Syphilis: Causes, Types, Symptoms, Transmission, and Ayurvedic Perspective
This disease is also an infectious (contagious) disease, meaning it can be transmitted from an infected woman to a healthy man, and vice versa. Additionally, if this disease occurs in the parents, it can also affect their future children. It is spread through a type of microorganism. In the beginning stage of the disease, a pimple appears on the penis of a man or in the vagina of a woman, which later turns into a sore. Pus starts coming out from it. At this stage, the patient experiences bone pain and begins to weaken. Fever, pain in the bones, and gradual hair fall from the head are symptoms of the disease’s full stage. In such a condition, the eyes also get affected. If this disease is not properly treated in time, it spreads throughout the body, and rashes or lumps appear on the skin. In a woman suffering from this disease, a pimple appears on the labia or inside the vagina, which later turns into a sore. This sore lasts for 3–4 weeks.
There are two types of this disease:
- Hard chancre
- Soft chancre
The cause of this disease is a specific type of microorganism. If the disease is transmitted from diseased parents to the child, it is called Primary Syphilis. If a healthy man or woman acquires it through sexual intercourse with an infected partner, it is called Secondary Syphilis.
If either the husband or the wife is infected, the disease can be transmitted to the fetus through semen. The microorganisms of the disease enter the fetus through the placenta from the parents’ blood.
If either the husband or wife has this disease, it can be transmitted to the other partner through sexual intercourse. In such cases, the first sore appears on the genitals of the infected individual. Also, if a child has hereditary syphilis, the woman breastfeeding the child may also get infected. Excessive contact with a syphilis patient, wearing their clothes, lying on their bed, kissing them, or using surgical instruments (which have not been properly sterilized after being used on a syphilitic patient) can transmit the disease. If the blood or pus from a syphilitic patient enters a healthy person’s body, they too can contract the disease.
Soft Chancre Syphilis
When the infection affects the mucous membrane of the infected area, it becomes grazed, and within 24 hours, redness appears. By the second or third day, a pimple appears. The tip of the pimple is black, and it is surrounded by redness and bluish discoloration. Usually by the fifth day, the pimple bursts.
A liquid oozes out, forming a deep sore, which is painful and discharges a large amount of pus. The sore appears muddy in color, with clean edges and a somewhat hard base. The lymph nodes in the thighs often swell and become suppurative. These sores are generally found at the tip (glans) of the penis in men, and on the labia and mucous membrane of the vagina in women, sometimes even reaching the mouth of the uterus. These sores can last from 3 weeks to 2 months. The infection does not enter the bloodstream, hence it is called Local Contagion.
Hard Chancre Syphilis
When this type of infection enters the body, symptoms do not appear immediately. The infection spreads internally, and symptoms begin to appear within 10 to 70 days.
Hard chancre syphilis can be divided into three stages based on symptoms:
First Stage:
In this stage, a red, hard bump forms near the urethral opening of the glans penis in men, or on the labia or external part of the vagina in women. It becomes a pimple which bursts in a few days, forming a red circular ring around it. The sore may sometimes ooze pus and a thin discharge (sometimes the sore is completely dry). The sore is not very deep, nor is it very painful. Usually, it heals on its own within 6 months, but can reoccur.
Second Stage:
After the first stage ends (after 1.5–2 months), the infected man or woman may think they are healthy, as they experience no apparent symptoms. However, the infection continues to spread internally, affecting the blood and tissues throughout the body. Rashes begin to appear, accompanied by flaky skin and small boils and lumps. The patient becomes weaker day by day. Large blisters may form, filled with pus or fluid. These later become sores with muddy coloration and raised edges. The lymph glands in other parts of the body also swell. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, insomnia, restlessness, swollen tonsils, eyebrow and scalp hair loss, blurred vision, and swollen parts of the eyes. (It is not necessary that all these symptoms appear in every patient.) This stage may last from a few weeks to 2 years.
Third Stage:
A few months or several years after the second stage ends, the third stage begins. (During the interim, the patient might feel slight burning on the tongue and palms.) In the third stage, inflammation begins in the structure of the body. Blood vessels in the skin rupture. Sores appear on various parts of the body. There is persistent pain throughout the body. Long bones decay from the middle, and their ends become enlarged. A hole develops in the palate, the nose collapses, speech becomes unclear, and eventually, the patient succumbs to severe diseases like paralysis and apoplexy.
Ayurvedic View on Syphilis
Syphilis (Updansh or Firang disease), caused by sexual impurity, is classified into five types according to the renowned Ayurvedic scholar Sushruta:
“Sa Panchavidhistribhirdoshaih Prithak Samastair Srija Cha”
Which means it is of five types:
- Vataja
- Pittaja
- Kaphaja
- Sannipataja (combined doshas)
- Raktaja (blood impurity)
The ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka referred to it as “Dhwaj Bhang” and also categorized it similarly. In the Bhav Prakash Ayurvedic text, a similar disease is described as “Firang”. Some believe it’s called Firang because it spread in India through the “Firangis” (British). In English, it’s known as Syphilis or Hard Chancre, while in Unani medicine, it’s called Aatashak. Commonly, people also refer to it as “Garmi” (heat).
Sushruta has listed several causes of this disease, such as:
- Excessive sexual activity
- Prolonged celibacy
- Intercourse with menstruating women
- Intercourse with women with inward hair growth in the vagina
- Narrow or overly spacious vaginas
- Women averse to intercourse
- Nuns or celibate women
- Intercourse with infected or deformed vaginas
Other causes include:
- Injuries from nails or teeth
- Intercourse with animals
- Masturbation
- Homosexual intercourse
- Anal intercourse
- Washing genitals with contaminated water
- Not cleaning the genitals after sex
All these cause impurities to enter the genitals, leading to disease.
Primary Symptoms of Syphilis
The main symptom of syphilis is constant decay (moisture) in the penis, along with a foul smell. It starts with itching, then boils develop with fluid and turn into blisters. These blisters later become sores that spread all over the penis and glans. Parts of the genitals begin to fall off.
Sushruta also writes that this disease affects women too, attacking the labia, vaginal canal, and sometimes even the uterus. A thick yellow, pus-filled discharge begins. Wherever this poisonous discharge touches, it causes sores. The disease spreads very rapidly, and treatment should not be delayed.
General Prevention Tips for Syphilis
- Since it is a contagious disease, infected individuals should avoid sexual contact.
- Those who visit sex workers should mix Calomel in 3–4 parts Vaseline, apply it to the penis immediately after intercourse, and wash thoroughly with warm water and soap after 2 hours. This can kill the bacteria.
- Healthy individuals must remain extremely cautious. If even one of the spouses is infected, abstain from sex completely for personal, familial, and public health.
- Avoid contact with the patient’s clothes, handkerchief, towels, bed sheets, etc.
- Refrain from kissing or close contact.
- Do not eat or drink from the utensils used by the patient.
- Avoid sharing beds, physical contact, or conversations with infected individuals unless necessary—but do not mock or insult the patient. Instead, help them get proper treatment from a qualified doctor.
- The patient should not hide the disease. Immediately consult a government hospital, a qualified doctor, or Ayurvedic practitioner for proper treatment.
Remember: Like AIDS, syphilis is also dangerous but not incurable. Early detection and proper treatment can cure it completely.
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