Tag: Chlamydia Infection

Treatment for Chlamydia

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One of the United States’ very common sexually transmitted diseases is Chlamydia. Since it is mostly asymptomatic, the infection gets passed to other partners as the infected person does not know that he or she is infected.

Being infected with Chlamydia would not be easy to say as it is mostly asymptomatic. If symptoms do happen it will only be noticed after a week or three weeks following infection and they may include:

Symptoms in women

  • Pain during urination
  • Odorous with abnormal amounts of vaginal discharges
  • Burning or itching around or in the vagina
  • Bleeding between menstrual periods
  • Painful sexual intercourse
  • Fever with abdominal pain
  • Painful cramps during menstruation

 

Symptoms in Men

  • Swelling and pain around the testicles
  • Cloudy or clear discharges from the penis’ tip
  • Itching and burning surrounding the penis’ opening
  • Pain during urination

Your doctor will use different tests to diagnose a Chlamydia infection. A swab will be used to take a sample from the cervix in women or urethra in men which will then be sent to be analyzed in the laboratory. Urine samples to see the presence of the Chlamydia bacteria can also be another form of test.

Treatment

If tests are positive for Chlamydia oral antibiotics such as azithromycin or doxycycline will be prescribed by your doctor. He or she will also advise that the way to stop or contain re-infection is for your partner(s) to submit to an STD test and treatment.

The infection usually clears up after a week or two of treatment. Even if you feel better, the antibiotic therapy that was prescribed should be completed in order to eliminate Chlamydia from your system.

Severe infections of Chlamydia that usually occurs in women would need hospitalization. The treatment that will be done while confined in the hospital will be a combination of medicines for pain and antibiotics given intravenously.

Infected people must be re-tested after the prescribed antibiotic treatment has been consumed. This is to ensure that the infection has been cured. This is very important especially when you are not sure if your partner(s) underwent testing and treatment. The best way to avoid re-infection is to refrain from any sexual activity until you are sure that you and your partner are free of the disease.

Here are ways to remove the risk of being infected by Chlamydia:

  • Avoid sex and see your doctor if you feel that you have contracted Chlamydia.
  • Practice safe sex by using condoms every single time you have a sexual activity.
  • Practice abstinence from sex, or only have sexual relations with one uninfected partner.
  • Learn not to use multiple partners.

Discharges, an unusual rash or sore, or pain during urination should always be a signal to stop all sexual activity and to see your doctor as soon as possible. You have the responsibility of informing your partner(s) if you are tested positive for a Chlamydia infection. This will give them a chance to submit to a test and treatment.

Everything You Need To Know About Chlamydia

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The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes Chlamydia which is one of the most common sexually transmitted that affects people of all ages, particularly individuals aged below 25 years. It is also known as the ‘silent infection’ because most of the time people are unaware that they are infected.

A person can get infected by Chlamydia by having anal or vaginal sex with an infected individual.

Symptoms

 

Women

Most women are unaware that they have been infected with Chlamydia because of the absence of signs or symptoms. It can cause PID or pelvic inflammation disease once the infection has reached the neck of the cervix and spread to the fallopian tubes and uterus. It could also lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and ectopic pregnancy. An infected mother can pass the infection to her baby during birth which could cause eye or lung infections. The rectum can be infected which may cause bleeding, rectal pain or discharges.

If symptoms show, they could include:

  • Pain in the lower abdominal area
  • Unusual discharges from the vagina
  • Bleeding after sex or spotting or bleeding between periods
  • Pain or burning sensation during urination
  • Painful sexual intercourse

Men

Chlamydia would be asymptomatic or show no symptoms in men. It can cause pain when the tube of the penis or urethra is infected which could reach the epididymis. The rectum can be infected which may cause bleeding, rectal pain or discharges.

If symptoms show, they can include:

  • Sore and swollen testicles
  • Discharges from the penis
  • Burning pain during urination

Test

Chlamydia could easily be diagnosed with painless tests that normally use urine. A cotton swab test would be another alternative where specimens can be taken from the penis, vagina, anus or cervix and sent to the laboratory for analysis.

Transmission

Having unprotected anal or vaginal sex with an infected person could get you infected with Chlamydia. Safe sex practices should always be done in every sexual activity such as using a condom or a dam which is made of thin latex that is fitted over the anus or vagina.

Many people are unaware they have the infection since Chlamydia does not often show signs and symptoms. Looking at the outward appearance of a person may not show that he or she is infected with Chlamydia even when they look healthy.

A new sex partner who may have an earlier partner infected with Chlamydia poses a high risk through unprotected sexual activity. A long-term partner could also infect you if he or she had unprotected sex with other infected people.

Check–ups

It is highly recommended that people under 25 years old and are sexually active should have annual check-ups for Chlamydia or other possible STDs. Chlamydia can infect any sexually active person at any age, more so when sex is unprotected and involves multiple partners.

Treatment

A single dose of antibiotics can treat Chlamydia if it is detected early. A longer course of antibiotic treatment has to be done when Chlamydia complications have been developed such as PID or pelvic inflammatory disease.

If you are infected with Chlamydia, your sexual partner has to know so she or he can be tested and treated as they may have acquired the infection from you and could re-infect you after you have been treated.

Chlamydia Infection: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

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Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmitted disease, especially in sexually active young adults and teenagers.

Symptoms

Most infected people do not show any symptoms and are even unaware they have it. But if symptoms show, it may include:

Swelling and pain in the testicles for men

Burning or pain when urinating

In women, lower abdominal pain, bleeding between menstrual periods, during or after sex bleeding

Unusual discharges from the rectum, vagina or penis

If you think that you have Chlamydia based on the symptoms listed above, visit the nearest STD testing centers to be tested and treated. The earlier you get the treatment, the lesser risk for serious health conditions that could last a lifetime.

Transmittal

Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium that is transmitted through sexual intercourse or contact with genital fluids such as vaginal fluid or semen that is infected.

You can get infected with Chlamydia by:

Getting infected vaginal fluid or semen in your eye

Unprotected oral, vaginal, and anal sex

Genitals coming in contact with an infected person’s genitals even when there is no ejaculation, penetration or orgasm

sex toys sharing that have not been covered with a new condom or washed after every use

infected mother to her newborn during birth

Chlamydia cannot be transmitted by utensil sharing, hugging and kissing, or sharing toilet seats, baths, swimming pools, and towels.

Serious health complications

Although Chlamydia can be easily treated with antibiotics, it can cause serious health conditions if left untreated.

If no treatment is done, other body parts can be infected leading to serious health problems such as reactive arthritis, PID or pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and inflammation of the testicles or epididymo-orchitis.

These are the reasons why a test and treatment as early as possible is very important if you suspect that you have been infected with Chlamydia.

Treatment

Antibiotics can easily treat Chlamydia. It may either be a long course of capsules that needs to be taken for a week or a single dose oral or injectable form.

Sex should be avoided until you or your partner is done with the treatments. If a single dose treatment has been applied, sex should still be avoided for a week.

It is important that your sexual partners and current partner that you’ve had sexual relations within the past six months could also be tested and treated to stop the infection from spreading.

The health centers, testing centers or your health care provider can help you get in touch with your sexual partners. The clinics or health centers can either send them a letter or speak to them about the need to be tested and treated. The letter will not state your name to protect your privacy.

Prevention

A sexually active individual will most likely be infected with Chlamydia. The risk will be higher for those who do not use protective barriers such as a condom during every sexual activity or having multiple partners.

Get tested and treated as soon as you suspect that you have been infected with Chlamydia or any other STD.