What Is Gonorrhoea?

Of all the sexually transmitted diseases, or those which are more commonly termed as STDs, gonorrhoea is perhaps the most popular name that we come across. In the United Kingdom, the infection with gonorrhoea is increasing day by day. The CDC has estimated that more than 700,000 persons in the United States get new gonorrheal infections each year, whereas about half of these infections are reported to CDC.

Since gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a particular type of bacteria, both men and women can get it. Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world. It is caused by bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhœae.

Apart from affecting the genital sites, especially for the men, it also affects other non-genital sites too. The non-genital sites where this infection affects are the rectum, the throat, and the eyes. Since the vulva and vagina in women are usually lined by stratified epithelial cells, they are mostly spared from this infection. It is the cervix in women that is first affected by gonorrhoea.

Symptoms of Gonnorrhoea

This gonorrhoea is one of those particular types of diseases where sometimes they do not show any symptom initially. But when symptoms do appear, it is the men who notice them first than the women. Moreover, as with most of the sexually transmitted diseases, even when the symptoms start appearing, they are either neglected, or hidden out of shame.

As gonorrhoea can infect the cervix, urethra, rectum, anus, and throat; the symptoms depend on the area of infection.

The symptoms for men and women generally differ. They are as follows:

For men

A yellow or white colored discharge from the penis

Irritation and discharge from the anus

Inflammation of the testicles and the prostate gland

For women

A change in vaginal discharge. This change might be either in the amount, color, or smell.

Irritation discharge from the anus might also occur

The less advanced symptoms that indicate development of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) are:

cramps and pain

bleeding between menstrual periods

vomiting

fever

thick urination

The symptoms generally become apparent within the second to the fifth day of getting infected. If gonorrhoea is left untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease in women, and inflammation of the testicles and the prostrate glands in men. Prolonged eye infection in babies due to gonorrhoea can also lead to blindness.

Causes of Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea being a sexually transmitted disease, it is passed on primarily through sexual intercourse, vaginal, oral, or anal. Sometimes even affected pregnant mothers can pass them on to the newborn. In the newborn, it first affects the eyes, which if not treated immediately, might lead to blindness.

The primary cause of gonorrhea is the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria.

Complications for Gonorrhoea

Just like the symptoms differ in cases of men and women, the nature of complication also differs for men and women suffering from gonorrhoea. The different complications arising from gonorrhoea are as follows:

In men

inflammation of the epididymis (epididymitis)

prostate gland (prostatitis)

urethral structure (urethritis)

In women

pelvic inflammatory disease

serious infection of and tenosynovitis in fingers, wrists, toes or ankles

Treatment for Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea being a sexually transmitted disease needs to be treated immediately in order to prevent further spreading. But the problem lies in the fact is that patients tend to hide it out of shame, and thus delay the treatment process till it is too late. However, the effective treatment procedures are as follows:

Antibiotics

Local information and health services

Treatment of the sexual partner(s)

For babies, eye infections as a result of this disease was treated with silver nitrate

Practsing safe sex

A close watch if slightest of symptoms arricve