Gonorrhea

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmittable disease contracted from an infected individual. A widely prevalent communicable disease noticed in both sexes is known to infect seven lakh persons in the United States annually with nearly 75% of most cited cases belonging to the young age bracket of 15-29years. The maximum infection rates were normally observed in 15-19years in women and in between 20 and 24 years in case of men.

Gonorrhea Causes:

• The bacterium known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae is known to cause Gonorrhea. These bacterial forms thrive and proliferate in the body’s mucus membranes, in warm, clammy parts of the reproductive tract inclusive of the cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes in women and noticed in the urethra, oral cavity, throat and anus in both the sexes.
• It is also contracted due to contact with contaminated body fluids that could also translate to it being transmitted from a mother to the baby at the time of delivery.
• The infection is caused mostly in polygamous people.

Gonorrhea Symptoms:

The symptoms noticed in women include:

• Vaginal discharge that is abnormally green-yellow or white like.
• Pain experienced in the lower portion of the stomach or pelvis.
• A burning sensation experienced during urination.
• Redness and itchiness in the eyes known as Conjunctivitis.
• Unnatural spotting in between menstrual cycles and also noted following intercourse.
• A swell up of the vulva known as vulvitis.
• Burning sensation or swell up of the throat glands due to oral sexual contact.

In most women the vaginal discharge is often mistaken for yeast infections that are often wrongly self-medicated with counter top medications. However, vaginal discharge is an indicator of a host of varying infections which are ideally best treated following an accurate medical examination and treatment.

Men that suffer from gonorrhoea display the below stated symptoms within two to fourteen days following infection:

• Abnormal penile discharge in green-yellow or whitish in colour.
• Burning sensation experienced during urination.
• Burning sensation felt in throat with swelling in the throat glands due to oral sexual contact.

Diagnosis & Tests:

• Fluid samples taken with the aid of swabs are drawn from the urethral region in case of men and the cervical region in women that is forwarded for detailed laboratory analysis.
• A culture could be given to the throat or anus to check for infection in those areas.
• Several tests that examine the urine for indication of bacteria.
  These tests take a few days to be done. Gonorrhea like Chlamydia are both sexually communicable diseases that are mostly dually checked for during these tests.

Gonorrhea Treatment:

Antibiotics course are advised that are to be taken either the oral or inject able manner, with both the partners needed to be treated simultaneously to avert re-infection. The entire course needs to be taken in spite of feeling better and not going for medication that has been prescribed to someone else, as it would only intensify the situation.

Possible Complications:

If gonorrhea is not treated on time, it could escalate to grave and long-lasting problems in both sexes.

• If women are ignorant about treating gonorrhoea, the infection could lead to pelvic inflammation that could have a marring affect on the fallopian tubes possibly leading to sterility, raise the chances of ectopic pregnancy – a fatal medical condition that could affect mother and the infant.
• Those men with gonorrhea could suffer from an excruciating testicular condition known as epididymitis which could lead to sterility if not tended to on time. In the absence of swift and adept treatment, the infection could spread to the prostate leading to wounds within the urethra leading to difficulty during urination.
• Untreated gonorrhea could proliferate to the blood stream or even the joints leading to a life-risking disease.
• Gonorrhea cases are more prone to contracting HIV that leads to AIDS. Those with the combo infection of gonorrhea and HIV are more prone than those with HIV alone to spread HIV to others.
• Gonorrhea during pregnancy can be detrimental leading to premature delivery or sporadic abortion. If the mother is infected, it could spread it to the child via the birth canal at the time of delivery that could lead to loss of vision, infection in the joints or fatal blood infection in the new born child.

Prevention:

One can decrease the infection by:

• Always using condoms in the correct manner at the time of contact.
• Restricting the number of sex partners and keeping it to a singular infection-free mate.
• Steering away from sexual contact when in doubt and promptly seeking medical advice when doubtful and following complete antibiotic course.
• Pregnant women must undergo testing and take appropriate medications to prevent complications.
• One needs to inform all current sex partners if one is infected so they could undergo treatment too.

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