Yes, you can have syphilis for years with no symptoms. That is why screening tests are so important.
The symptoms of syphilis are fever, sore throat, feeling of weakness, discomfort throughout the body, loss of weight, headaches, stiffness and many more.
syphilis
Syphilis typically presents in stages, with symptoms that can vary. In the primary stage, a painless sore called a chancre appears at the infection site. The secondary stage may involve skin rashes, flu-like symptoms, and swollen lymph nodes. If untreated, syphilis can progress to latent and tertiary stages, leading to severe health issues affecting the heart, brain, and other organs.
If you even slightly suspect that you have this disease, go to a doctor, clinic, or or public service organization to be checked. Syphilis is curable, especially in the early stages, using antibiotics. But if it is not treated, it can kill you. You will need to have a blood test to know for sure.The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). The primary stage classically presents with a single chancre (a firm, painless, non-itchy skin ulceration), secondary syphilis with a diffuse rash which frequently involves the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, latent syphilis with little to no symptoms, and tertiary syphilis with gummas, neurological, or cardiac symptoms. It has, however, been known as "the great imitator" due to its frequent atypical presentations. Diagnosis is usually via blood tests; however, the bacteria can also be detected using dark field microscopy.
syphilis
Syphilis is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. The main form of transmission occurs through sexual contact, though syphilis can also be transferred from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy and birth. Millions of people throughout the world today have contracted syphilis, with rates increasing dramatically within developing countries.Causes and ProgressionBecause syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, it can be transferred through contact of broken skin and mucous membranes. Additionally, congenital syphilis occurs when a pregnant mother transmits the bacteria to the developing baby. The progression of syphilis can be documented in three stages. During the primary stage, painless sores develop at the site of initial infection, often disappearing in about five weeks. As the sores form, the bacteria collect within the body in an inactive form. In the secondary stage, untreated syphilis manifests in a variety of forms. Common symptoms include red rashes that spread over the body, and wart-like lesions within mucous membranes. It is important to realize that syphilis is extremely contagious during these first two stages. Finally, the tertiary stage is characterized when the bacterial infection spreads throughout the entire body. The bacteria can migrate to the nervous system, brain, heart, and skin. Extensive damage occurs to the points of bacterial migration; the tertiary stage occurs three years after the initial infection.SymptomsBecause syphilis progresses over many years, specific symptoms depend on the stage of syphilis. Common symptoms include painless sores, swollen lymph nodes, fever, rashes, and aches. Tertiary stage symptoms include problems to the heart, brain, and nervous system.TreatmentSyphilis can be effectively treated and cured if detected during the initial, early stages of infection. Antibiotics such as penicillin remain as the most effective treatment plan to combat syphilis. After initial treatment, blood tests must be conducted for the next two years to ensure the complete eradication of the syphilis bacteria. However, syphilis is very hard to treat when it reaches the tertiary stage. Further antibiotic treatment plans will limit further syphilis progression, but cannot undo the damage the bacteria have already done. Hence, late-stage syphilis may result in long-term health problems in numerous body systems. Constant therapy will be required to treat the body's long-term issues.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis. The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). The primary stage classically presents with a single chancre (a firm, painless, non-itchy skin ulceration), secondary syphilis with a diffuse rash which frequently involves the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, latent syphilis with little to no symptoms, and tertiary syphilis with gummas, neurological, or cardiac symptoms. It has, however, been known as "the great imitator" due to its frequent atypical presentations. Diagnosis is usually via blood tests; however, the bacteria can also be visualized under a microscope. Syphilis can be effectively treated with antibiotics, specifically the preferred intramuscular penicillin G (given intravenously for neurosyphilis), or else ceftriaxone, and in those who have a severe pencillin allergy, oral doxycycline or azithromycin.(Information taken from wikipedia)
Because it's an STD....It's like saying "Hey I want cancer forever!" Syphilis, if untreated, can actually have some rather serious consequences. It can impact the heart/cardiovascular system and even progress to neurosyphilis (tertiary syphilis). Also, syphilis is a highly transmittable STD, so anyone with syphilis should get it treated right away so that they're healthy and don't spread it to other people.
His exact cause of dead is unknown. Two years before his death he attempted suicide and was confined to an insane asylum. The symptoms of his death are such that the modern view is that it could have possibly been syphilis, or mercury poisoning.
If left untreated, syphilis can evolve into neurosyphilis. Basically what that means is that the Syphilis bacteria spreads to the Central Nervous System. When syphilis spreads to the nervous system, it causes a slew of neurological symptoms, such as dementia, incontinence, blindness, and seizures. Here's the thing though, neurosyphilis is commonly asymptomatic, which means, the patient shows no symptoms. That might sound like a good thing, being symptomless, but it's really not. If there's a symptom, there's something to treat. The people with asymptomatic neurosyphilis are still experiencing the neurological deterioration that causes death, they just don't know it.
Penicillin is effective for some infectious diseases, like strep throat and syphilis. It does not cure most infectious diseases.
A doctor may order a Treponema pallidum test, such as a syphilis test, when a patient shows signs or symptoms of syphilis, has a high-risk sexual behavior, is pregnant, or is being screened for sexually transmitted infections. It may also be done as part of routine screening in some settings.