Symptoms of Oral Gonorrhea

Symptoms of Oral Gonorrhea

Every year, millions of Americans get streptococcal pharyngitis, better known as strep throat. Sore throats are common, easily treatable, and for most people they never amount to anything more than a mild inconvenience. What is worrying, though, is that the symptoms of oral gonorrhea are very similar to those of strep throat. Plus, a good number of people infected with gonorrhea never notice any symptoms at all. Today then we’ll focus on this STD and explain how you can spot, prevent, and treat gonorrhea:

What is Gonorrhea and How does it Spread?

Gonorrhea is a very common bacterial STD that causes roughly 800,00 new infections every year. Like other STDs, gonorrhea is spread through sexual contact and the transmission of bodily fluids. So you can contract or spread gonorrhea through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. (Remember, oral sex isn’t “safe sex” and you can pick up a myriad of STDs through unprotected oral intercourse.) In many instances, gonorrhea will remain asymptomatic. Still, it may cause painful urination, genital discharge, swelling of the genitals, pain during intercourse, and/or abdominal pain.

Oral Gonorrhea Defined

Biologically, there is no difference between “oral gonorrhea” and “gonorrhea.” Rather, gonorrhea symptoms can manifest in a number of areas on the body, including the genitals, rectum, mouth, throat, joints, and eyes. Furthermore, gonorrhea can enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. As mentioned above, oral symptoms of gonorrhea are easy to dismiss or misdiagnose; normally, patients will experience a sore throat or swelling of lymph nodes. Those symptoms may go away after a period of time (even if the infection remains).

How to Prevent and Treat Oral Gonorrhea

The best way to protect yourself against STDs is to schedule regular STD testing appointments. Since STDs like gonorrhea can bear a striking resemblance to conditions such as strep throat, it’s easy to confuse one for the other. In fact, it’s possible that misdiagnoses of oral gonorrhea contributed to the development of a strand of the disease known as “super gonorrhea.” That’s why it’s key to get tested for all STDs after every sexual encounter. Otherwise you could face a number of health risks associated with untreated STDs –– from infertility to life-threatening organ failure. Fortunately, gonorrhea can be treated and cured with antibiotics. Lastly, mouthwash will NOT cure oral STDs.

Other smart ways to prevent the spread of STDs include, proper condom usage, practicing personal hygiene, and avoiding high-risk behaviors, e.g. sharing needles.