What Dosage Treats Chlamydia
For people with uncomplicated genital chlamydia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a single dose of azithromycin taken orally to cure the infection.
Azithromycin comes in three forms:
- Tablet
- Regular-release powder
For both powder formulas, either you or a pharmacist mix it with liquid to take.
What Can Be Done To Prevent The Spread Of Chlamydia
- Limit your number of sex partners
- Use a male or female condom
- If you think you are infected or have been exposed, avoid any sexual contact and visit a local sexually transmitted disease clinic, a hospital or your doctor. Either bring your sex partners with you when you are treated or notify them immediately so they can obtain examination and treatment.
How Quickly Do Symptoms Show
In many cases, chlamydia symptoms do not show up at all, making it possible for the infection to lie dormant in the body and cause long-term side effects when not treated.
If someone with chlamydia does experience symptoms, the time it takes for them to show up may vary.
For most people, though, it takes about 7-21 days after having unprotected sex with an infected partner. However, it can take longer.
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Chlamydia Is A Serious Infection
Chlamydia is Americas most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Every year, an estimated 2.86 million infections occur. Since its so common, you may assume that its no big deal. However, chlamydia can be a very serious infection.
Chlamydia is very common, but that doesnt mean it cant have a serious impact on your health. The infection can cause a number of long-term complications. In up to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia, the infection spreads to the uterus and uterine tubes, leading to symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease. In addition, some women experience subclinical inflammation of the upper genital tract. This can cause permanent damage to the affected tissues.
Parents Have A Role In Chlamydia Prevention
Parents can do two main things to help their kids avoid getting chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections , says Dombrowski. These two things are:
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How Do You Treat Urethral Stricture At Home
Some of the natural home remedies for control and management of the Urethral Stricture include the following:
- Cranberry: Enriched with nutrients PACs, it helps to prevent bacterial infections that may affect the urinary tract.
- Pygeum: Is a herbal ingredient obtained from tree extract. It helps to enhance the health of the bladder and also prevents signs of inflammation in the urinary system.
- Clematis: Being a kind of homeopathic treatment, it facilitates relief from the symptoms such as painful urination and decreased amount of urine.
Summary: Urethral Stricture is an abnormal condition of the urethra which can occur in males as well as females. However, the related symptoms can be relieved by the application of home remedies such as cranberries, pygeum, and clematis.
Summary: Urethra becomes narrower in Urethral Stricture due to the inflammation of the urethral passage. It occurs more in males. It can be treated by certain medications as well as home remedies and self-care techniques. When left untreated or in case of delayed treatment, it may lead to complications like damage to the kidneys and bladder and infertility.
How Is Chlamydia Spread
You can get chlamydia by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has chlamydia.
If your sex partner is male you can still get chlamydia even if he does not ejaculate .
If youve had chlamydia and were treated in the past, you can still get infected again. This can happen if you have unprotected sex with someone who has chlamydia.
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What Happens If Chlamydia Is Untreated
If you’re not treated for chlamydia, you may have some serious complications.
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Infertility. Pelvic inflammatory disease can cause scar tissue to develop in your fallopian tubes. This can block your tubes and make it difficult for an egg to pass through and become fertilized.
- Ectopic pregnancy. This scarring of your fallopian tubes can stop a fertilized egg from moving into your uterus. The egg may then begin to grow in your fallopian tube. An ectopic pregnancy can be dangerous, as your fallopian tube may break and cause bleeding in your pelvis and abdomen.
A study of women admitted to hospitals found that women with pelvic inflammatory disease were:
- Ten times more likely to be admitted to hospital for abdominal pain
- Ten times more likely to be admitted for ectopic pregnancy
- Six times more likely to be admitted for endometriosis
- Eight times more likely to be admitted for a procedure to remove their womb
Some people with pelvic inflammatory disease caused by chlamydia may also develop a rare complication known as Fitz-Hugh-Curtis Syndrome or perihepatitis. This is a painful inflammation of the tissue surrounding your liver.
Pregnancy complications
If youre pregnant and your chlamydia is untreated, this increases your likelihood of problems like premature birth and a low-birth-weight baby. You may pass chlamydia on to your baby. Your baby may develop a lung infection or eye infection .
Other complications
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.
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Home Remedies For Chlamydia Symptoms
You may still experience painful or uncomfortable symptoms while youre taking chlamydia antibiotics.
Here are some home remedies for reducing your pain and other symptoms while youre waiting for the antibiotics to work:
- pain medications, such as ibuprofen to reduce pain
- cold pack to help limit swelling and inflammation
- goldenseal to reduce inflammation and potentially make symptoms less severe
- echinacea to bolster your immune system against the infection and reduce your symptoms
- turmeric containing an ingredient called curcumin to reduce inflammation and make symptoms less severe
No studies support the effectiveness of these supplements specifically for chlamydia, so take them with caution.
And theres no substitute for antibiotics when treating chlamydia. Only try these remedies if youre already taking antibiotics or if you plan to go to the doctor.
Chlamydia Treatment And Prevention
Milly DawsonSanjai Sinha, MDShutterstock
Chlamydia is easy to cure. If you test positive for chlamydia, basically you take an antibiotic, says Jill Rabin, MD, cochief in the division of ambulatory care for women’s health programs and prenatal care assistance program services for Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York.
Your partner must take an antibiotic, too, to keep them from reinfecting you, she says.
You have to have your partner treated, and if you have more than one partner, they should all be treated, says Dr. Rabin, regardless of your partners genders.
Even if you dont have chlamydia now, its wise to learn how to protect yourself so you wont develop this common infection in the first place. In women, chlamydia can create serious health problems, including infertility. Besides, no one ever wants to have a sexually transmitted disease and then have to tell other people about it.
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Where Can I Get More Information
Health care providers with STD consultation requests can contact the STD Clinical Consultation Network . This service is provided by the National Network of STD Clinical Prevention Training Centers and operates five days a week. STDCCN is convenient, simple, and free to health care providers and clinicians. More information is available at www.stdccn.orgexternal icon.
Division of STD Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-38271-800-783-987
References
1. OFarrell N, Morison L, Moodley P, et al. Genital ulcers and concomitant complaints in men attending a sexually transmitted infections clinic: implications for sexually transmitted infections management. Sexually transmitted diseases 2008 35:545-9.
2. White JA. Manifestations and management of lymphogranuloma venereum. Current opinion in infectious diseases 2009 22:57-66.
3. Kreisel KM, Spicknall IH, Gargano JW, Lewis FM, Lewis RM, Markowitz LE, Roberts H, Satcher Johnson A, Song R, St. Cyr SB, Weston EJ, Torrone EA, Weinstock HS. Sexually transmitted infections among US women and men: Prevalence and incidence estimates, 2018. Sex Transm Dis 2021 in press.
4. CDC. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2019. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services April 2021.
5. Torrone E, Papp J, Weinstock H. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infection Among Persons Aged 1439 Years United States, 20072012. MMWR 2014 63:834-8.
Chlamydial Conjunctivitis In Newborns
A pregnant woman who is infected with chlamydia can infect her newborn baby as he or she passes through the birth canal during delivery. Up to 50 percent of newborn babies can contract chlamydia from an infected mother during delivery, according to research.
Symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis in newborns may include swelling, redness or watery discharge. Newborns typically begin experiencing these symptoms around 5 to 7 days after birth.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis in newborns is treated through IV antibiotics, as well as with antibiotic ointment. If the condition is left untreated in newborns, it can lead to further complications, such as lung infections and even blindness.
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What Is The Best Home Remedy For Chlamydia
The only consistently proven cure for chlamydia is antibiotics. There are a few products and home remedies out there recommended by countless websites for curing chlamydia at home. Unfortunately, the results of these treatments can be inconsistent and never involve the use of actual antibiotics. The only guaranteed method of treating bacterial infections, like chlamydia, is antibiotics.
What Is The Treatment For Chlamydia
Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics. HIV-positive persons with chlamydia should receive the same treatment as those who are HIV-negative.
Persons with chlamydia should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days after single dose antibiotics or until completion of a 7-day course of antibiotics, to prevent spreading the infection to partners. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure chlamydia. Medication for chlamydia should not be shared with anyone. Although medication will stop the infection, it will not repair any permanent damage done by the disease. If a persons symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment, he or she should return to a health care provider to be reevaluated.
Repeat infection with chlamydia is common. Women whose sex partners have not been appropriately treated are at high risk for re-infection. Having multiple chlamydial infections increases a womans risk of serious reproductive health complications, including pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy. Women and men with chlamydia should be retested about three months after treatment of an initial infection, regardless of whether they believe that their sex partners were successfully treated.
Infants infected with chlamydia may develop ophthalmia neonatorum and/or pneumonia. Chlamydial infection in infants can be treated with antibiotics.
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Chlamydia Can Sometimes Go Away On Its Own
Some diseases and infections can go away on their own, so its not surprising that people wonder: does chlamydia go away on its own? The truth is, it sometimes does. In about 20% of people who have no symptoms, chlamydia may resolve spontaneously without treatment. It means that under certain circumstances host immune responses can control chlamydia naturally.
Untreated chlamydia can go on without any symptoms for a long period of time. Thats why its so important to get tested and catch it early. When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications. In women, the infection can spread to the uterus and uterine tubes, while in men, it can spread to the prostate gland. Chlamydia can also cause reactive arthritis, which affects your joints and eyes.
When chlamydia isnt treated, it can cause a number of serious complications.
Some people claim that chlamydia can be treated with home remedies like garlic and turmeric, but these methods are unproven and should be avoided. The only proven cure for chlamydia is treatment with antibiotics, which usually clear up the infection in a week or two.
What Is The Treatment
Urethritis is the inflammation of the urethra due to bacterial conditions. On the other hand, nongonococcal urethritis is known as the infection of the urethra that is not caused by gonorrhea. This infection is caused due to multiple different organisms. Frequently, a germ called Chlamydia, which is a sexually transmitted disease is the source. It is mostly found in men, the reason being that this infection is caused due to sexual transmission and females during intercourse are seldom infected.
If nongonococcal urethritis is suspected a person need to take a few tests. Even if the symptoms go away after a point, he needs to reassure whether there is anything still wrong or not. A local genitourinary clinic will carry out all the tests needed. A urine specimen must be provided to identify the cause. There may also be a requirement of a tiny swab from the blood tests. Medications like antibiotics usually clear the infection. The antibiotics prescribed are usually dependent on germs like Chlamydia or conditions when other infections are also present. Even if there are no bacteria found after tests, the individual may still be suggested to take antibiotics if he has shown the symptoms. Antibiotic treatment will more likely make a person better if taken in a continuous course and completed properly.
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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.
You Can Catch Chlamydia If Youve Only Had Sex Once
You may have heard that its not possible to get chlamydia from a single sex act. If youve had sex with someone who has the infection, you could get it, too. One encounter is all it takes to pass on the bacteria, so get tested.
In up to 15 percent of women with untreated chlamydia, the infection spreads to the uterus and uterine tubes, leading to symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease.
If youve had unprotected sex and are worried that you might have chlamydia, get tested. The test is easy and painless. Your doctor could take a sample of your cells with a cotton swab or ask you to pee in a cup. The sample is tested for chlamydia bacteria. If your doctor says you have chlamydia, dont worry. Its treatable.
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How Do I Know If I Have Chlamydia
Most people who have chlamydia have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may not appear until several weeks after you have sex with an infected partner. Even when chlamydia causes no symptoms, it can damage your reproductive system.
Women with symptoms may notice
- An abnormal vaginal discharge
- A burning sensation when urinating.
Symptoms in men can include
- A discharge from their penis
- A burning sensation when urinating
- Pain and swelling in one or both testicles .
Men and women can also get infected with chlamydia in their rectum. This happens either by having receptive anal sex, or by spread from another infected site . While these infections often cause no symptoms, they can cause
- Rectal pain
- Discharge
- Bleeding.
You should be examined by your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms or if your partner has an STD or symptoms of an STD. STD symptoms can include an unusual sore, a smelly discharge, burning when urinating, or bleeding between periods.