Chlamydia is one of the most reported cases of sexually transmitted infections. In Europe, between the ages of 14 and 24, there are about 1000 cases of Chlamydia in 200,000 people. And the thing about this infection is that its symptoms are not easily noticeable unless there is an early diagnosis. This implies that a person could be living with Chlamydia for a long time without realizing, thereby giving the bacteria enough time to fester and develop. The effect of Chlamydia, when left untreated, is a severe case of Epididymitis. Epididymitis is a leading cause of infertility.
SYMPTOMS OF CHLAMYDIA IN EPIDIDYMITIS
The term Epididymitis is a severe inflammation of the tube at the back of the testicle which stores sperm. It is often caused by sexually transmitted disease and is treatable by medical experts after a proper medical diagnosis has been carried out.
Chlamydia doesn’t have any profound early symptoms, but the people living with it even if they do not have symptoms can infect others through sexual contact. However, there are some minor symptoms to look out for.
- Pain in areas such as the eyes, lower abdomen, vagina, testicle, or the pelvis area.
- Another symptom is the occurrence of pain when urinating or during sexual intercourse.
- Abnormal discharge from the penis or vagina is another symptom.
More: Chlamydia symptoms
DIAGNOSING EPIDIDYMITIS
The diagnosis for Epididymitis is clinical and the requirements for diagnosis are based mainly on specific signs and symptoms.
To test for Chlamydia in Epididymitis, your doctor is expected to take a look at your scrotum in an attempt to distinguish between the inflammation of the Epididymitis and the testis. He will then proceed to find the underlying cause of the infection by testing for a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia.
The doctor will take a sample from the urethra in men and the cervix in women. This specimen would be sent to the laboratory for analysis and examination.
More: Why it’s important to get tested for chlamydia
THE PROGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CHLAMYDIA IN EPIDIDYMITIS
The recommended treatment for Chlamydia is antibiotics since it is a bacterial infection. Your doctor will likely prescribe a 7-day course of tetracycline, doxycycline. Your partner will also be required to get treatment to avoid reinfection and further spread of the disease.
With treatment, the infection will most likely clear up within a week or two, but it is important that you use all the antibiotics even after the infection clears up.
In the case of women with severe Chlamydia, they may require hospitalization and intravenous administration of antibiotics.
After taking antibiotics, it is important that people should be retested after three months to ascertain that the infection is a hundred percent cured. Do not engage in sexual activity until your infection status has been ascertained.
When left untreated, the result of Chlamydia and Epididymitis is most of the time infertility, premature births in women, inflammation of the rectum among several others.
To prevent Chlamydia, proper use of condoms during sex, and reducing the number of sexual partners are the best preventive methods.
More: Chlamydia treatment
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11208466
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6346478
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1758226/