Gonorrhea: Antibiotics can easily cure

Gonorrhea can be easily treated with antibiotics. Such treatments are quite effective what with researches showing that 95-99% of such timely treatments do deliver the goods.

It is for this reason that timely and early detection of the disease is necessary.

DIAGNOSIS NOT EASY

But it is easier said than done. This is because the symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) or the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) appear quite late.

Moreover, in many cases, they don’t appear at all. While in other instances, the symptoms become evident when the infection or the disease has already taken deep roots.

What is more, by that time in some cases, the infection or the disease would be affecting some of the important organs of the patient.

MORE THAN 8 LAKH AFFECTED BY GONORRHEA

Annually, gonorrhea affects more than 800,000 American people.

Nonetheless, the fact remains that late detection of the disease becomes rather tough for the physician to check gonorrhea from spreading. Moreover, the gonorrheal treatment cannot reverse the damages already done to the sensitive organs — especially reproductive.

WHAT EXACTLY IS GONORRHEA?

Gonorrhea is a form of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Gonorrhea is the final stage of sexually transmitted infection (STI). Gonorrhea is also known as “The Clap”.

MEN MORE VULNERABLE THAN WOMEN

Gonorrhea affects men and women alike. Nonetheless, contrary to common misconception, men are more vulnerable to Gonorrhea than female. In fact, man is four times prone to Gonorrhea than females.

EPDIDYMITIS & PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

If men suffer from Gonorrhea for a prolonged period, it can lead to epididymitis. On the other hand, undetected cases of Gonorrhea with respect to women can degenerate to PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease).

MEDICAL TESTS ARE EASY & FAST

Many people do not approach the physician for three typical mental blocks. In fact, these are mere misconceptions.

First, the medical tests are complex; second, they are too probing; third, they are costly.

Actually, the laboratory tests undertaken for detecting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are simple, non-probing and rather cost effective.

Here are the steps:
Your physician will ask for your antecedents, particularly the sexual history. There might also be queries about the symptoms. The patient should divulge the details to the doctor.

This is significant because the physician will be able to gauge the period you have been actually infected. A physical examination is carried out when the doctor will seek for signs of the STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

The physician will look out for every sign of infection: including any unnatural discharge from the penis or the vagina, fever, or inflammation of the penis or the vagina.

Gonorrhea: Males More Prone than Women

Gonorrhea is a form of STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). It is also known as the clap. Though it is called as a sexually transmitted disease, sex is not the main or the only factor responsible for the spread of gonorrhea. Then how does gonorrhea spread?

HOW GONORRHEA SPREADS?

Gonorrhea, however, does spread when people resort to typical sexual acts. For instance, the gays usually resort to anal sex. The anus as many other moist parts of the human body are habitats of the bacterium — Neisseria gonorrhoeae — that causes gonorrhea. The other parts are the mouth, throat, and even the mouth and eyes among others.

The bacterium gets transferred from an infected person to another through the mixture of the body fluids present in the aforementioned portions of the body. The sexual partners should therefore practice safe sex. The condom is the best means to obviate all possibilities of not contracting any STIs or STDs.

MALES MORE VULNERABLE TO GONORRHEA THAN WOMEN

Contrary to popular belief that gonorrhea is typical ailment affecting the females, studies and researches have proved that males are more vulnerable to gonorrhea than females.

TYPICAL GONORRHEAL SYMPTOMS

The typical symptoms or signs of gonorrhea vary among males and females.

Notably, the characteristic signs of gonorrheal infection are more prominent among the males than the females.

In the latter case, the gonorrheal symptoms are not only milder but also very secretive. In fact, the symptoms may not be evident at all. In such situations, the patient will not even know that she has contracted the infection or the disease.

It has dangerous implications. If she keeps on having heterosexual contacts, she would be infecting other partners as well. Each of the newly infected persons will similarly pass on the infection (STI) or the disease (STD) to other people. Thus, STIs and STDs are fast spreading across the globe.

And in many cases, the symptoms reveal themselves only after the STIs have already taken deep roots. Medications at that stage can only arrest the spread of the infection. Any damage that has already been caused to the patient’s body, however, cannot be cured.

Moreover, most of the gonorrheal symptoms are misinterpreted as pointing to only the common ailments like cold or flu.

Besides, the typically gonorrheal signs or symptoms are comparatively milder among women than men. The women affected by gonorrhea, in most of the cases, do not at all demonstrate any symptom of the ailment. That is why the problem gets compounded.

In the first place, the patient comes to know that she is suffering from gonorrhea at a very advanced stage when it becomes quite difficult to check its growth.

Second, just because neither she nor her sexual partner knows about the reality, she passes on the ailment to her sexual partner(s).

Many a time, the gonorrhea symptoms are also mistaken to be a vaginal or bladder infection.

Gonorrhea: Syndromes in Women

GONORRHEA SYMPTOMS AMONG FEMALES

Women suffering from gonorrhea should be provided medical attention at the earliest. Else, the patient is at risk of developing serious complications.

Here we list a few of the symptoms common among gonorrheal females:

• The infected person may experience pain during urination ;
• She may also experience a burning sensation while urinating;
• The patient may also have increased vaginal discharge;
• There may be bleeding from vagina between periods.

THROAT & RECTAL INFECTIONS POINT TO STI/STD

The habitat of the bacterium — Neisseria gonorrhoeae — responsible for causing gonorrhea should be basically moist. Hence, the throat and the rectum are also such viable regions, besides others, within the human body. So, a sexually active person needs to be quite alert to his/her throat and rectal infections. Prolonged throat and rectal infections call for immediate medical advice.

Moreover, the indications of such infections (STIs) are not usually acute ones. For instance, rectal infection from the bacterium may lead to just sore throat and no other infection. Similarly, rectal infection generally does not show any symptoms at all. Nevertheless, the symptoms of rectal infection in both the sexes may be as follows:

• Pain during bowel movements;
• Soreness;
• Anal itching;
• Discharges from anus.

GONORRHEAL DUAL SYMPTOMS

Researchers have identified the dual gonorrheal symptoms. Mentionably, these two symptoms also apply to any sexually transmitted disease (STD).

The first is that by the time the patient becomes aware of the STD, the infections – commonly termed STIs (sexually transmitted infections) – already take deep roots within the patient’s body. At times, the STIs also start spreading. In other words, the symptoms of gonorrheal infections reveal only after the lapse of two weeks of time since the moment of infection.

Moreover in many cases, the STIs do not demonstrate any symptom at all.

What is more, the symptoms resemble many of the common diseases like cold or flu. In such cases, these symptoms are misinterpreted and the wrong medication is taken by the patient if he/she does not consult any medical practitioner.

It is for this matter that the patient should always remain alert to the symptoms of the STIs. If any sexually active or a heterosexual person suffers from the signs resembling the common ailments, it is always advisable for the person to seek immediate medical advice.

This strategy is all the more important to check the infections from spreading or taking deeper roots. This is possible when the STIs are diagnosed at the initial stages and the patient does the needful medical tests as recommended by the physician and regularly takes the medicines.

The second is that STDs is only the last and final stage of the STIs.

Hence the patient should get himself/herself medically tested as soon as the symptoms appear.

Gonorrhea: Know the dual Syndromes

To tackle the STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and the STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases), we have to remain aware of the ‘Dual Symptoms’ that pertain to the symptoms of both the STIs as well as the STDs. So, let’s check them out!

STD DUAL SYMPTOMS

The two important characteristics about the symptoms of gonorrhea, or for that matter any STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are as follows: The STDs initially take the form of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections). So, one should always remain alert to the signs of the STIs.

In other words, the STIs — if left unattended – would ultimately lead to STDs. An STD is the final stage of any STI taking deep roots.

Secondly, the patient remains totally unaware of these symptoms.

STD DUAL SYMPTOMS

There are again two significant aspects about the nature of the STI symptoms. First, the tell-tale signals become evident quite late. In some cases, the symptoms appear after a week. In other instances, the STI symptoms are seen after two weeks, i.e., 14- 20 days.

Secondly, the symptoms resemble the signs of the common diseases. It may be a sore throat, or itch in the throat. One can misinterpret it to be a sign of common cold. The patient then gulps down the medications used for sore throat available across the counter. But the purpose is not served.

What is more, the STI starts spreading. Besides, the viruses, bacteria, protozoa or the agents causing the STI develop immunity against the medications. Moreover, precisely because the throat sore or itch has been caused by those agents, the ailment does not subside (leave alone cured).

IF THE SYMPTOMS PERSIST, SEEK PHYSICIAN’S ADVICE

That means once such symptoms linger, immediately consult the physician.

But then there are two problem areas here too. Many patients are quite reserved or reticent about their antecedents that may have caused the obstinate STIs. As a result, the doctors fail to diagnose the STI accurately. Secondly, such people do not alert their sexual partners as well. They continue to have the physically intimate ties. The fallout is that the partners also fall prey to the STIs. If the partners are also of a similar nature they too fail to open up to their doctors. In the long run, the STIs have adequate gestation period to transform into STDs.

Gonorrhea: How to NOT CONTRACT the Ailment

Medical studies and researches have found that most of the gonorrheal patients also suffer from chlamydia – another version of STD. Therefore, patients suffering from either gonorrhea or chlamydia are given antibiotics for both the sexually transmitted diseases.

The patients should complete the entire medication prescribed by the doctor for one reason. Moreover, if the symptoms continue even after taking the medications, one must have oneself reevaluated.

NOTE: Medicines halt the infection and check it from spreading, but the medications cannot cure the damages already done by gonorrhea. There are copious instances of people treated again contracting the ailment after having sexual contact with gonorrheal patients.

MEANS TO PREVENT GONORRHEA

There are three guaranteed ways to NOT CONTRACT gonorrhea or any of the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

One, total abstention from sexual intercourse: impossible, right? ;

Two, commit to only monogamous relationship with a sexual partner who is uninfected and which has been tested;

Three, the males can use latex condoms correctly and consistently. This practice is the surest means of avoiding transmission of all STDs.

OTHER WAYS TO NOT HAVE GONORRHEA

Here are the other mandatory road signs:

• Be alert to the following danger genital signals. If any of them is evident, then immediately halt lovemaking, and rush to your physician.
• The genital signs pointing towards gonorrhea are unusual rash or sore on or around the sexual organ; sense of burning or pain during urination.
• It is always important to make your sexual partners aware of any of the above symptoms;
• They should also be asked to seek medical advice.

These precautionary measures ensure that the other sexual partners do not suffer from gonorrhea.

BEWARE OF THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS

Any genital symptoms such as discharge or burning during urination or unusual sore or rash should be a signal to stop having sex and to see a doctor immediately.

If a person has been diagnosed and treated for gonorrhea, he or she should notify all recent sex partners so they can see a health care provider and be treated. This will reduce the risk that the sex partners will develop serious complications from gonorrhea and will also reduce the person’s risk of becoming re-infected.

The person and all of his or her sex partners must avoid sex until they have completed their treatment for gonorrhea.