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It is possible to have a chlamydial infection and have no symptoms. This happens in about 70% of cases. Many people who do not know they are infected carry the infection for years. They can transmit it to others and slowly scar their genital organs. In these cases, infected people may have nonspecific symptoms, like vague back or pelvic pain, bowel trouble, painful intercourse, or loss of energy. If recognizable symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1-3 weeks of exposure.
Untreated chlamydial STD can have serious results:
LGV usually begins with a small and transient blister, lump, or ulcer in the genitals. This lesion usually goes unnoticed. Two to six weeks later, regional lymph nodes begin to swell, reach alarming proportions, and may form abscesses that drain pus. Other common symptoms include: fever, painful urination, pain in the low back, abdomen, or the groin area. The most obvious site is in the groin. Untreated, the swollen nodes eventually resolve, leaving behind scars or lumps of scar tissue.
Trachoma begins like a mild case of pink eye or an allergic reaction in the eye. Slowly the upper eyelid becomes scarred and retracted, drawing the eyelashes into contact with the cornea and scratching it. A fogging of the cornea develops that eventually clouds over and obscures vision. There are an estimated 84 million people in the world with trachoma. Trachoma is most frequently spread from person to person by unsanitary contact, including flies. Trachoma is currently very rare outside the developing world.
Chlamydial infections of the lungs may cause acute pneumonia with fever, chills, headache, cough, nosebleeds , and light sensitivity. In some cases, the illness can resemble bronchitis . It may also involve other organs in the chest, like the heart or the lung linings. Chlamydia lung infections are caused by organisms that are different from the ones that cause sexually transmitted diseases. The illness cannot result in any kind of sexually transmitted disease.
Pregnant women can transmit chlamydia to their newborns during birth. This may cause conjunctivitis (pink eye) or pneumonia in the baby.
References:
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV guideline: 2006 UK national guideline for the management of genital tract infection with chlamydia trachomatis. British Association for Sexual health and HIV (BASHH). 2006.
Canadian Paediatric Society. Recommendations for the prevention of neonatal ophthalmia. Canadian Paediatric Society website. Available at: http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/ID/ID02-03.htm . Updated March 2008. Accessed September 18, 2008.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Psittacosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/psittacosis_t.htm . Published October 2005. Accessed September 18, 2008.
Den Hartog JE, Morre SA, Land JA. Chlamydia trachomatis-associated tubal factor subfertility: immunogenetic aspects and serological screening. Human Reproduction Update. 2006;12:719-730.
DynaMed Editorial Team. Chlamydia genital infection. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated July 16, 2010. Accessed November 12, 2010.
Heymann DL. Control of Communicable Diseases Manual. 18th ed. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association; 2004.
International Trachoma Initiative website. Available at: http://www.trachoma.org/ . Accessed September 18, 2008.
Miller KE. Diagnosis and treatment of chlamydia trachomatis infection. Am Fam Physian. 2006;73:1411-1416.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Chlamydia. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. Available at: http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/chlamydia/ . Accessed September 18, 2008.
National Women's Health Organization. Chlamydia. National Women's Health Organization website. Available at: http://www.4women.gov/faq/stdchlam.htm . Updated May 2005. Accessed September 18, 2008.
Psittacosis. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety website. Available at: http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/psittacosis.html . Accessed September 18, 2008.
World Health Organization. Trachoma. World Health Organization website. Available at: http://www.who.int/blindness/causes/priority/en/index2.html . Accessed September 18, 2008.
Last reviewed September 2010 by Lawrence Frisch, MD, MPH
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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