10 Symptoms of Syphilis

8. Muscle Aches

Sufferers of secondary syphilis occasionally experience pain in their muscles. There are several possible reasons for this symptom. First, the white blood cells that combat the disease are also responsible for cooling muscles and keeping the tissue healthy. When these cells are recruited to the site of the syphilis infection, muscles are not kept in normal working order and can begin to ache. Second, the immune system produces cytokines when fighting diseases. These chemicals cause inflammation of muscles and joints.