Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcus). Gonorrhea usually causes inflammation of the urinal tract. The prevalence of gonorrhea is not quite known, as it is often asymptotic. Also, patients having gonorrhea prefer to stay anonymous.
Causes
Gonorrhea is transmitted during sexual intercourse with an infected person. A mother might transmit the bacteria to her newborn during childbirth.
Signs and symptoms
Gonorrhea is often asymptotic in women. Sometimes, after the incubation period (it lasts from several days to several weeks), gonorrhea leads to cervical inflammation, vaginal discharge or painful urination.
Sometimes gonorrhea is transmitted during oral sex. This might cause gonococcal tonsillitis. In some cases gonococcus causes rectal inflammation.
Spreading upwards, the infection might cause inflammation of uterus, fallopian tubes and pelvis, which sometimes leads to infertility. If a mother transmits the disease to her newborn, he/she might develop extremely severe gonococcal conjunctivitis.
Gonorrhea is less often asymptotic in men (only about 10 percent). Men suffer from painful urination as well as discharge from penis. As the infection spreads upwards, it might cause inflammation of the prostate, seminal vesicles and testicles.
Diagnostics
Gonorrhea is diagnosed by taking swabs from the urethra, rectum, cervix or the throat. The taken material is examined under a microscope or cultured. If gonorrhea is diagnosed, the patient should be tested for other sexually transmitted diseases.
Treatment
Gonorrhea is treated using antibiotics. Depending on the patient’s age and the severity of the disease, cephalosporins, chinolones or tetracyclines are prescribed. Usually one large dose of antibiotics is enough.