Chlamydia Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, And Treatment Process

Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases caused by bacterial infection. It often doesn’t produce any significant symptoms and can be transmitted to others unknowingly. It has to be diagnosed and treated correctly to avoid serious health issues.

What is Chlamydia?

Causes of Chlamydia

• Intercourse: From one person's penis to their partner's vagina, or the other way around, bacteria can spread.
• Anal Sex : Bacteria can spread from one person's penis to their partner, or vice versa.
• Oral Sex: Infections can transmit from one person's mouth to their partner's penis, vagina, or anus, or the opposite way.
• Users of sex toys can contract infections through the mouth, penis, vagina, or anus.
• Physical stimulation of the anus or genitalia : Although rare, an illness known as conjunctivitis (pink eye) can result from contaminated vaginal fluid or semen coming into contact with an individual's eye. It may occur, for instance, if you touch an infected person's genitalia and then rub your eyes without first washing your hands.

Symptoms of Chlamydia

Chlamydia Symptoms In Men

• There is a burning sensation when urinating.
• The penis produces mucus-like or watery discharge.
• The testicles are painful.
• Lower abdominal pain

• Discharge or bleeding from this region
• Frequent pain

Chlamydia Symptoms in Women

• Pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
• Burning feeling when urinating (dysuria)
• The discharge from the vagina may be yellow or grey.
• Itching around the vagina
• The lower abdomen is painful.
• Cervix inflammation (cervicitis)
• Bleeding in between periods
• Painful periods

Complications of Chlamydia

• If the Chlamydia infection spreads to the fallopian tube, women may develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which leads to fever, pelvic pain, nausea, and unusual bleeding in between periods.
• A rectum infection with chlamydia can cause rectal pain, discharge, and bleeding .
• The epididymis, which lies next to each testicle, can become inflamed due to a chlamydia infection, causing pain, discomfort, and fever.
• This infection increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy and also causes damage to the fallopian tubes, which might lead to infertility.
• People may develop reactive arthritis as an aftereffect of chlamydia infection.
• Infections that extend to the prostate gland can also result in fever, uncomfortable intercourse, and lower back pain.
• A throat infection can occur during oral sex with an infected person. A cough, fever, and sore throat are signs of a chlamydia infection in the throat.
• A mother can transmit chlamydia to her newborn child.

Chlamydia Risk Factors

• The age group of 15–24 years accounts for more than half of all diagnosed cases of chlamydia in the United States.
• The instances are more common among females.
• Chlamydia infections are more likely to affect men who have sex with other men (MSM).
• The infection is prevalent among black and Hispanic populations.
• Persons with a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are more likely to get this infection.

Diagnosis of Chlamydia

• Urine examination: Analyzing a urine sample can reveal the illness's source.
• Swab test: The doctor examines a sample of discharge from the anus, vagina, or cervix. The doctor may also perform a throat swab test based on the symptoms.

Treatment for Chlamydia

• Take all of your medications and refrain from engaging in any sexual activity, per your doctor's instructions.
• Inform all your sexual partners about your illness so they can also undergo testing.
• Examine yourself for gonorrhoea , syphilis, herpes, HIV/AIDS, and other STIs.
• Getting specific treatment for each infection is critical in cases of multiple STIs.

Prevention of Chlamydia

• When engaging in sexual activity, always wear a condom or a male latex condom. Using condoms during every sexual contact significantly reduces the risk of infection.
• Limit how many people you have sex with. Having multiple sexual partners increases your risk of acquiring chlamydia and other STIs.
• If you regularly engage in sexual activity, especially with multiple partners, follow your doctor's advice and undergo testing frequently to check for chlamydia and other STDs.
• Avoid sharing sex toys, and if you do, wash them after each use and cover toys used for penetration with a condom.