What are the symptoms of syphilis?

Each stage of syphilis has different symptoms. Syphilis can be spread during the first two stages of the disease.

Primary Stage A single, painless sore, called a chancre (shan-ker), appears in the first, or primary stage, about 10 days to 90 days after infection. The sore can appear on the vulva, vagina, cervix, tongue, lips, or other parts of the body, including inside the body. Twenty-one days after infection is the most common time frame in which the sore appears. The sore heals with or without treatment. In this stage, syphilis can be passed to others through contact with an open sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. If the infection is not treated, it moves to the next, or secondary, stage.

Secondary Stage In the secondary stage, which starts three to six weeks after the sore appears, some or all of these symptoms can appear:

skin rash with rough, red or reddish-brown spots both on the palms of the hands and bottoms of the feet. The rash usually does not itch. Rashes with a different appearance may occur on other parts of the body.
sores on the throat, mouth, or cervix
fever
sore throat and swollen lymph glands
patchy hair loss on the head and other parts of the body
headaches and muscle aches
weight loss
tiredness

During vaginal, anal, or oral sex, contact with open sores or contact with the rash can spread the infection to others. The symptoms of secondary syphilis will resolve with or without treatment. But without treatment, the infection will progress to the latent and late stages of disease.

Latent Stage The next stage is called the latent or hidden stage. This stage can start from two years to over thirty years after initial infection. After symptoms from the secondary stage disappear, a relapse of the second stage of syphilis can happen, when those symptoms come back. If a relapse happens, the disease can be passed to others. Otherwise, the disease cannot be passed to another person. Even without treatment, some people with latent syphilis do not go on to develop late stage syphilis. But others will go on to develop late stage syphilis.

Late Stage In the late stage of syphilis, some people suffer damage to the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones, and joints. Complications may include small bumps or tumors on organs, blindness, insanity, or paralysis. This stage can last for years. Some people may die from the disease. You will only reach this stage if you have not received treatment earlier. If you have syphilis, get treated as soon as possible to avoid these problems.