Gonorrhea Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. This bacterium can attack the rectum, urethra, eyes and throat. Outside the human body, the bacteria that cause gonorrhea cannot live for a long time.
In general, this disease is transmitted through sexual contact. This disease is more common in adolescents and young adults and occurs more often in men than women. However, babies can also be infected with gonococcus bacteria.
This can happen if when the baby is born, the mother is suffering from gonorrhea or gonorrhea. In infants who have gonorrhea infection in the eye can be at risk of experiencing blindness.
Symptoms
The incubation period for gonorrhea is very short. In men, it generally only ranges from 2-5 days, although sometimes it can also last longer. But in women, the incubation period is difficult to determine. Because in general, this gonorrhea infection does not cause symptoms.
Symptoms of gonorrhea in men initially appear as itching and burning around the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body). Furthermore, there is pain when urinating and thick, cloudy discharge (pus) comes out from the end of the urethra. Sometimes it can be accompanied by blood.
If the infection is more advanced, the pain will be worse and the discharge will be thicker and cloudy. In addition, there will also be pain during erection. Sometimes it can be accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes in the groin.
Meanwhile, the symptoms of gonorrhea in women (if any) can be so mild that the sufferer doesn’t realize it. As many as 30-60% of women with gonorrhea do not feel any symptoms. Symptoms that may arise include pain when urinating, urinating more frequently, and sometimes causing pain in the lower pelvis. In addition, there is a thick and cloudy liquid that comes out of the vagina.
Reason
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae or gonococcus. This bacterium usually infects mucous membranes, such as: on the genitals, anal canal, eyes and throat.
The bacteria that cause gonorrhea can be transmitted through sexual intercourse (both oral sex and anal or vaginal sex).
Diagnosis
To determine the diagnosis of gonorrhea, an examination can be carried out by taking fluid or pus from the genitals (vagina or penis). Furthermore, the liquid will be examined in the laboratory.
In addition, urine examination can also be done. If you find a lot of white blood cells (leukocytes) and signs of infection such as cloudy urine, of course accompanied by clear clinical symptoms, it can be confirmed as gonorrhea.
Complications
Gonorrhea can trigger complications in the form of infertility, both in men and women. In women, gonorrhea infection that is not treated or does not receive complete treatment, can spread from the cervix (cervix) to the uterus (womb), fallopian tubes (oviducts), and ovaries (ovaries) and cause pelvic inflammatory disease. The disease can cause infertility and complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
Meanwhile, in men, gonorrhea infection can spread through the urinary tract (urethra) to the testicles, epididymis, and damage the sperm formation process in them. In addition, gonorrhea can also attack the prostate gland.
The bacteria that cause gonorrhea can also spread through the blood to other areas of the body, including the joints. This systemic infection can cause fever, red rash on the skin, joint pain, and others.
Treatment
Treatment of gonorrhea can be done using antibiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Central Disease Control (CDC) recommend that people with gonorrhea also be given medication to eradicate chlamydia infection (a type of germ that causes non-specific genital infections). Because chlamydia is often found together with gonorrhea.
Previously, it was highly recommended that the sufferer’s partner also be examined and treated, so that ping-pong infection does not occur later. This applies to sexual partners in the last 2 months, or the last sexual partner if there has been no sexual activity in the past 2 months.
Many antibiotics are safe and effective for treating gonorrhea, eradicate the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, stop the chain of transmission, reduce symptoms, and reduce the possibility of sequelae. These drugs include cefixime, levofloxacin, and thiamphenicol. However, the dosage and use of these drugs must be based on the doctor’s instructions.