In general, Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is a mild illness that most commonly causes an upper respiratory tract infection. These upper respiratory tract infections can include a sore throat or an ear or sinus infection. Common symptoms include: Show
C. pneumoniae can also cause lower respiratory tract infections like bronchitis (inflammation or swelling of the airways that carry air to the lungs) and pneumonia (lung infection). Some reports say that people with pneumonia caused by C. pneumoniae are more likely to have laryngitis (inflammation of the voice box) compared to people with other types of bacterial pneumonia. It can take 3 to 4 weeks for symptoms to appear after someone has been exposed to the bacteria. Symptoms can also continue for several weeks after they start. If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. When you think about chlamydia or other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), your first thought is likely about your genitals. But did you know that oral chlamydia is a thing? Read on to learn more about oral chlamydia, or in technical terms, pharyngeal chlamydia. Men’s healthcare, without the waiting room Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider about ED, premature ejaculation, hair loss, and more. Learn more You may think about cold sores on the mouth caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), but for the most part, you probably associate other STIs with genital infections. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause burning while urinating and discharge; syphilis can cause ulcers; HSV can cause blisters; human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause warts, and so on. However, many of these STIs can also cause symptoms in other parts of the body, called extragenital infections. Common parts of the body that are susceptible to extragenital infections are the rectum and mouth or throat since these parts of the body may also be involved in sexual contact. Being aware of infections outside the genital area is important for your sexual health, especially if you want to be screened for STIs. To truly make sure you don’t have certain STIs, you can’t just rely on a urine sample or vaginal swab. Instead, you need to check everywhere that may be at risk for infection. Chlamydia is one of the STIs that can cause an extragenital infection and is sometimes found in the throat. This is sometimes called oral chlamydia or pharyngeal chlamydia. Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, so when you say you have pharyngeal chlamydia, it means you have an infection with the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis in the throat. In general, chlamydia is the most common reportable bacterial infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that there were four million cases of chlamydia in 2018. Additionally, since chlamydia does not cause symptoms in most people, the number of infected people is likely higher. It can be spread by vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex (CDC, 2021). The most common sites of chlamydial infection are the urethra in men (causing urethritis) and the cervix in women (causing cervicitis). However, there has been a growing awareness of the need to identify extragenital infections. A few factors drive this:
A review of the medical literature shows the rates of oral chlamydia in women, men who have sex with women (MSW), and men who have sex with men (MSM) are as follows (Chan, 2016):
0 min read Pharyngeal chlamydia is spread through sexual contact. This primarily involves contact between the mouth of one individual and the anus, penis, or vagina of an infected sexual partner. This includes sexual activity like fellatio (contact between the mouth and penis, also called a blowjob), cunnilingus (contact between the mouth and vagina, also called “eating out”), and analingus (contact between the mouth and anus, also called “rimming”). You increase your risk of getting oral pharyngeal chlamydial infections by not using protection or having multiple sexual partners. One study looked into the rates of oral chlamydia infection in heterosexuals who had known or suspected genital infection and reported recent unprotected oral sex. It found that 7% of women and almost 3% of men had positive throat swabs (Wikström, 2010). Not only can you get an oral chlamydia infection from oral sex, but if you have pharyngeal chlamydia, you may infect the genitals of a partner. One study found that 3.5% of MSW whose only exposure in the past three months was receiving fellatio from a woman were positive for urethral chlamydia (Marcus, 2011). Another study found that close to 5% of MSM whose only exposure in the past three months was receiving fellatio from a man were positive for urethral chlamydia (Bernstein, 2009). According to the CDC, there is less data on the transmission of chlamydia from an infected vagina to the throat, an infected throat to the vagina, an infected rectum to the throat, or an infected throat to the rectum (CDC, 2020). 0 min read The best protection against oral chlamydia is by avoiding unprotected sex. Using a complete barrier method reduces your risk of acquiring pharyngeal chlamydia during oral sex—this includes using a polyurethane or latex condom or a dental dam. Partial barriers or contraceptive methods such as birth control pills and spermicidal lube do not decrease your risk of getting pharyngeal chlamydia, or other STIs, from your sex partner. You are not likely to get oral chlamydia from mouth-to-mouth contact, including kissing or sharing a cup. However, a recent study suggested that gonorrhea, another STI, may potentially be transmitted by kissing. While the study did not find this to be the case with chlamydia, more research will help scientists learn more about the role of saliva in the transmission of STIs (Chow, 2019). What are the signs and symptoms of pharyngeal chlamydia?In the majority of cases, pharyngeal chlamydia is asymptomatic. If it does cause symptoms, they usually include sore throat (pharyngitis) or an uncomfortable feeling in the throat. However, the CDC does not consider pharyngeal chlamydia to be an important cause of pharyngitis (sore throats). More likely causes include viral infections, strep throat, allergies, reflux, and others (CDC, 2021). Your healthcare provider takes a throat swab to check for pharyngeal chlamydia. However, checking throat swabs is not necessarily part of a routine chlamydia test. If your healthcare provider has only collected a urine sample or a vaginal swab, let them know that you would like to be checked for oral chlamydia as well. A urine sample or vaginal swab can come back negative for chlamydia even if you have a pharyngeal infection. Untreated pharyngeal chlamydia could potentially infect a sexual partner. This could cause the sexual partner to experience genital symptoms, like vaginal discharge, urethral discharge, and a burning sensation while urinating. It also increases the chances of the chlamydia infection spreading back to you, infecting other parts of your body. Untreated genital chlamydia that spreads can cause serious complications like infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), urethritis, and epididymitis. It can also lead to an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy outside of the uterus—this condition is a medical emergency and may even cause death. Your healthcare provider can easily cure your chlamydia with antibiotics. The two main antibiotics typically used are a single dose of azithromycin (brand name Zithromax) or a 7-day course of doxycycline (brand name Vibramycin). More aggressive treatment may be necessary if other body areas are infected, depending on the severity.
How do you know if you have chlamydia in your throat?Possible signs that you may have oral chlamydia include a sore throat that doesn't go away, along with a low-grade fever; swollen lymph nodes; oral canker sores; or white spots in the back of the throat. In some cases, one might confuse these chlamydia symptoms with strep throat or some other kind of throat infection.
How long does chlamydia in the throat take to appear?Similar to other areas of the body, chlamydia symptoms may take about 7-21 days to show up in the throat. Chlamydia in the throat is typically caused by having oral sex with someone who has contracted the infection.
What does a sore throat from chlamydia feel like?Chlamydia in the throat can look different in different people, but oftentimes it looks a lot like strep throat. Along with throat pain, you may notice redness in the back of your throat or white spots around your tonsils.
Can chlamydia in the throat go away?Throat chlamydia will go away by itself without treatment in around 50% of people. In instances where the infection does not clear itself, it can present with serious health complications if chlamydia treatment is not sought.
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What does chlamydia in throat feel like
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