Whats The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. If you take the treatment according to instructions, its over 95% effective at treating chlamydia.
- Youll be given a course of antibiotics for 3 or 7 days or sometimes up to two weeks.
- If theres a high chance you have chlamydia, treatment may be started before the results of the test are back. Youll always be given treatment if a sexual partner is found to have chlamydia.
- You may also need other treatment if complications have occurred.
- Tell the doctor or nurse if youre pregnant, or think you might be, or youre breastfeeding. This may affect the type of antibiotic youre given.
- Complementary therapies cant cure chlamydia.
Also Check: Are There Any Home Remedies For Chlamydia
Home Remedies For Chlamydia
Chlamydia is caused by a bacterial infection. The only true cure for this type of infection is antibiotics.
But some alternative treatments may help ease symptoms. Its important to remember that untreated chlamydia can lead to long-term complications, including fertility problems and chronic inflammation.
Home remedies for chlamydia that may be effective include:
- Goldenseal.This medicinal plant may limit symptoms during an infection by reducing inflammation.
- Echinacea. This plant has been widely used to boost the immune system in order to help people overcome infections of many types, from the common cold to skin wounds. It may help reduce symptoms of chlamydia.
Although compounds in these plants might help to ease inflammation and infection in general, there arent any quality studies that show theyre effective specifically for chlamydia symptoms.
How Do You Prevent Chlamydia
Using a new male or female condom or dental dam every time you have sex is the best way to protect against chlamydia.
Chlamydia can be passed on by sharing sex toys. Always cover sex toys with a new condom and wash them after use to reduce your risk of getting chlamydia and other STIs.
Its important to regularly test for chlamydia, even if you dont have any symptoms, especially if youve had multiple sexual partners.
The contraceptive pill and other types of contraception wont prevent you getting chlamydia, and neither will PrEP.
You May Like: What Does Chlamydia Feel Like For A Guy
Read Also: How To Treat Chlamydia Naturally
How Will I Get My Results
It can take a few days to get your results from a swab test, similar to a Pap smear test. If you have a vagina, you may also be able to obtain an at-home kit to do the vaginal testing on your own.
Your doctor will call you with the results of your test. Be sure you give your doctor your preferred phone number where you can have privacy, such as a mobile phone number. If you dont want them to leave you a voicemail, be sure you tell them before you leave your appointment.
A urine test is much faster to analyze. Your doctor should be able to tell you the results on the same day as your appointment. The downside is that urine tests may not be as accurate as traditional swab testing.
However, urine testing may be more suitable for people assigned male at birth. Its also used for more advanced signs of chlamydia, as your body will have a greater number of bacteria to detect at this stage.
Chlamydia Test For Women
To diagnose the infection, your doctor can use a few different chlamydia tests. Your doctor will likely ask you about your symptoms and why you think you have the infection. When this happens, its important to be as honest as possible.
Although many physicians do it, a chlamydia test is not automatically done at the time that a Pap test is done.
For this reason, its important for women, especially sexually active women aged 25 and under, to ask their health care provider whether theyre getting tested for chlamydia every year.
If you think you may have been exposed to an STD, youll have to ask for a screening.
Fortunately, chlamydia is easy to treat. If you suspect that you have it, youll need to:
- See your health care provider immediately before the infection does damage to your reproductive organs.
- Listen to your doctor and take all of your medicine. Even if your symptoms go away, you should finish your pills.
- Tell your sexual partner. They should know about the infection so that they too can be tested and treated.
- Avoid having sexual intercourse until you and your partner have been cured.
Since chlamydia is a bacteria, your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics.
You May Like: How To Tell If I Have Chlamydia Male
Sunflower And Sesame Seeds
Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and peanuts each contain phytosterols that are known to help ease the symptoms of gonorrhea.
As always, be mindful of allergies and possible drug interactions when trying any herbal remedies.
So, now you know more about natural treatments and dietary changes you can make that may improve your ability to fight off gonorrhea infections and related symptoms. Are there other lifestyle changes and tips to consider when dealing with gonorrhea?
Read Also: Can You Buy Medicine For Chlamydia Over The Counter
How Did I Get Chlamydia If I Didnt Cheat
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.
Don’t Miss: Chlamydia Symptoms In Men Photos
Chlamydia Treatment For Men
Chlamydia is a curable sexually transmitted infection . Treatment involves a short course of antibiotics.
Chlamydia treatment for men and women are the same. There are two types of chlamydia tablets – doxycycline, and azithromycin.
Doxycycline is the first line treatment, as it is a more effective treatment for chlamydia. You take doxycycline twice a day for seven days. A test of cure is not usually required, due to the effectiveness of this antibiotic. It generally has positive reviews.
If you canât take doxycycline, youâll usually be prescribed azithromycin for 3 days. On day 1 you take two 500mg tablets and on day 2 and 3 you take one 500mg tablet. Although the course is shorter, azithromycin is not as effective as doxycycline, and is usually reserved for those that cannot take doxycycline.
Both are available in tablet or pill form and can be swallowed whole with water.
You should refrain from sexual activity during treatment, and for 7 days after having completed treatment. This is because there may be remnants of the infection that are still present after the treatment course has been complete. The antibiotics will still be working to get rid of the infection during these 7 days after treatment.
Prostate Health: 6 Ways To Keep Your Prostate Healthy
Chlamydia may also be a cause of urethral stricture disease in men. This is a condition in which the urethra narrows, which can cause several issues with urination . Surgery may be necessary to correct urethral stricture disease .
Lastly, in men who have urethritis, chlamydia can cause an immune reaction called reactive arthritisthis occurs in approximately 1% of men with urethritis. Reactive arthritis can cause pain, swelling, redness, and stiffness of the joints. It typically affects the knees, ankles, and feet but can also occur in other joints. People with reactive arthritis may also experience lower back pain, pain where tendons and ligaments connect to the bone , and swollen sausage fingers .
Several types of bacterial infections can cause reactive arthritis, but chlamydia is one of the most common. Some people with urethritis and arthritis also develop conjunctivitis or uveitis . This triad of symptoms of urethritis, arthritis, and eye inflammation is called Reiters syndrome.
Recommended Reading: How To Know If A Boy Has Chlamydia
Why Is Azithromycin Not A Chlamydia Treatment Anymore
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV recently released guidelines explaining that Azithromycin is no longer an effective treatment for chlamydia. This is because of increasing levels of bacterial resistance to azithromycin. Instead, the recommended first-line treatment is now only doxycycline.
Ways To Prevent Chlamydia Infection
In case if you are infected with Chlamydia then it is important to take preventive steps to stop spreading it further to other sex partners. Always prefer to follow these tips for prevention:
Any genital chlamydia symptoms in men like burning sensation at the time of urination or discharge can cause unusual rashes or sore. It is the right symptom to stop sexual contact and visit your doctor immediately. In case your doctor immediately identifies presence of Chlamydia in your body then it is good to start treatment from the same day.
Let your past partners know about this disease and ask them to have test fast at a trusted medical clinic. As Chlamydia symptoms are rarely noticeable so it is important to stay aware and protected with proper Chlamydia cure.
Don’t Miss: Can You Get Tested For Chlamydia Through Urine
Prepare For The Conversation
To prepare yourself for the conversation with your partner to let them know they may have an STI, do some research on the subject. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about STIs out there, so its important to read up on the topic and be ready to answer your partners questions.
But that doesnt mean you have to become an expert on the topic there may be questions you both have, and in those cases, you can do your research together.
Less Common Symptoms Of Syphilis
Latent syphilis is the stage that occurs after the symptoms of secondary syphilis have stopped, and the STD has gone untreated.
Tertiary syphilis is the fourth stage. Its rare, as few people actually enter the fourth stage even when syphilis is left untreated. It can cause serious complications, including:
- damage to the heart
- damage to the nervous system, including the brain
- joint damage
- damage to other parts of the body
Syphilis can cause serious medical issues and death if it reaches this stage, even several years after transmission.
You May Like: Pink Antibiotic Pill For Chlamydia
Know Your Sexual Health Status
If you have recently changed sexual partners, or have multiple sex partners, getting regularly tested for STIs will tell you if you have an infection. Some people can have an STI and not have any symptoms. Finding and treating an STI reduces the chances of passing infections on to your partner.
The more partners you have, the higher your chances of getting exposed to STIs.
What Happens If Chlamydia Is Untreated
In the long term, if chlamydia is untreated, the infection may spread across the reproductive system and other organs. Inflammation of the cervix causes odorous vaginal discharge, abnormal bleeding, and pain during intercourse. With more widespread infection involving the Fallopian tubes and uterus, a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease can develop.6
The chlamydia bacteria infects the Fallopian tubes causing swelling and scarring of the tissues. This leads to blockage, and prevents the movement of eggs into the uterus. For this reason, fertilisation becomes a problem, and chlamydia can be responsible for causing infertility.7 Other sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhoea, may also cause PID in the same way.
Scarring of the Fallopian tubes can increase the chance of ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilised egg implants somewhere other than the uterus, for example in the Fallopian tubes. When this occurs, the embryo begins to grow and the tubes can rupture, leading to sudden onset of severe pain and bleeding. This can be life threatening if the embryo is not surgically removed. Therefore, it is important to seek immediate medical attention if you have sudden severe tummy pain with a positive pregnancy test.
Chlamydia can be passed from pregnant women to their unborn child. As such, it is associated with pre-term births, infant eye infections , and lung infections . For this reason, it is important to receive treatment for chlamydia early.
Don’t Miss: Does Chlamydia Burn All The Time
Swab Method If You Have A Vagina
To collect a sample for testing, you will be asked to remove your clothes from the waist down and wear a paper gown or cover with a paper blanket. You will be asked to lie on an exam table and place your feet in rests called stirrups.
A medical professional will use a swab or very small brush to gently swab or rub any of the following areas:
- your vagina
- inside your vagina at your cervix
- inside your mouth and throat
If more than one sample is taken, a new, clean swab will be used for each sample. The swabs are sent to the lab for testing to determine if chlamydia trachomatis bacteria is present.
What To Think About
Some people who have chlamydia may also have gonorrhea. In that case, treatment includes antibiotics that kill both chlamydia and gonorrhea. For more information, see the topic Gonorrhea.
Reinfection can occur. Symptoms that continue after treatment are probably caused by another chlamydia infection rather than treatment failure. To prevent reinfection, sex partners need to be evaluated and treated.
Repeated chlamydia infections increase the risk for pelvic inflammatory disease . Even one infection can lead to PID without proper treatment. Make sure to take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Take the full course of medicine, even if you feel better in a couple of days.
Some doctors recommend retesting 3 to 12 months after treatment to reduce the risk of complications from reinfection.footnote 4
If you have chlamydia, your doctor will send a report to the state health department. Your personal information is kept confidential. The health department may contact you about telling your sex partner or partners that they may need treatment.
You May Like: Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Test Cvs
Don’t Miss: How Fast Can Chlamydia Spread
Know That Chlamydia Is Common And Treatable
You May Like: I Had Chlamydia And Got Treated But Still Have Symptoms
Who Is At Risk For Chlamydia
Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia. Anyone with genital symptoms such as discharge, burning during urination, unusual sores, or rash should refrain from having sex until they are able to see a health care provider about their symptoms.
Because chlamydia is usually asymptomatic, screening is necessary to identify most infections. Screening programs have been demonstrated to reduce rates of adverse sequelae in women. CDC recommends yearly chlamydia screening of all sexually active women age 25 or younger and older women with risk factors for chlamydial infections . Pregnant women should be screened during their first prenatal care visit. Pregnant women younger than 25 or at increased risk for chlamydia should be screened again in their third trimester. Any woman who is sexually active should discuss her risk factors with a health care provider who can then determine if more frequent screening is necessary.
Routine screening is not recommended for men. However, the screening of sexually active young men should be considered in clinical settings with a high prevalence of chlamydia when resources permit and do not hinder screening efforts in women.
What are the symptoms?
Chlamydia is known as a âsilentâ infection because most infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they may not appear until several weeks after exposure. Even when it causes no symptoms, chlamydia can damage a womanâs reproductive organs.
Don’t Miss: How Much Does Chlamydia Treatment Cost Without Insurance
How Do I Spot An Sti
You might be surprised to learn that most STIs dont have symptoms. This means you cant necessarily tell if you or your sexual partner has an STI just by looking. Thats why regular sexual health check-ups are essential.
Because STIs are so common and testing is quick and easy, many clinicians suggest getting an STI test every 612 months, when you change partners, or if you have any symptoms that youre concerned about.
Its also important to know that being treated for STIs doesnt stop you from getting them again.
Common Symptoms Of Syphilis
Syphilis has four different phases:
Each phase has its own set of symptoms. The symptoms of primary syphilis in men and people with a penis may include:
- swollen lymph nodes in the area near the sore
Symptoms of secondary syphilis may include:
- a skin rash that doesnt itch, commonly found over the body that includes the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- swollen lymph nodes
Recommended Reading: Can Chlamydia Turn Into Herpes
Symptoms Can Differ For Men And Women
By and large, most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic they are picked up by screening, which is why it’s so important to have good screening programs in place, notes Dr. Stoner. Men or women who have chlamydia symptoms may experience painful urination.
Women may also have these symptoms:
- Smelly discharge from the cervix
- Pain during sex
And men may have these symptoms:
- Discharge from the penis
How Can You Prevent Chlamydia
Whether or not youâve had chlamydia before, you can take simple actions to protect your sexual health going forward.
- Unprotected sex is one of the main ways this STD is transmitted, so use protection every time you have sex.
- Routinely screen for STDs like chlamydia .
- If you have a new sex partner, consider talking with them about both of you getting tested so you can enjoy physical intimacy with greater peace of mind.
- Speak with your healthcare providerâand consider getting testedâif youâre experiencing symptoms of this or any other STD.
To easily test for chlamydia from the privacy of home, take the Everlywell at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test. You can also check for 6 common sexually transmitted infections with the Everlywell at-home STD Test for men or women.
Recommended Reading: Having Chlamydia For A Month