Overview
You might have heard that chlamydia can come back again. Well, that’s true, and it definitely can, as it tends to sit in your gut and reoccur by affecting your genitals. After the reoccurrence, you will start to experience the same symptoms as before, including burning urine, pain in the pelvic area, and inflammation in the genitals.
There could be several factors involved in reoccurrence, like stopping your prescribed antibiotics without completing the full course prescribed to you or having sexual intercourse with a partner who has chlamydia. It can also reoccur from the sex toy having chlamydia strains or due to lack of proper hygiene.
Read this blog till the end to know all the symptoms you might experience on chlamydia recurrence.
How can you tell if your chlamydia is recurring?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that can reoccur even after the complete treatment. Even though it’s rare, it still can happen to anybody having exposure or symptoms of chlamydia in the past.
You can tell that your chlamydia is recurring when you:
- See the vaginal discharge and pain
- Vgainal pain when passing the urine
- Fever coming and going
- Discomfort during sexual intercourse
While chlamydia can be effectively treated, it’s important to remain vigilant, as there is still a possibility of recurrence even after completing treatment – says Dr.Richard Honekar
Now, the question arises of how chlamydia can reoccur even after the treatment! The answer to this question is either you got it from somewhere, or you didn’t complete the course of medications prescribed, i.e., the antibiotics.
The antibiotics prescribed for chlamydia are azithromycin and doxycycline. Their prescription course should be completed till no pills are left that were prescribed to them. The infection will reoccur if you leave the treatment in the middle (probably when you see symptoms improving). The infection-causing bacteria get to stay in the gastrointestinal tract for longer than expected, and leaving the treatment course in the middle can easily lead to the reoccurrence of an infection.
Other than the incomplete treatment, you can also get the chlamydia back when :
- You engage in sexual activity with a partner having chlamydia
- You used sex toys that had chlamydia strains on it
It’s an STI, and you can only get this disease when engaging in sexual activity without the proper precautions and with a partner having chlamydia.
What can you do to relieve your symptoms?
One of the best ways to get the required relief from chlamydia symptoms is getting a consultation, after which the chlamydia test will be required. After consultation, the prescription of antibiotics will entirely depend on the cause of chlamydia.
If it’s due to the incomplete antibiotic course, you will get the antibiotic resistance check through a test, and a different set of antibiotics will be prescribed to you according to your symptoms tailored to your medical needs.
Other than a medical test, you can practice some measures to get relief from your chlamydia symptoms :
- Take prescribed antibiotics as directed
- Avoid sexual activity until treatment is complete
- Drink plenty of water
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers (e.g., ibuprofen or acetaminophen)
- Apply warm compresses to reduce abdominal or pelvic pain
- Consider topical treatments for external irritation (talk to your doctor about it to get the right prescription)
- Wear loose, breathable clothing to prevent irritation on the genitals.
- Maintain good hygiene practices.
- Follow up with your healthcare provider as needed.
Additional info: As per the studies, a chlamydia test should be performed in a sexually active person every three months to ensure you don’t get the recurrence and stay away from it.
What happens if you don’t seek treatment?
Are you experiencing chlamydia symptoms and not seeking treatment or consultation? Well, this is one of your biggest mistakes; it’s the worst if you are a woman.
Untreated chlamydia in women can lead to pelvic inflammatory diseases (PID), where the chlamydia gets spread to other vaginal parts and affect fertility to its best. Chlamydia infection can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, potentially causing scarring and blocking the tubes, leading to infertility. It can also cause Ectopic Pregnancy (EP) in women, where fertilized eggs get implanted outside the uterus.
Persistent pelvic pain has also been observed in women with untreated chlamydia.
In men, it can cause epididymitis, rarely leading to swelling, inflammation, and pain. Untreated chlamydia can also increase the risk of reactive arthritis regardless of gender.
Do you know how it can be avoided? Consult your healthcare provider ASAP if you experience chlamydia symptoms like burning urine, pain in the genitals, or pain during sexual intercourse. Your healthcare provider will ask you to do some tests to get confirmation and prescribe the right set of antibiotics well-tailored to your needs.
What steps can you take to reduce the chances of it reoccurring?
You can reduce the chances of chlamydia recurrence by following some important cautions, including keeping good hygiene, wearing loose clothing not to entrap the air inside the clothes, getting yourself tested after three months, and avoiding any sexual contact with toys or a partner having chlamydia.
When to consult a doctor?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection and can be treated with prescription antibiotics prescribed by your healthcare provider. It can reoccur due to several factors where you can experience symptoms like burning of urine and pain in the genital. These subtle signs should not be ignored and should indicate the reoccurrence of chlamydia.
It’s essential to contact your doctor for complete and effective treatment according to the severity of an infection. It’s also important to complete the course of antibiotics prescribed to you to avoid any further recurrences of chlamydia.
FAQs about the can chlamydia come back
With the right antibiotics, you reach the point where all the symptoms improve. After completing your course, the absence of any symptoms of chlamydia indicates that your chlamydia is gone. A test of cure can be done 3-4 weeks after finishing a course of antibiotics, ensuring that the infection is fully cleared. Usually, it is optional, but a doctor prescribes it in case of pregnancy.
There could be other reasons, like using a sex toy that was not appropriately cleaned and had chlamydia strains on it. It is also possible that you got chlamydia again due to an incomplete course of antibiotics prescribed to you.
