Our body is structured to withstand natural wear and tears over the long run. But the skin wrinkles and short-term memory loss are common as we age. There are chances of reducing this wear and tear if we lead a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy, and working out every day. Similarly to keep oneself away from deadly diseases like STDs it is crucial to living a hygiene life and avoid strangers’ contact or practicing intimacy with multiple people.
In this article, we walk you through what STDs are, how is Chlamydia is different from other types, symptoms, and much more.
What are STDs?
Unlike any other disease, STDs are contracted primarily through intimate contact. Sexually Transmitted Diseases itself derives the name from the nature of the primary contraction. STDs are all over the world and in fact, early 1 million new STD cases are reported every day according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) study.
Not all STDs are serious in nature, like Herpes or HIV which are the deadliest and well-known widespread STDs. Fortunately, the increase in HIV and STD awareness campaigns and the availability of more sophisticated testing procedures have brought down a number of daily HIV cases for the past few years. But other types of STDs like Chlamydia have increased in number.
Types of STDs
STDs are generally categorized into two different types according to the nature of the treatment. One, which cannot be cured and lasts lifelong once you acquire it, includes virus-induced STDs like HIV and Herpes.
On the other hand, STDs can be cured if detected and diagnosed in the early stages. Bacteria, parasites, and other similar non-viral pathogens caused by STDs can be cured as the invaded bacteria or pathogen can be terminated with the help of antibiotics and medications. However, this is easier in the early stages as the bacteria has just entered the body and starts to replicate, if ignored during this stage, it can become more severe and may result in life-long medical conditions.
What is Chlamydia?
Chlamydia is a type of STD that is caused by a bacteria called “Chlamydia Trachomatis” that spread from one person to another via intimate contact. The infected person who is sexually active wouldn’t know they have Chlamydia as the symptom won’t show up unless several days or even weeks have passed since the initial contraction day.
It is really disheartening to note that more than 50% of the reported STD cases are coming from young people who fall between the age of 15-24 and more women are taking the toll than men according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms of Chlamydia
Signs of Chlamydia are similar in both men and women. This infection does not exhibit signs as soon as the bacteria has been invaded, it takes some time to develop and the symptoms to appear. This is one of the reasons for the widespread of Chlamydia and similar other STDs as the people do not know they have contracted the disease and unknowingly spread them to other partners.
Following are some of the most commonly seen symptoms of Chlamydia –
- Genital discharge
- Abdominal pain in women
- Pain in the tested for men
- Fatigue
- Sore throat
- Redness in the eye
- Itching
Sometimes, the symptoms go away without any treatment but that doesn’t mean that you are completely cured This is where most people misunderstand and reach out to a doctor when there’s a sudden outbreak of symptoms. When it comes to STDs, it ain’t like other diseases like flu where the symptoms go away on their own in some cases. The pathogens that cause the STDs need to be killed with the help of antibiotics to get completely cured.
Can Chlamydia be Cured?
If you experience any of the above symptoms, then do not wait for the symptoms to go away on their own. Get tested for Chlamydia right away to conform to your condition before it gets worse. STD testing providers like DxSaver.com, have a network with 3000+ labs and listed out the labs that provide STD testing all in one place so that you can find your best lab at your proximity in minutes. There are also Chlamydia at-home testing kits where you can pick the sample yourself with the provided kit and mail it back to the lab and get results in a couple of days. At-home test kits are mostly preferred by young people who are not feeling comfortable visiting a nearby lab or are worried about getting their identity exposed.
Unlike Herpes, Chlamydia is caused by bacteria which can be killed with the medications prescribed by your doctor. After your test and depending on your symptom severity, your physician will recommend drugs to cure the disease. It is also important not in involve in intimacy before completing the full course of medication, as the bacteria can get activated again and slows down the recovery process.
Conclusion
In general, all diseases have certain symptoms indicating the need for treatment to get cured. If you leave the infection as it is without taking any necessary steps, then you are doomed. In the case of STDs like Chlamydia, the quicker you react, the more likely you can recover quickly without having long-term defects like infertility. Abstain from having sex with strangers, you would never know who has what disease as the symptoms do not exhibit before multiple weeks after initial contraction but can be transmitted to other healthy individuals.
