Gonorrhea Symptoms

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a bacterium in the reproductive tract and at times may also occur in the mouth, throat, eyes and anus. This affects both men and women. If left untreated, gonorrhea can cause permanent health problems. Therefore, gonorrhea should be diagnosed as soon as possible through available gonorrhea tests to avoid the risk of lifetime damage.

Most people who are infected by gonorrhea do not experience any symptoms. However, some symptoms, when they do manifest, occur after two to five days from infection. For men, symptoms include a painful burning sensation when urinating and may be accompanied by a yellow, green or white discharge. Sometimes, testicles also become swollen. For women, symptoms may include pain when urinating, increased discharge or bleeding between periods. For rectal infections in both men and women, symptoms may include pain, itching, bleeding and discharge from the rectum.

If any of these symptoms occur or if there is suspicion of infection, gonorrhea tests must be done right away in order to implement the correct treatment and prevent permanent damage. Since symptoms are absent in most cases, gonorrhea tests may also be included in the routine examinations of people with high risks. These will include sexually-active men and women. Gonorrhea may also be transmitted by a mother to her baby. Therefore, pregnant women who are at high risk must also undergo gonorrhea testing. If the mother is found positive, the baby must also be screened right after birth.

Gonorrhea tests will involve obtaining a sample specimen of a body fluid from areas where gonorrhea may occur. This includes the cervix, urethra, anus or throat. Sample specimen for the urethra and cervix is obtained thru a urine sample.

A quick gonorrhea test is a Gram stain, which can be done in a clinic. This is useful for detecting gonorrhea in the urethra or cervix. A Gram stain enables a doctor to see the presence of the gonorrhea bacteria in the sample specimen. The Gram stain may produce fast results but may not be reliable.

A more reliable gonorrhea test is the Nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and the Nucleic acid hybridization test. The NAAT involves making copies of the DNA of the gonorrhea bacteria while the latter involves probing into the DNA of the gonorrhea bacteria. Both gonorrhea tests provide more accurate results as compared to the Gram stain.

A useful gonorrhea test is the preparation of gonorrhea culture from specimen fluids. This test is useful in determining which antibiotics the bacteria are resistant to.

A doctor should be able to determine what the best gonorrhea test that should be done. What’s important is that person who suspects infection seeks medical help right away so that any permanent damage may be avoided.

Tags: Gonorrhea, STD, sexually transmitted disease, Clap, The Drip