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Can Chlamydia Be Cured With Antibiotics

How Long Can Chlamydia Stay In Your System

Chlamydia / Alynn Alexander, MD

Chlamydia can lie dormant in the body for many years causing a low grade infection without symptoms. It could potentially flare up to cause a symptomatic infection, especially if there is an alteration in the persons immune system, such as a severe cold or flu, cancer or some other severe illness.

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Effects Of Chlamydia Treatment

After you have begun your course of chlamydia treatment, you should start to notice an improvement in your symptoms within a few days. Generally, most symptoms should resolve completely within 24 weeks. If any symptoms persist, such as pelvic pain or pain during sex, please return to the clinic as further treatment or investigations may be necessary.

If you are diagnosed with chlamydia you may need to inform anyone you have had sex with within the last six months as they may also be infected. They should be advised to attend a sexual health clinic for a chlamydia test and will usually be offered treatment on the day they attend. This advice is regardless of whether they have any symptoms or not, or whether or not you used a condom.

If you feel unable to inform previous sexual partners one of our Health Advisers will be able to notify them on your behalf without revealing your identity.

You should not have oral, anal or vaginal sex during your course of chlamydia treatment or for seven days after a single dose of chlamydia treatment and also until your current partner completes their treatment and until both you and your partners symptoms have abated. This is to avoid being re-infected and requiring further treatment.

I Was Treated For Chlamydia When Can I Have Sex Again

You should not have sex again until you and your sex partner have completed treatment. If your doctor prescribes a single dose of medication, you should wait seven days after taking the medicine before having sex. If your doctor prescribes a medicine for you to take for seven days, you should wait until you have taken all of the doses before having sex.

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How To Get Rid Of Chlamydia Without Going Doctor

Do you know that, Chlamydia can be treated without going doctor? Chlamydia is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. Its impact is seen most in the USA. If this infection is not treated properly then it can cause serious problems later on. The Same day Chlamydia test helps in diagnosing this infection. It occurs due to Anal Sex, oral sex, unprotected sex. Sometimes touching genital organs of partners also this transmits this infection.

How Does Someone Get Chlamydia

Chlamydia Symptoms, Pictures, Treatment

Chlamydia is passed through oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Chlamydia can be passed from one person to another even if the penis or tongue does not go all the way into the vagina or anus.Eye infections can occur when discharge caries the disease into the eye during sex or hand-to-eye contact.

Chlamydia can also be passed from mother to newborn as the baby passes through the infected birth canal. This can result in eye infections, pneumonia or other complications.

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What Is The Best Medication For Chlamydia

Finding the best medication for chlamydia isnt too much of a struggle as antibiotics tend to be pretty effective. However, different patients will have different needs, allergies, and factors that determine their best medication. The correct antibiotic to treat your chlamydia may vary from the one that works for another patient. Consult a healthcare professional when selecting a medication for your chlamydia, especially if pregnancy is suspected.

Best medications for chlamydia
500 mg taken every 12 hours Stops the growth of bacteria Nausea, headache, dizziness

Dosage is determined by your doctor based on your medical condition, response to treatment, age, and weight. Other possible side effects exist. This is not a complete list.

What Happens If I Get Chlamydia When I’m Pregnant

  • Chlamydia during pregnancy has been associated in very rare cases with problems such as premature birth, and infection of the uterus lining after the birth.
  • It can be passed to the baby during the birth and before the baby is born. This can cause inflammation and discharge in the babys eye and/or pneumonia.
  • You may be offered a chlamydia test as part of your antenatal care.
  • Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics when youre pregnant and when youre breastfeeding. The antibiotics wont harm the baby, but do tell the doctor or nurse that youre pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Youll be advised to have another test after you complete your treatment.

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Why Do I Keep Getting A Chlamydia Infection

You can get chlamydia even after treatment. You may get it again for several reasons, including:

  • You did not complete your course of antibiotics as directed and the initial chlamydia did not go away.
  • Your sexual partner has untreated chlamydia and gave it to you during sexual activity.
  • You used an object during sex that was not properly cleaned and was contaminated with chlamydia.

Parents Have A Role In Chlamydia Prevention

What You Need to Know About Chlamydia

Parents can do two main things to help their kids avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections , says Dombrowski. These two things are:

  • Talk openly. Parents can start by talking with their kids about sex and sexual health early, giving the kids accurate information she says. When having these conversations, dont try to frighten children into practicing abstinence or safe sex. Its pretty common for parents to use STIs to talk about what can happen if you have sex or unprotected sex. But using STIs as a scare tactic is not effective, she says. It just makes the kids feel more frightened, more stigmatized, and terrible if they really do get one.
  • Ensure access to condoms. Parents are often focused on preventing pregnancy, says Dombrowski, which can be achieved with various contraceptives besides condoms. Parents should also think about kids having access to condoms for the prevention of chlamydia and other STIs, she says. Parents can leave condoms lying around where kids will find them, without saying much of anything about the condoms, she suggests.
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    How Can You Be Sure Youre Experiencing A New Bout

    Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics, usually azithromycin or doxycycline.

    In order to make sure chlamydia is cured, you need to take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. You need to take every single dose dont stop taking the antibiotics until there are none left.

    If youve taken all your antibiotics but you still have symptoms, contact your doctor or another healthcare professional.

    According to the Center for Disease Control , youll need a follow-up test three months after treatment to ensure that the infection is cured.

    There are a few reasons why you might contract chlamydia a second time:

    • The initial infection wasnt cured because the course of antibiotics wasnt completed as directed.
    • A sexual partner transmitted chlamydia to you.
    • You used a sex toy that was contaminated with chlamydia.

    A 2014 study suggests that chlamydia can live in the gastrointestinal tract and reinfect the genitals, causing chlamydia symptoms to reappear after the genital infection went away.

    However, this study only looked at animal models of chlamydia. Research on human participants is needed.

    The symptoms of chlamydia typically disappear once you finish your antibiotics. This can vary in time, as some chlamydia antibiotic courses are one dose taken on one day, while others last longer.

    Chlamydial Infection Among Adolescents And Adults

    Chlamydial infection is the most frequently reported bacterial infectious disease in the United States, and prevalence is highest among persons aged 24 years . Multiple sequelae can result from C. trachomatis infection among women, the most serious of which include PID, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility. Certain women who receive a diagnosis of uncomplicated cervical infection already have subclinical upper genital tract infection.

    Asymptomatic infection is common among both men and women. To detect chlamydial infection, health care providers frequently rely on screening tests. Annual screening of all sexually active women aged < 25 years is recommended, as is screening of older women at increased risk for infection . In a community-based cohort of female college students, incident chlamydial infection was also associated with BV and high-risk HPV infection . Although chlamydia incidence might be higher among certain women aged 25 years in certain communities, overall, the largest proportion of infection is among women aged < 25 years .

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    Treatment Of Other Types

    Two other conditions caused by Chlamydia trachomatis are uncommon in the United States, but very common worldwide:

    • Lymphogranuloma venereum : Lymphogranuloma venereum is treated in the same way as standard genital chlamydia infections, but a longer course of therapy is used . Other care may also be required to treat genital ulcers or abscessed inguinal nodes if they occur.
    • Trachoma: Trachoma is the leading preventable cause of blindness worldwide and often requires aggressive treatment with antibiotics and surgery addressing unsanitary living conditions is also necessary.

    What Happens If I Dont Get Treated

    Chlamydia Treatment and Prevention

    The initial damage that chlamydia causes often goes unnoticed. However, chlamydia can lead to serious health problems.

    If you are a woman, untreated chlamydia can spread to your uterus and fallopian tubes . This can cause pelvic inflammatory disease . PID often has no symptoms, however some women may have abdominal and pelvic pain. Even if it doesnt cause symptoms initially, PID can cause permanent damage to your reproductive system. PID can lead to long-term pelvic pain, inability to get pregnant, and potentially deadly ectopic pregnancy .

    Men rarely have health problems linked to chlamydia. Infection sometimes spreads to the tube that carries sperm from the testicles, causing pain and fever. Rarely, chlamydia can prevent a man from being able to have children.

    Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV the virus that causes AIDS.

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    Is There An Over Counter Treatment For Chlamydia

    No, the CDC recommended treatment for chlamydia requires a prescription, but you do not need to visit the doctors office in person to get a prescription. Technology has made doctor visits online quick and easy. Just complete an online consultation visit and a prescription can be sent to a local pharmacy.

    How Chlamydia’s Passed On

    Chlamydia is usually passed from one person to another through sexual contact.

    You can get the infection if you come into contact with the semen or vaginal fluids of someone who has chlamydia.

    Chlamydia is most commonly spread through:

    • vaginal or anal sex without a condom
    • sharing sex toys that arent washed or covered with a new condom each time theyre used.

    It can be spread by giving or receiving oral sex with someone who has chlamydia. The risk can be lowered by using a condom or a dam to cover the genitals.

    If infected semen or vaginal fluid comes into contact with the eye it can cause conjunctivitis (infection or irritation of the eye.

    If youre pregnant its possible to pass chlamydia to the baby .

    Its not clear if chlamydia can be spread by transferring infected semen or vaginal fluid to another persons genitals on the fingers or through rubbing vulvas together.

    You cant get chlamydia from kissing, hugging, sharing baths or towels, swimming pools, toilet seats or from sharing cups, plates or cutlery.

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    Condom Use During The Treatment Period

    • Avoid having sex without a condom during treatment because the infection can still be transmitted. Use condoms for 7 days after the start of treatment and until 7 days after all current sexual contacts have been treated.
    • If you are on a combined oral contraceptive pill, use a condom for 14 days when having sex, as antibiotics can affect the reliability of the contraceptive pill.

    After completing the treatment, phone your doctor or return to the clinic for a follow-up after 3 months to check you have not been re-infected.

    Youre Not Immune To Chlamydia Once Youve Had It

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    Once youve had some diseases, you cant catch them again. Unfortunately, this isnt true for chlamydia. Repeat chlamydia infections are common.

    If youve had chlamydia in the past, you have no immunity against the infection. If youre sexually active with somebody who has the infection, you could catch it again. Since reinfection is common, you should get tested for chlamydia about three months after being treated for the infection.

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    How Will I Know If The Chlamydia Has Affected My Fertility

    Chlamydia is just one of many factors that can affect your fertility. Most people whove had chlamydia wont become infertile or have an ectopic pregnancy . If youve had chlamydia you wont normally be offered any routine tests to see if youre fertile unless you or a partner are having difficulty getting pregnant. If youre concerned, talk to your doctor or practice nurse.

    Urethritis Due To Gonorrhea Or Chlamydia

    You have urethritis. This is an inflammation in the urethra. The urethra is the tube between the bladder and the tip of the penis. Urine drains out of the body through the urethra. There are 2 main types of this condition:

    • Gonococcal urethritis . This is an infection caused by gonorrhea.

    • Nongonococcal urethritis . This is an infection that is often caused by chlamydia. Other infections can also be the cause.

    Men are more likely to have symptoms, but may not. Symptoms can start within 1 week after exposure to an infection. But they can take a month or more to appear. Or they may not even occur. Some symptoms are:

    • Burning or pain when urinating

    • Irritation in the penis

    • Pus discharge from the penis

    • Pain and possible swelling in one or both testicles

    Infections in the urethra are often caused by a sexually transmitted infection . The most common STIs are gonorrhea, chlamydia, or both.

    Gonococcal urethritis is an infection of the urethra. Its caused by gonorrhea. Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection . Gonorrhea can also be in other areas of the body. This can cause:

    • Rectal pain and discharge

    • Throat infection

    • Eye infections

    Without treatment, the infection can get worse and spread to other parts of your body. The infection can cause rashes, arthritis, and infections in your joints, heart, and brain.

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    What Are The Treatments For Chlamydia

    If you are diagnosed with chlamydia, your doctor will prescribe oral antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or taking doxycycline twice daily for 7 to 14 days are the most common treatments and are the same for those with or without HIV.

    With treatment, the infection should clear up in about a week. Do not have sex for at least 7 days until you have taken all of your medication, and do not stop taking the antibiotics even if you feel better.

    Your doctor will also recommend that your partner be treated as well to prevent reinfection and further spread of the disease.

    Women with serious infections, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, may require a longer course of antibiotics or hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics. Some severe pelvic infections may require surgery in addition to antibiotic therapy.

    Make sure you get retested after three months to be certain the infection is gone. Do this even if your partner has been treated and appears to be infection free.

    How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat

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    You can get chlamydia if your partner had vaginal, oral or anal sex with someone who was infected and then had sex with you. People in relationships may have different ideas about what kinds of sexual contact counts as cheating, and this miscommunication can lead to infections. Communicate honestly with your partner about what sex youre having and what sex theyre having. Practice safer sex to reduce your risk of catching chlamydia, and get regularly screened to be sure.

    A note from Cleveland Clinic

    It can be embarrassing to talk about anything sex-related with your healthcare provider, including STI prevention. But your sex life is an important part of your health that your provider needs to know about to care for you. Not getting the treatment you need for chlamydia can pose serious risks to your health. Speak with your provider about getting regularly screened for chlamydia and other STIs to reduce your risks of complications. Practice safer sex to prevent the spread of chlamydia.

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    What Causes Chlamydia

    Its caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis.

    In people with chlamydia, the bacteria are most commonly found in the cervix and urethra . The bacteria can also infect the throat and rectum .

    Anyone whos sexually active can get chlamydia and pass it on. You dont need to have lots of sexual partners.

    What Is Chlamydia

    Chlamydia is the most common infection reported in the United States, with the highest prevalence in women aged less than 25 years, although it can occur in both men and women and at all ages. It is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis, and if left untreated, can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility in women.

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    How To Take It

    Always swallow your doxycycline capsule whole and have it with a full glass of water .

    You can take this medicine with or without food. However youre less likely to feel sick if you have it with food.

    Its important to take doxycycline while youre in an upright position. You can be sitting, standing or walking. This will stop the medicine irritating your food pipe or stomach.

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