person to another via sexual contact, and the condition is usually highly preventable by using barrier methods of birth control, especially male or female condoms during any type of intercourse or sexual play.