What is the difference between chlamydia and gonorrhea?

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are infections that are obtained mainly by sexual contact and affect urinary tract and genitals. Despite these similarities, these are recognizable diseases, with different symptoms, treatment and complications. Symptoms of chlamydia include the presence of discharges and painful urination, while gonorrhea more often causes burning genitalia and itching. Treatment of both require antibiotics, but different drugs are used.

Causes

Both of these diseases are caused by bacterial infections, but the species that cause them are not the same. Chlamydia is caused by chlamydia trachomatis , while gonorrhea is caused by neisseria gonorrhoeae . These infections are most common in people aged 15 to 24 years.

Often it is not immediately clear that a person has one of these infections, although in women it is even less likely that symptoms occur. In the case of chlamydia, 50% of men and 80%, see any signs. Almost all men have at least one symptom of gonorrhea, but only 50% of women have at all. This means that women are less likely to be diagnosed with both diseases and have a higher risk of complications.

women and men tend to experience symptoms of chlamydia differently. In women, they are very similar to bladder infection, with painful urination and low fever and sometimes a discharge from the vagina or rectum. Women are also likely to experience pain during sexual intercourse. These symptoms differ in the correct diagnosis, because the patient can assume that the cause is the bladder infection and that medical treatment is not necessary. Men with chlamydia usually experience a light -colored penis or rectum discharge, painful urination and pain in the testes.

The symptoms of gonorrhea in men and women may include pain and itching of genitalia, painful burning urination, increased frequency of urination and sore throat. In men, white, yellow or green discharges from the penis may also occur, spolU with red or swollen urethra and swollen testicles that are gentle to the touch. In women, vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse, pain in the lower abdomen and fever may be caused by infection.

diagnosis

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are diagnosed with similar methods. In any case, the urine sample or the genital discharge sample is processed in the laboratory using a polymerase chain reaction. In this technique, bacterial DNA from the sample is duplicated to provide enough material to perform a diagnostic test. The diagnosis is then completed by comparing DNA from the sample to the known laboratory standard.

Treatment

Antibiotics are a standard treatment of both infections, but the specific drugs used are not the same. People with chlamydia usually use either erythromycin or azithromycin, while gonorrhea is most commonly treated with ceftriaxone, cefixim or doxycycline. Depending on the drug, the patient may be given either a short course of antibiotics or treatmentone dose.

Complications

men and women with untreated chlamydia are at risk of developing Reiter syndrome, combination of urethral inflammation, conjunctivitis and arthritis. Women are also exposed to the risk of inflammatory pelvic disease that affects the uterine and fallopian tubes and can cause infertility. In addition, a woman who is infected at the time of delivery has up to 50% chance to pass on her child's illness.

untreated gonorrhea can lead to meningitis, joint infections and heart valve infection in women and men. Men are also threatened by inflammation of urethral inflammation, which can lead to scarring. Women can develop an inflammatory pelvic disease, scarring of fellow tubes and inferior or inferior is more likely to have ectopic pregnancy. The infection can also be transmitted from a woman to the fetus either during pregnancy or delivery.

Prevention

Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be transmitted by both vaginal and anal intercourse and oral sex. A person who wants to chWound before these and other sexually transmitted infections should use a condom or other means of protection for all types of sexual contact. This is particularly important because the high rate of infections without symptoms means that it is not always possible to determine if anyone is infected.