What is it?

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection. It can affect both men and women. It generally spreads during sexual contact. Millions of people are affected by this problem in the world. It is considered as one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.

Symptoms

many people who suffer from Chlamydia may not show any symptoms at all. Some of the symptoms may start showing up 5 to 10 days after the infection happens.

Symptoms in women

in women, the following symptoms are generally seen-

• Abdominal pain
• Large quantities of vaginal discharge. Such discharge may look yellow and can be foul-smelling
• Bleeding between periods
• Low-grade fever
• Painful intercourse and bleeding after intercourse
• Swelling in the vagina or around the anus
• Burning with urination explain
• Need to urinate more often

Symptoms in men

the following symptoms are generally seen in case of men-

• Pain and burning with urination
• Penile discharge which may include pass, watery or milky discharge
• Testicle swelling and tenderness

in some cases when the rectum is affected by the bacteria, it can result in anal irritation.

Causes of Chlamydia

if you had any unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex, you may be infected by the bacteria and as a result of that you may develop Chlamydia.

It may also happen because of any type of genital contact. Since the bacteria can easily pass on from one person to another with just contact, any type of genital contact may result in this infection.

Since Chlamydia infection may not show any symptoms in many people, they may work as carriers and may pass this on to their sexual partners without even knowing about it.

However, you need to know that chlamydia cannot be transmitted through some of the ways which people think other causes of this infection. It cannot transmit from the contact with the toilet seat even though it has been used by an infected person. If you share a sauna with one infected person, even then it cannot be transmitted to you. It cannot be transmitted when you share a swimming pool with an infected person or standing close to such a person and inhaling the air. It cannot be transmitted by touching a surface that an infected person previously touched. It cannot be transmitted from cough or sneezes.

However, an infected mother can pass this infection to the baby during childbirth.

Diagnosis of the problem

chlamydia diagnosis may include a physical exam by the doctor to see if there are any physical symptoms present. Such a physical symptom may include discharge. If it is there, a swab sample from the penis, urethra, cervix, throat or rectum can be taken. In some cases a urine sample may also be necessary to diagnose the problem.

Chlamydia screening

since a chlamydial infection may not show any symptoms, health authorities in some countries may recommend screening for some people. The screening is generally done in case of

• Women under 25 years of age
• High-risk males and females
• Pregnant women

such a screening can be done at home or in the lab. In case of women, A swab from the lower vagina or a urine sample can be used for screening of the infection. In case of men, a urine sample is generally used for finding out if the person has chlamydial infection.

References
1. The Essential Guide to Cure Chlamydia
2. Chlamydia
3. Chlamydia