To test for syphilis, a sample of your blood, body fluid, or tissue samples is extracted for examination in the laboratory. Syphilis tests helps to establish the presence of the disease. Syphilis test examines the samples for the syphilis-causing bacteria or germ.

The test for syphilis is done in stages, particularly if the initial test comes out positive.

If the initial test for syphilis displays syphilis signs, a second test is carried out to establish diagnosis a syphilis infection.

Test for syphilis may require you to give samples of your blood and cerebrospinal fluid for proper diagnosis.

Blood test for syphilis. Blood tests for syphilis helps to check for the manifestation of antibodies produced to combat syphilis infection. The antibodies to the syphilis bacteria can be dormant or a very long time in your body, so the test can be used to control a present or previous infection.

Cerebrospinal fluid. This test for syphilis can be carried out by extracting your cerebrospinal fluid sample using lumbar puncture procedure. This test for syphilis is mostly recommended for persons who show a nervous system problems of the disease.

Screening Tests for Syphilis
To screen for syphilis, the following tests are conducted:

Venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test. The VDRL test is a test for syphilis that examines blood or spinal fluid for an antibody that can be produced in people with the disease. This antibody isn’t precisely manufactured as a response to syphilis. So, it is likely for the test result to be “unusual” for other causes that may not likely be triggered by syphilis.

Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test. The RPR test also examines your blood sample for syphilis antibodies.
Rapid immunochromatographic test. This test for syphilis studies the blood for antibodies that are explicit to syphilis.
Tests to confirm syphilis
Tests for syphilis used to establish a syphilis infection include:

Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test. This test for syphilis examines the blood to detect syphilis antibodies. A positive EIA test should be established with VDRL or RPR tests.
Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) test.This test also scans the blood for antibodies. It can be used to identify syphilis excluding the first month after exposure. The test can be performed using blood sample or spinal fluid sample.

Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA). This is another test for syphilis that examines the blood for antibodies. The TPPA test is mostly used after an initial tests comes out positive for syphilis. This test isn’t conducted using spinal fluid, only on blood.

Darkfield microscopy. This test is mostly used at the early stage to detect syphilis. This test for syphilis examines a fluid sample or tissue sample from an open sore using a microscope. This test is used mainly to detect syphilis in an early stage.

Microhemagglutination assay (MHA-TP). The MHA-TP is used to confirm a syphilis infection after an initial test comes out positive.
If test results comes out positive, your doctor will notify you, so that you and your sexual partners can get treated to cut down the rate at which syphilis is spread.

Treatment for Syphilis
The treatment for syphilis at all stages of the infection is administered using antibiotic penicillin. Syphilis is a highly contagious sexually transmitted diseases that is spread via vaginal, anal, and oral sexual contact. Syphilis can destroy your immune system, exposing your body to high risks of getting HIV. Syphilis can be fatal enough to cause grave injury to your brain, nervous system, heart, and blood vessels, particularly if it is left untreated for long.

In severe cases, syphilis can result to total blindness, organ damage, paralysis, and even death. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted diseases, meaning there’s high chance of you passing on the virus your partner during sexual intercourse.

The treatment for syphilis is more effective if the disease is detected in its initial stage.

Syphilis cannot be treated with over-the-counter drugs or any form of home remedies. The antibiotic penicillin is the most recommended treatment for syphilis, particularly at the early stages of infection. Those who have been infected for less than a year may be given a shot of the penicillin injection for the virus to be eliminated from their system. However, for people who have had the infection more than a year, they may require more doses of the penicillin.

For pregnant women infected with syphilis, they should consult their doctor immediately for test and treatment. When pregnant women allow syphilis infection to go untreated, the disease can easily be transferred to child either through the birth canal or during breastfeeding. Penicillin can be administered to pregnant women, however there are some women who develop an allergy to penicillin during pregnancy. For this category of women, the doctor may administer special process to aid you tolerate the antibiotic.

In cases where the mother transfers syphilis to her fetus or newborn baby, it can lead to severe cases such as seizures, stillbirth, cataracts, birth defects, deafness, and infant death.

Side Effects of Syphilis Treatment
A person may experience some minor symptoms after being administered with the penicillin injection or taking other antibiotics to treat syphilis. Symptoms may include:

Headache
Nausea
Fever
Chills
Headaches
Joint or muscle pain
These symptoms should last for about 24 hours. At the end of the treatment, the antibiotics destroys the syphilis-causing bacteria and and inhibit any further complications. However, it may not be possible for the treatment for syphilis to undo any damage caused by the disease.

What to do After Syphilis Treatment
During the treatment for syphilis, ensure you complete the course of antibiotics medications even when symptoms disappear. A sample of your blood may be extracted to test if your body is properly responding to the antibiotics.

Ensure your sexual partner is tested for syphilis and treated accordingly to avoid a re-infection.

Getting treatment for syphilis doesn’t make your immune to contracting or spreading the disease again. This is why you should practice safe sex at all times.

Bottom line
Syphilis can be treated without any form of complication when it is captured at its early stages. An antibiotic medication called penicillin is administered to treat syphilis after test confirms you are infected with the disease.

Pregnant women and other groups of persons who have an allergy for penicillin are administered with other antibiotic medication or penicillin desensitization. People with syphilis disease at its early stage may only require a single shot of the penicillin. However, those with syphilis infection longer than a year may be given more doses.

After test and treatment for syphilis, you may have to equally be tested for HIV infection. Also, you will be advised by your doctor to avoid any form of sexual contact until the end of your treatment. It is advisable to undergo periodic blood tests to ensure you are responding properly to treatment. You may have to advise your sexual partners so they can be tested too to avoid a re-infection.

Source: https://healthdiary365.com/tests-for-syphilis/