What is Gonorrhoea?
Gonorrhoea may be a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by gonococcus bacteria. Healthcare professionals diagnose an estimated 820,000 new cases of gonorrhoea annually within the United States, consistent with the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Why Aren’t Home Remedies for Gonorrhoea Reliable? While the internet is filled with potential home remedies for gonorrhoea, these aren’t reliable. Antibiotics are the only effective treatment for gonorrhoea. Researchers have put tons of popular gonorrhoea home remedies to the test in various studies. Let’s examine why they don’t delay.
What is Gonorrhoea? Why Aren’t Home Remedies for Gonorrhoea Reliable? Garlic: Does It Work Against Gonorrhoea? Apple Cider Vinegar and Gonorrhoea Listerine’s Role in Gonorrhoea Treatment Goldenseal: An Old Remedy with Limited Evidence What Should I Do Instead of Home Remedies? Why Early Treatment is Vital Can Gonorrhoea Cause Any Complications? The Bottom Line
Garlic is understood for its antibacterial properties
Garlic Garlic is understood for its antibacterial properties, making it a standard home remedy for bacterial infections. An older 2005 study examined the effects of garlic products and extracts on gonorrhoea-causing bacteria. The researchers found 47% of the products studied showed antimicrobial activity against the bacteria. This is somewhat promising, but this study was conducted in a laboratory setting, not on humans with gonorrhoea.
apple vinegar natural gonorrhoea remedies
Apple Vinegar An internet search for natural gonorrhoea remedies often recommends apple vinegar taken orally or applied topically as a solution. However, there aren’t any research studies to support or refute these claims. While apple vinegar may have some antibacterial properties, it’s also highly acidic, which can irritate the delicate tissues of your genitals.
Listerine on gonorrhoea bacteria in people’s mouths
Listerine Researchers studied the effects of the antiseptic mouthwash Listerine on gonorrhoea bacteria in people’s mouths in a 2016 article. The researchers asked men with oral gonorrhoea to use Listerine mouthwash or a placebo for one minute daily. At the study’s conclusion, the researchers found that 52% of men who used Listerine were culture-positive, compared to 84% of those who used a saline placebo mouthwash. The authors concluded that Listerine may help treat — but not necessarily cure — oral gonorrhoea.
Goldenseal
Goldenseal Also referred to as berberine or goldenseal L., goldenseal may be a plant known to possess antimicrobial properties. European settlers in the 1800s used goldenseal as a treatment for gonorrhoea. While some research surrounds using goldenseal as an alternative to antibiotics to treat resistant staph bacteria, there needs to be more significant research about goldenseal to treat gonorrhoea. While the settlers may have tried it, it’s not a proven method.
What Should I Do Instead? Antibiotics are the sole proven method to reliably treat and cure gonorrhoea. With gonorrhoea-causing bacteria strains becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, your healthcare provider may instruct you to take two antibiotics simultaneously. These antibiotics usually include:
- A one-time injection of 250 milligrams of ceftriaxone (Rocephin)
- 1 gram of oral azithromycin
allergic to ceftriaxone
If you’re allergic to ceftriaxone, your doctor may prescribe other medications. If you continue to have symptoms three to five days after antibiotic treatment, follow up with your healthcare provider. You’ll need a different antibiotic or additional treatment.
To avoid transmitting the infection to others, avoid all sexual intercourse until you’ve completed treatment and don’t have any symptoms. It’s also essential for your sexual partners to get tested and treated.
Early Treatment Is Vital While antibiotics clear up the infection, they won’t necessarily reverse any complications. This is why starting antibiotic treatment as soon as possible is so important.
Can It Cause Any Complications? Without treatment, gonorrhoea can cause complications which will have lasting effects.
- In Males: This includes epididymitis, an inflammation of the tube that carries sperm. Severe epididymitis can cause infertility.
- In Females: Untreated gonorrhoea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, leading to complications such as:
- Infertility
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Pelvic abscesses
pregnant woman can also transmit gonorrhoea to a newborn
A pregnant woman can also transmit gonorrhoea to a newborn, leading to joint infections, blindness, and blood-related infections within the infant. If you’re pregnant and think you may have gonorrhoea, see your healthcare provider immediately for treatment.
Disseminated Gonococcal Infection (DGI) In both males and females, gonorrhoea can also enter the bloodstream, causing disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). In severe cases, DGI is often life-threatening.
The Bottom Line Left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause potentially serious complications. It’s crucial to see a healthcare provider if you have gonorrhoea. Remember, it’s among the more common STIs, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Last medically reviewed on June 24, 2019.
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