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HPV in the mouth occurs when there is contamination of the oral mucosa with the virus, which usually happens due to direct contact with genital lesions during unprotected oral sex.
Lesions caused by HPV in the mouth, although rare, are more frequent on the lateral edge of the tongue, lips and the roof of the mouth, but any location on the oral surface can be affected.
HPV in the mouth can increase the risk of developing cancer in the mouth, neck or pharynx and, therefore, whenever it is diagnosed it must be treated to prevent the onset of cancer.
Main symptoms of HPV in the mouth
The symptoms that indicate HPV infection in the mouth are rare, however, some people may experience small lesions, similar to whitish warts, that can join and form plaques. These small wounds can be white, light red or have the same skin color.
However, most diagnosed cases discover the infection only when more serious complications, such as cancer, arise. Some early signs of oral cancer include:
- Difficulty swallowing;
- Constant cough;
- Pain in the ear region;
- Tongue in the neck;
- Sore throat recurrently.
If any of these symptoms are identified or if there is a suspicion of being infected with HPV in the mouth, it is very important to consult a doctor, to confirm or rule out the diagnosis and start treatment, if necessary.
What to do in case of suspicion
Sometimes it is the dentist who observes an injury that may indicate an HPV infection, but the person himself may suspect that he has HPV in his mouth when observing lesions indicative of the infection.
In case of suspicion, you should go to the doctor, and the infectious disease specialist is the best person to observe the lesions, although the general practitioner, gynecologist or urologist is also familiar with HPV. The doctor can scrape the lesions and ask for a biopsy to identify if it really is HPV and what type it is, in order to indicate the most appropriate treatment for each case.
How to get HPV in the mouth
The main form of transmission of HPV to the mouth is through unprotected oral sex, however, it is also possible that transmission happens through kissing, especially if there is any lesion in the mouth that facilitates the entry of the virus.
In addition, HPV infection in the mouth is more common in people who have multiple partners, who smoke or who overuse alcohol.
Watch the following video to understand a little more about HPV:
How treatment should be done
Many cases of HPV cure without any treatment and without causing any symptoms. Therefore, it is often that the person does not even know he has been infected.
However, when lesions occur in the mouth, treatment is usually done with laser, surgery or medications such as 70 or 90% trichloroacetic acid or alpha interferon, twice a week, for about 3 months.
There are 24 types of HPV that can affect the mouth region, not all of which are related to the appearance of cancer. The types that have a higher risk of malignancy are: HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35 and 55; medium risk: 45 and 52, and low risk: 6, 11, 13 and 32.
After the treatment indicated by the doctor, it is important to carry out other tests to confirm the elimination of the lesions, however, it is very difficult to eliminate the HPV virus from the body and therefore, it cannot always be said that HPV is curable, because the virus it may return to manifest after some time.