Syphilis

Syphilis is another sexually transmitted disease. It can be transmitted from an infected sex organ to an open cut in the skin of another person. It usually penetrates the moist mucous membranes of the mouth, the vagina, and the penis urethra, through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside.

Symptoms
If Syphilis if not treated, it can occur in three stages. The symptoms are slow to appear usually 10 -90 days after exposure.

The first stage can occur any time between two to four weeks after infection has occurred. A painless ulcer develops at this site most of the time. The ulcer starts as a red spot, turns into a pimple, which ulcerates, forming a sore. The ulcer is usually found on the genitals or anus, but can appear on any part of the skin, including the mouth. It usually heals in 4-6 weeks, leaving a thin scar. During this period the bacterium is circulating in the blood throughout the body.

The second stage appears one to six months after the ulcer heals, you feel generally ill, you have a fever and a headache and lose your appetite. The glands in your neck, armpit and groin may swell. Most people develop a skin rash that does not itch. The spots appear on the palms of the hands and the bottom of the feet.

The symptoms usually last three to six months. There is what you call a latent period where there are no apparent symptoms, and the carrier is no longer contagious. However, the organism is working itself into the host's tissues. There are 50 to 70 percent of the carriers that can live the rest of their lives in this stage, without passing into the syphilis stage. MORE PICTURES

The last stage is the serious stage. It flares up without warning. It can cause heart problems, eye problems, brain and spinal cord damage, with a high probability of paralysis, insanity, blindness or death.

Treatment
Treatment is by penicillin injection, or a two-week regimen of tetracycline, which is the standard treatment for syphilis. All stages of syphilis are treatable and can be stopped.

Transmission
The most common form of transmission is through sexual intercourse. Syphilis can also be acquired by blood transfusion or from passed from an infected mother to her fetus.

Testing
The disease is detected by a blood test.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month; disease is second leading cause of blindness

One million Americans will be diagnosed with glaucoma in the next 10 years, prompting Kentucky optometrists to raise awareness of the disease this month.

"People who do not visit their eye doctor on a regular basis are putting their vision and quality of life at risk," said Dr. Ben Gaddie, president of the Kentucky Optometric Association. "Glaucoma is often referred to as 'the sneak thief of sight' because it can strike without pain or other symptoms. Vision lost to glaucoma cannot be restored, so early detection and treatment are paramount."

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the country. Data from the American Optometric Association show 50 percent of Americans incorrectly believe glaucoma is preventable and fewer than 20 percent of Americans are aware glaucoma causes deterioration of peripheral vision.

The Glaucoma Research Foundation has found African Americans ages 45 to 65 are 14 to 17 times more likely to go blind from the disease than Caucasians. People with a family history of glaucoma, those over the age of 60 or people who have experienced severe eye trauma are also more prone to the disease. (Read more)