Chlamydia: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Chlamydia is a common infection which is caused due to sexual transmission. The bacterium Chlamydia trachoma is causes this infection. This bacterium infects the eye and the human genitals. Worldwide the most common sex transmitted infection is the Chlamydia infection. Almost 2.3 million people are infected with these bacteria in the United States. In humans this is the most common sexually transmitted disease. This bacterium is found living in the cells of the humans. The transmission of this infection happens during oral, anal, vaginal sex.

This can also be transferred from pregnant mother to the child during vaginal birth. Women generally do not experience any symptoms of the infection if they are infected in the neck or the womb. In men the infection is generally symptomatic with a white discharge from the tip of the penis either with pain or without pain while urinating. The conditions also spread to upper genital tract for women or to epididyms in men.

If this infection is untreated the damages are serious health problems and reproductive issues with short or long term problems. This infection is treated with antibiotics very easily.  This infection is one of the most common reasons for blindness in the world.  The infection in the womb's neck is generally asymptomatically sexually transmitted disease in majority of the women.

It is not easily detected by the doctor who leads to PID (Pelvic inflammatory disease. The PID is a generic name for infection of fallopian tubes, ovaries or uterus. The infection causes a scaring in the reproductive organ which can cause complications serious in nature for pregnancy.  It is generally termed as "Silent Epidemic" in females and can go undetected for a long time.

Some of the Symptoms are unusual discharge or bleeding, abdomen pain, pain during sexual intercourse, pain during urinating, fever and the urge to urinate frequently. In Men it is generally a cloudy, white of watery discharge at the tips of the penis. Other symptoms in men include swollen testicles or tender testicles, burning sensation during urination.  This infection spreads from one eye to another through fingers clothes or shared towels, sneezing, coughing. 

In women who are sexually active and not pregnant screening will be recommended to check the infection's risk. IF the female is pregnant then the guidelines for screening vary.  The general risk factors which are mentioned are a history of Chlamydia infection, having multiple sexual partners and using inconsistent condoms. ’-lactams cannot be used to treat Chlamydia even though they can halt the growth but the bacteria are not eliminated. The bacteria will start to grow once the treatment gets stopped.

Recent studies reveal Chlamydia has a common ancestor with plants and has the unusual plant traits. The L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase enzyme which relates to lysine production is linked with the Chlamydia's cell wall construction.

This helps in developing new treatments for this infection. If the scientists find an effective and safe inhibitor of the enzyme then we might have a very good antibiotic which can cure Chlamydia.

To Your Health!