In the
beginning, Chlamydia may not make you feel anything and so you may
not even know you have it. But, as it gets worse, you will begin to
feel somethings but different people feel different things:
What
happens in men?
Chlamydia
causes something called NON-SPECIFIC URETHRITIS (if you really
want to impress someone, call it NSU for short).
If
you get this, you will see or feel:
discharge
from the penis
the
testes swelling up (which if not treated can lead to infertility-can't
have kids anymore)
pain
when you urinate
What
happens in women?
75%
of the women can't even tell or feel that they have the infection.
If
they do feel something, it happens within 3 weeks after getting
the infection.
If
women do feel something, it is usually:
a
yellow vaginal discharge
pain
during urination
may
have lower abdominal pain that doesn't go away
pain
during sexual intercourse
spotting
between periods
may
also have nausea and fever
It
can also lead to cervicitis (inflammation of the cervix)
about
5-13% of the women in the U.S. who get Chlamydia get cervicitis
It
can also cause salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian
tubes)
What
happens to a pregnant mother and her baby?
If
the mother has this bacteria (Chlaymdia trachomatis), the
risk of getting an ectopic pregnancy is much higher. Ectopic
pregnancy means that the pregnancy didn't happen in the uterus
where it should but happened somewhere else.
This
bacteria can be easily passed to the developing child within
the uterus.
When
the baby is born, the disease can cause blindness in the child
and even a severe case of pneumonia.
The
child may have respiratory diseases for a long time if not
treated immediately.
You
may not even feel anything if you have chlamydia and so you can't
tell if you have this and get treatment.
It
can just come and go.
Those
who do notice that they have this infection will feel something
for weeks to months, depending on how severe the infection is
and whether or not anything was done to treat it as early as possible.
Practice
safe sex. Use condoms or diaphragms when engaging in sexual intercourse.
The
use of birth control pills is effective in controlling pregnancies,
but NOT effective in preventing the spread of bacterial diseases
such as chlamydia.
Recently,
a new chlamydia test was made called the Amplicor Chlamydia Trachomatis
Test.
It
can be done with a sample of a man's urine or a swab from
a woman's cervix or urethra.
Also
the result can be determined within 4 hours and NOT 3-7 days
which is how long it used to take with the old method of culturing
cells.
The
fact that you have certain symptoms or that you feel differently
with some activities should make you think of this infection and
go to the doctor who may be able to tell by just the symptoms
and then do the test to confirm.
Chlamydia
can be in your body for very long unless you treat it with ANTIBIOTICS.
A
seven to ten day treatment with antibiotics is required.
Tetracycline
is one of the most common antibiotics used to treat chlamydia
but not everyone can take this antibiotic.
Erythromycin
is another drug that is used. The drug doctor prescribes depends
on your medical history and if you are allergic to any of the
antibiotics.
If
the infections is left untreated, it can get worse and cause other
problems.
In
men, the worst result of an untreated disease would be sterility.
For
women, the disease may result in infertility-the inability
to have children.
If
an infected woman were to become pregnant while the bacterium
is still untreated, her risk of an ectopic pregnancy (planting
of the fertilized egg on the walls of the fallopian tubes) is
much greater than normal.
Pelvic
inflammatory disease (commonly referred to as PID) may be another
result of untreated chlamydia, causing severe inflammation and
scarring of the fallopian tubes and the lining of the uterus.
Research
shows that 50% of all cases of PID are a result of a chlamydial
infection.
* Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. These products are dietary supplements
and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any
disease. Always consult with your health care provider before
adding any substances to your diet or making any lifestyle
changes.
