Oral throat chlamydia is an infection caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. It is passed through oral sex and can lead to redness, sores, and spots of the mouth and throat. This is the same bacteria that causes genital or anal chlamydia, which are more common than chlamydia in the mouth or throat. People often suspect they have chlamydia when they get genital and urinary tract symptoms like painful urination or vaginal discharge.
However, those who get it through oral sex don't always connect the symptoms to the disease because they can be easily attributed to other conditions. They also might not experience any symptoms. Testing for sexually transmitted infections STIs is key to an accurate diagnosis. It can be hard to tell if you have mouth or throat chlamydia, since it doesn't usually cause symptoms.
If there are symptoms, the primary one tends to be a sore throat. This symptom can be confused with any number of other conditions, from allergies and colds to strep throat and acid reflux. Oral chlamydia can take anywhere from one to three weeks to show up after sexual contact. This is another reason why many don't make the connection between their symptoms and this infection.
When symptoms of oral chlamydia do develop, they often include:. Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection STI among people 14 to 24 years of age. Oral chlamydia can sometimes lead to secondary oral infections. Because the body is so busy fighting chlamydia, it is less able to fight other infections that contribute to gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontal disease. Dental pain, bleeding gums, and tooth loss are among the complications of these diseases. Arguably, the bigger concern is that people with oral chlamydia are able to pass the infection to others.
Depending on which part of the body is affected, chlamydia can lead to complications such as:. In addition, having chlamydia increases the risk of human immunodeficiency virus HIV.
