April 2024 - Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis
How To Identify, Treat, And Prevent Oral Gonorrhea
You can get gonorrhea in your throat through oral sex or kissing. It is common to have no symptoms, but you may notice a red or sore throat, a fever, and swollen lymph nodes in your neck. You may also get more typical gonorrhea symptoms.
We don't know exactly how common oral gonorrhea is in the general population.
There have been a number of studies published on oral gonorrhea, but most focus on specific groups, such as heterosexual women and men who have sex with men.
What we do know is that more than 85 percent of sexually active adults have had oral sex, and anyone who has unprotected oral sex is at risk.
Experts also believe that undetected oral gonorrhea is partly to blame for the increase in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea. Pharyngeal gonorrhea is often asymptomatic and may elude antibiotics even with appropriate treatment
Oral gonorrhea rarely causes symptoms and is often hard to detect. This can result in delayed treatment, which increases the risk of transmitting the infection to others.
Oral gonorrhea can be spread through oral sex performed on the genitals or anus of someone who has gonorrhea.
It can also likely be transmitted through kissing, but more studies are underway to substantiate this claim.
Most of the time, oral gonorrhea doesn't cause any symptoms.
If you develop symptoms, they can be hard to distinguish from common symptoms of other throat infections.
Sometimes, a person with oral gonorrhea can also develop a gonorrhea infection in another part of the body, such as the cervix or urethra.
If this is the case, you may have other symptoms of gonorrhea, such as:
Your symptoms alone can't distinguish between oral gonorrhea and another throat condition, such as sore or strep throat.
The only way to know for sure is to see a doctor or other healthcare professional for a throat swab and ask specifically to be tested for gonorrhea.
Like strep throat, oral gonorrhea may cause a sore throat with redness, but strep throat often also causes white patches in the throat.
Other symptoms of strep throat include:
Yes. Gonorrhea must be treated with prescription antibiotics to fully clear the infection and prevent transmission.
Left untreated, gonorrhea can cause a number of serious complications.
If you suspect that you've been exposed, see a doctor or other healthcare professional for testing. If you don't already have a doctor, our Healthline FindCare tool can help you connect to physicians in your area.
The healthcare professional will take a swab of your throat to check for the bacteria that causes the infection.
Oral infections are harder to cure than genital or rectal infections but can be treated with the right antibiotics.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends treating uncomplicated gonorrhea with a single 500-milligram (mg) intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone. People who weigh 330 lbs. (150 kg) or more should receive a single 1-gram (g) dose of ceftriaxone.
The recommendation applies to infections around the urinary tract, genitals, anus, rectum, and pharynx. Previously, the CDC recommended ceftriaxone plus oral azithromycin. The recommendations were changed because azithromycin resistance is an increasing concern.
If it's possible that you have chlamydial infection, the CDC recommends 100 mg of doxycycliwork twice a day for 7 days.
If you have a cephalosporin allergy, a 240-mg intramuscular dose of gentamicin plus a 2-g oral dose of azithromycin may be considered.
You should avoid all sexual contact, including oral sex and kissing, for 7 days after completing treatment.
If your symptoms persist, see your healthcare professional.
If you've received a diagnosis or have been with someone who has, you should inform all recent sexual partners so they can be tested.
This includes anyone you've had sexual contact with in the 2 months before your symptoms started or your diagnosis.
Talking with your current or previous partners can be uncomfortable, but it needs to be done to avoid the risk of serious complications, transmitting the infection, and developing the infection again.
Being prepared with information about gonorrhea, its testing, and treatment can help you answer your partner's questions.
If you're worried about your partner's reaction, consider making an appointment to see a healthcare professional together.
Here are some things you can say to get the conversation started:
In some states where it is legally permitted, clinicians will offer expedited partner therapy as it helps prevent re-infection if both partners are treated simultaneously.
If you prefer to remain anonymous
If you're worried about talking with your current or previous partners, ask your doctor about contact tracing.
With contact tracing, your local health department will notify anyone who might have been exposed. It can be anonymous, so your sexual partner(s) don't have to be told who referred them.
Mouthwash has long been believed to be able to cure gonorrhea. Until fairly recently, there was no scientific evidence to back the claim.
Data collected from a 2016 randomized controlled trial and an in vitro study found that the mouthwash Listerine significantly reduced the amount of N. Gonorrhoeae (the bacteria that causes gonorrhea) on the pharyngeal (throat) surface.
While this is certainly promising, more research is needed to assess this claim. A larger trial is currently underway.
Antibiotics are the only treatment that's proven to be effective.
If left untreated, oral gonorrhea can spread through your bloodstream to other parts of your body.
Systemic gonococcal infection is a serious condition that can cause joint pain and swelling and skin sores. It can also cause an infection in the heart. However, this is very rare.
Gonorrhea of the genitals, rectum, and urinary tract can cause other serious complications when left untreated.
Possible complications include:
With proper treatment, gonorrhea is curable. However, new strains of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea can be more difficult to treat.
The CDC recommends that anyone treated for oral gonorrhea return to their healthcare professional 7 to 14 days after treatment to make sure the infection is gone.
We don't know how likely recurrence is in oral gonorrhea, specifically.
We do know that recurrence for other types of gonorrhea is high, affecting anywhere from 3.6 percent to 11 percent of people previously treated.
Retesting is recommended 3 to 6 months after treatment, even if you and your partner(s) have successfully completed treatment and are symptom-free. You should consider returning for other STI testing, as well.
You can reduce your risk for oral gonorrhea by using a dental dam or "male" condom every time you have oral sex.
A "male" condom can also be modified to use as a barrier when performing oral sex on the vagina or anus.
Regular testing is also important. Consider getting tested before and after every partner.
Common Symptoms Including Sore Throat And 'hot Potato Voice' That Could Be Signs Of Cancer
At this chilly time of year, it's quite common to have a sore throat or a husky voice. However, if those symptoms go on for too long, you should definitely consult a doctor, as you might have tonsil cancer.
Tonsil cancer is a type of head and neck cancer, and symptoms often include a painless neck lump and a sore throat.
Other signs of the illness include persistent sores in the tonsil area, difficulty speaking (also known as hot potato voice, or speaking like you have a mouthful of hot potatoes), and swollen lymph glands on one side of the neck. Ear pain is another red flag, as is difficulty swallowing.
According to Cancer Research UK, the main risk factors for tonsil cancer are smoking, drinking alcohol and infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV), which also causes cervical cancer.
Five years ago, Scottish television actor Grey O'Brien, best known for his portrayal of the villainous Weatherfield businessman Tony Gordon in Coronation Street, opened up to the London Evening Standard about his diagnosis of Stage Four tonsil cancer.
He revealed that he discovered he had been living with the condition after visiting his doctor with swollen glands in August 2019. He only revealed his illness in November of that year after receiving the all clear.
He said: "When I received the diagnosis of tonsil cancer I was of course devastated – it's cancer.
"My reason for waiting to ring the bell before I mentioned it publicly is because I wasn't sure how strong I would be in coping with the treatment, indeed could I cope with the treatment?
"Even though I was told what to expect after the chemotherapy and what to expect after 30 rounds of radiotherapy I wasn't sure how my body would react, and now six weeks later I have been able to cope with it and I was able to ring the bell."
"This is only the treatment finished. I now have a long way to go with my recovery," he continued.
He's still doing well five years later, and is currently playing iconic Scottish detective Inspector John Rebus in Rebus: A Game Called Malice at York Theatre Royal.
Gray O'Brien played Corrie villain Tony Gordon (Image: ITV) When should you consult a doctor?Health.Com, which is overseen by a board of 70 certified physicians, advise that you should contact a doctor if:
You have a persistent sore throat: "Most sore throats improve in 5-10 days. A sore throat is considered persistent if it lasts longer than five days and is not associated with an unavoidable irritant like air pollution or allergies."
You have long-lasting earache: "An earache should improve within 24-48 hours. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop other symptoms of an infection or your earache suddenly stops, which can happen if you rupture your eardrum."
You find a lump in your throat or neck: "If an infection causes a lump in your throat or neck, it should go away when your infection clears. Contact your healthcare provider if your lump does not disappear in 2-3 weeks."
You should also reach out to your doctor if your hoarseness lasts more than 2-3 weeks or worsens, you suddenly have difficulty breathing or swallowing or you develop other symptoms of illness, like fever, dizziness, nausea, or headache.
What is the treatment for tonsil cancer?Cancer Research UK say that treatment for tonsil cancer could include:
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