Which doctor treats Chlamydia infection?
A Chlamydia infection is treated by different doctors, depending on which organ system is affected. Usually the first point of contact is the family doctor, who can refer affected persons to gynaecologists (gynaecologists), urologists, lung specialists or specialists for eye diseases. However, depending on how advanced the infection is, treatment can also be provided by the family doctor alone.
The forecast
Chlamydia infections often go unnoticed, which is especially the case in women. Without treatment, however, chlamydia spreads and can lead to an inflammation of the abdomen in women, which can cause the fallopian tubes to become blocked, making it impossible to achieve pregnancy naturally. If the fallopian tubes become stuck together, an ectopic pregnancy is also possible, which is an emergency situation and requires surgery, in which case the unborn child is lost.
In men, chlamydial infection sometimes leads to inflammation of the epididymis or prostate, which can also result in infertility. If women are infected with chlamydia, they are at risk of also becoming infected with HIV. A rare complication of Chlamydia infections is the so-called Reiter’s disease.
This disease causes joint pain (especially swollen knee and ankle joints), inflammation of the urinary tract, inflammation of the eyes and skin rashes. Reiter’s disease occurs mainly in young men and is triggered by a chlamydia infection, but also by an intestinal infection. Untreated, trachoma (eye infection with chlamydia) leads to blindness in most cases.
If a chlamydia infection is treated in time, consequential damage is usually reliably avoided. Chlamydia in men – What are the special features of chlamydia? Chlamydia can make the genitals infertile due to an infection of the reproductive organs.
In men, the prostate and testicles are affected; in women, the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus can be infected by Chlamydia. How often complications such as infertility occur depends mainly on the time of diagnosis and therapy. If the chlamydia infection is only present locally in the external genital tract, infertility is unlikely.
With the help of antibiotics, the pathogens can be treated before they affect the other genital organs. If left untreated, however, the bacteria often spread, so that adhesions in the area of the internal genital organs and resulting infertility must be expected. Inflammation of the ovaries and testicles can also cause infertility.
How long have you been contagious?
With adequate therapy, the chlamydia are usually killed by the antibiotics after 10 to 21 days, so that no further infection can occur afterwards. Without therapy or before the end of treatment, however, one should be careful, as infection of, for example, sexual partners is possible. It is important that the therapy is carried out both on the affected person and on sexual partners, as otherwise an immediate reinfection is possible after the end of the therapy. This is because the body cannot form its own defences against chlamydia and is therefore again susceptible to the bacteria.
