One of the most prevalent sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) that are feared by the public is gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is a disease that has bacterial roots, and this disease is caused by neisseria gonorrhoeae. Both males and females can catch gonorrhea. Any form of sexual intercourse can contribute to the transmission of the disease, including vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse and oral sex.
The bacteria generally breed in parts of the body that are moist and warm. The urethra serves as a perfect place for such bacteria, as it carries the urine and is basically warm. In women, the bacteria can affect the cervix, uterus and the fallopian tubes. In rare cases, this type of bacteria can also grow in the human eye.
Gonorrhea is a very serious condition, and you should immediately get yourself tested if you notice any of the symptoms. It would be prudent of you to notify your sexual partners about the same.
Primary Causes of Contracting Gonorrhea
- Having sex with multiple partners at the same time or at different times
- Not following safe sex practices, including the use of condoms
- Having sex with an affected individual
- Indulging in homosexual activities
- Drug addiction and sharing needles with others
Symptoms of Gonorrhea
The symptoms of gonorrhea don’t occur immediately, and they will start manifesting only after a good amount of time. Symptoms of gonorrhea may start showing up within 5 days of infection, but in some cases, they may take even a month to show.
Men will experience the following symptoms when they’re affected by gonorrhea:
- Burning sensation in their urethra during urination
- Pain during urination
- Whitish or yellowish discharge from the penis
- Greenish discharge from the penis
- Sore throat and cough
- Swollen and tender testicles
Women may experience these symptoms when they’re affected by gonorrhea:
- Any form of sudden vaginal discharge
- Sore throat and cough
- Pain while urinating along with a burning sensation
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- An urgent need to urinate (more than normal)
- Fever (when the disease strikes the stomach and the fallopian tubes)
- Pain in the lower region of the abdomen
These are the many symptoms that women experience when they’re affected by gonorrhea. Sometimes, symptoms of arthritis can occur if the infection spreads to the bloodstream, bringing about rashes and high fever.
Diagnostic Measures for Gonorrhea
The discharge that is released from the penis (in men) and the vagina (in women) can be studied under a microscope to look for signs of gonorrhea. This method is popularly known as a gram stain. The disadvantage involved in this procedure is that it is not an effective way to diagnose the disease.
Some of the gram stain tests that are used are:
- Joint fluid gram stain
- Gram stain of urethral discharge
- Cervical gram stain
Cells from the patient are allowed to grow in the lab, and these are studied in order to successfully diagnose gonorrhea. Cells that are grown in labs in this way are called cultures. Doctors normally take samples from the patient’s throat, anus, urethra, vagina and cervix and test these by preparing cultures. Although this method is time consuming, it’s efficient in detecting gonorrhea.
The many cultures that are used to diagnose this condition are:
- Rectal culture
- Joint fluid culture
- Urethral discharge culture
- Endocervical culture
- Blood cultures
Complications That Gonorrhea Can Bring
There are many complications associated with this disease and these are different in women and men. Women might experience pelvic inflammatory disease, sessions of painful sexual intercourse, scarring in the fallopian tubes, and sterility.
Women can also transfer this infection to the fetus if they are pregnant, and this may affect the infant badly.
Men experience kidney failure due to gonorrhea. They also experience urinary tract infections, problems with urination, excessive pus around the genital region (urethra) and urethral scarring. Meningitis and heart valve infections are also common among people who suffer from this condition.
Treatment of Gonorrhea
You’ll first need to identify all your sexual partners in order to treat gonorrhea, because this infection can spread rapidly.
Once the condition is identified as gonorrhea and the symptoms match, then you’ll be treated entirely with the help of medications like antibiotics. The antibiotics that are used in this case include cefixime, ceftriaxone, penicillin and azithromycin. Penicillin was originally used for treating gonorrhea, but this antibiotic doesn’t cure the disease every single time.
It is normal for doctors to test gonorrhea patients for other sexual infections as well, because this condition makes the body susceptible to many infections. It’s been shown that people with gonorrhea are likely to be affected by Chlamydia too. In case you have Chlamydia, you’ll be given an extra dose of azithromycin for the same.
You can opt for such medication once your doctor prescribes them, but ensure that you never try your hand at self medication when you suffer from such serious diseases.
