How does gonorrhea attack your body?

Answer 1

FAIL == As many as 80% of women with gonorrhea show no symptoms. If present, symptoms may include the following:

* bleeding between menstrual periods * chronic abdominal pain * painful urination * vaginal discharge, often cloudy and yellow * in the case of oral infection, there may be no symptoms or only a sore throat. * anal infection may cause rectal itching or discharge.

Because women often do not show any symptoms, complications are more likely to occur as the disease progresses. The most common complication is pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can occur in up to 40% of women with gonorrhea and may result in damage to the fallopian tubes, a pregnancy developing outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy), or sterility. If an infected woman is pregnant, gonorrhea can be passed on to her newborn through the birth canal during delivery. These infants may experience eye infections that could lead to blindness. == Men are more likely to experience the following symptoms:

* thick and cloudy discharge from the penis * burning or pain during urination * more frequent urination * in the case of oral infection, there may be no symptoms or only a sore throat * anal infection may cause rectal itching or discharge

In men, complications can affect the prostate, testicles, and surrounding glands. Inflammation, tissue death and pus formation (abscesses), and scarring can occur and result in sterility. The diagnosis of gonorrhea can be made at a public health clinic or a family physician office. First, the doctor will discuss symptoms and the patient's known contact or at-risk behavior. There are three methods available to test for the presence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These include a culture, a Gram stain, and an ELISA test. Culture of secretions from the infected area is the preferred method for gonorrhea screening in patients with or without symptoms. A cotton swab can be used to collect enough sample for a culture. The sample is incubated for up to two days, providing enough time for the bacteria to multiply and be accurately identified. This test is nearly 100% accurate.

Gram stains are more accurate in the diagnosis of gonorrhea in men than in women. To perform this test, a small amount of discharge from the infected area will be placed on a slide, stained with a special dye, and examined under a microscope for the presence of the gonococcus bacteria. The advantage to this test is that results can be obtained very quickly at the initial visit. Because it requires that the physician or technician be able to recognize and accurately identify the bacteria simply by looking at it under a microscope, however, this test is only about 70% accurate. As a result, one of the other methods may also be used to confirm the diagnosis.

ELISA, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, has emerged as a rapid and sensitive test for gonorrhea. It is much more sensitive than the gram stain and is more convenient than the culture test, which involves the transport and storage of samples. As of late 1997, several other diagnostic tests were being researched with the goal of providing a cost-effective method of screening for a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. One of the most interesting of these is a home test that can be taken by the patient themselves, allowing for a degree of privacy and confidentiality.

When a patient suspects exposure to or experiences symptoms of gonorrhea, he or she may see a public health provider or family practice physician. Physicians trained in obstetrics or gynecology may also be involved, particularly if gynecological complications occur. Men who experience complications may be referred to a urologist. There are also infectious disease physicians who specialize in the treatment and research of all Infectious Diseases, including those transmitted sexually. All physicians must report this highly contagious disease to public health officials, and patients are asked to provide the names of sex partners during the suspected period of infection so that they can be notified of the risk.
Most people with gonorrhea just get a painful vaginal discharge. Some fever and achiness is not at all uncommon. In women it not infrequently spreads to the abdominal cavity and causes abdominal pain. It can also spread to the joints and cause a rapidly destructive Arthritis (the infection ruins the joint if not treated quickly). It can spread to the blood stream and brain and cause severe, life threatening, illness.
gonorrhea may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, it can also cause arthritis
It's a Sexually Transmitted Disease which will need treatment from the appropriate medical services.
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