All you need to know about gonorrhea & bull; hello healthy

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium named neisseria gonorrhoeae. These bacteria can be passed from one person to another through sex, vagina, oral, or anal, even when someone who is infected is asymptomatic. These bacteria can also be passed from mother to baby during childbirth. You won't get gonorrhea from towels, doorknobs, or toilet seats.

How do I know if I have gonorrhea?

Not everyone who is infected with gonorrhea has symptoms, so knowing when to get treatment can be quite difficult. When symptoms occur, they usually appear within two to 10 days of exposure to the bacteria, but it can take up to 30 days for the bacteria to develop, and here are the characteristics:

Symptoms of gonorrhea in women

• Greenish-yellow or white discharge from the vagina.
• Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis.
• Hot feeling when urinating.
• Conjunctivitis (redness, itching of the eyes).
• Bleeding when not menstruating.
• There is blood spotting after sex.
• Swelling of the vulva.
• Burning sensation in the throat (caused by oral sex).
• Swelling of the throat glands (due to oral sex).

In some women, symptoms can be so mild that they often go unnoticed.

Many women who experience vaginal discharge due to gonorrhea think that they have a yeast infection and self-medicate with over-the-counter yeast infection drugs. Since vaginal discharge can be a sign of several different problems, it is always best to ask your doctor for advice to ensure a proper diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms of gonorrhea in men

• There is a greenish yellow or white discharge from the penis.
• Burning sensation when urinating
• Burning sensation in the throat (caused by oral sex).
• Swollen or painful testicles.
• Swelling of the throat glands (due to oral sex).

In men, symptoms usually appear about 2 to 14 days after infection.

How long will it take for symptoms to appear?

Symptoms usually appear 2 to 7 days after a person is exposed to gonorrhea, and in women they may appear longer.

What is the effect if I get gonorrhea?

Gonorrhea can be very dangerous if left untreated, even in someone who has mild symptoms and no symptoms. In women, the infection can travel to the uterus, fallopian tubes (resulting in pelvic inflammatory disease) and can cause injury and infertility (the inability to have a baby). Gonorrhea infection during pregnancy can cause problems in the newborn, including meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord) and eye infections that can lead to blindness if left untreated.

In men, gonorrhea can spread to the epididymis, causing pain and swelling in the testicles. This can injure tissue that may make a man infertile.

For both men and women, untreated gonorrhea can affect other organs and parts of the body including the throat, eyes, heart, brain, skin, and joints, although this is rare.

How is gonorrhea treated?

To cure gonorrhea infection, your doctor will give you oral medication or antibiotic injections. Your partner should also be treated at the same time to prevent re-infection and further spread of the disease.

It is important to finish all of your antibiotics even if you are already feeling better. also, never use someone else's medicine to treat your illness. Doing so may make your infection more difficult to treat.

Tell everyone who has had sex with you recently that you have gonorrhea. This is important because gonorrhea may not have symptoms. Women, in particular, may have no symptoms and therefore do not undergo screening or treatment unless warned by their sex partners.

Don't have sex until you've used all of your medications. Always use a condom when having sex.

What will happen if I don't treat gonorrhea?

Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent problems for both men and women.

In women, if left untreated, the infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which may damage the fallopian tubes or even lead to infertility. And untreated gonorrhea infection can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which a fertilized egg develops outside the uterus. This is a dangerous condition for both mother and baby.

In men, gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition in the testicles that can sometimes lead to infertility if left untreated. Without proper treatment, gonorrhea can also affect the prostate and injure the tissue inside the urethra, making urination difficult.

Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life threatening. Also, people with gonorrhea can be more susceptible to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Patients with HIV and gonorrhea infections are more likely than people to transmit the HIV virus itself to other people.

How to prevent gonorrhea infection?

To reduce the risk of gonorrhea infection:

• Use condoms properly every time you have sex
• Don't change sex partners
• Limit sexual contact with uninfected partners
• If you think you are infected, avoid sexual contact and see a doctor

Symptoms in the genital organs such as vaginal discharge or burning sensation during urination as well as pain or rash should be a sign to stop having sex and consult a doctor immediately. If you are told you have gonorrhea or another sexually transmitted disease and are receiving treatment, you should let your partner know so they can see a doctor and get treated too.