Joint Pain
Chlamydia infections often cause the typical symptoms mentioned above (altered vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain, pain when urinating, fever and others). However, the infection can also proceed completely without symptoms. Typically, after about one to three weeks of pain-free time, affected persons have acute joint pain, especially in the knee joint, but also in the ankle joint or in the whole toe. The joint involvement pattern is not always typical and may vary. Therefore, it can be difficult to trace the joint inflammation back to the chlamydia infection during a visit to the doctor, if the infection has been asymptomatic.
Conjunctivitis up to trachoma
An infection with Chlamydia trachomatis not only always affects the genitals, but can also affect the eye. This can lead to conjunctivitis. Newborns are often infected during the birth process when the mother has a genital Chlamydia infection.
Adolescents or adults, on the other hand, can become infected through intimate contact or through uncleaned water, e.g. in a swimming pool. Conjunctivitis can then develop. In this case one often speaks of swimming pool conjunctivitis. Treatment of conjunctivitis is important, as otherwise in the most extreme cases it can become permanent (chronicity). The chronic form is also called trachomatis and can lead to blindness.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia can be caused by a Chlamydia infection, among other things. This is Chlamydia pneumoniae, which is transmitted via the air as a so-called droplet infection. This means that one can be infected via infected persons if they sneeze, for example.
Normally, however, the infection only leads to slight cold symptoms with scratching of the throat, coughing, fever and a general feeling of illness. If the immune system is weakened, pneumonia can occur, which can be life-threatening and therefore needs urgent treatment. Immunocompromised persons include the elderly, diabetics, HIV sufferers and people taking cortisone or undergoing chemotherapy.
Non-specific symptoms
Fever is a non-specific symptom of Chlamydia infection. From 38.3 degrees on, one speaks of a slight fever. Other unspecific symptoms may include headache and aching limbs.
If, in addition to the unspecific symptoms, you notice an altered vaginal discharge, pain when urinating or during sexual intercourse, this could be a sign of a chlamydia infection or other bacterial infection and should be clarified by a doctor. In case of lymph node swelling or lymph node enlargement, you can usually palpate or even see the lymph nodes. Lymph node swelling indicates that something is wrong with the body. They are therefore an unspecific symptom for infections, but also tumors. Chlamydia infections can also cause swelling of the lymph nodes, especially in the groin area.
