Complications Due to Syphilis

At its beginning stage, syphilis will cause sores called chancre in the body. Chancres are seen mostly in genital areas of the body. Syphilis can also cause rash, mild fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, patchy hair loss, and swollen glands through the body.

If left untreated syphilis can spread to all areas of the body. Syphilis most likely will affect the heart, eyes, brain, nervous system, bones, and joints. Syphilis can cause mental illness, blindness, neurologic problems, heart disease, and death.

A major illness due to syphilis is neurosyphilis. When the bacteria that causes syphilis invades the nervous system, infected people can develop neurosyphilis. Some people with neurosyphilis might not develop complications. But, most people do. Some of the complications include headache, stiff neck, fever, seizures, and symptoms similar to a stroke (numbness, weakness, vision problems). It can take up to 20 years to develop neurosyphilis since infection.