Chlamydia is a disease of an infectious nature, the appearance of which is caused by the penetration of chlamydia into the human body. The most common route of transmission of chlamydia is unprotected sex. Chlamydia can simultaneously affect both the internal and external organs of the reproductive system. Blood vessels, the synovial lining of the joints, the respiratory tract, the organs of hearing and vision, the oral cavity, etc. are also negatively affected.
What is chlamydia?
Chlamydiae are obligate harmful microorganisms. This means that they cannot independently exist outside the body. Introducing into healthy cells, chlamydia destroy them, thereby triggering an inflammatory process that gradually spreads to other organs.
Methods of infection
The most susceptible to chlamydia in the mouth are women. According to statistics, the largest number of cases of infection with oral chlamydia has been reported in women. Methods of infection include:
- Contact. The use of objects of another patient contributes to the development of oral chlamydia. This can be a toothbrush, dishes, towels, bedding, underwear or cosmetics (hygienic lipstick, etc.). There are cases of infection after visiting the dentist. When using poorly processed dental instruments, you can easily become infected with chlamydia.
- Sexual The mucous membrane of the oral cavity is infected with chlamydia during oral sex. The risk of infection increases with wounds or aphthae in the mouth.
- Lack or lack of hygiene. If a person does not properly monitor the condition of the oral cavity, does not brush his teeth, does not use special conditioners, etc., then when pathogenic microorganisms get in, they begin to actively develop and spread.
- Vertical. This method is typical for infecting a baby during childbirth with infected amniotic fluid that enters the oral cavity. As a result, a newborn baby develops oral chlamydia.
The incubation period is not more than three weeks. Chlamydia in the mouth can easily be confused with the symptoms of other diseases of the oral cavity. Sometimes the symptoms are completely absent, the patient does not feel any changes in the condition and does not see the need to contact a medical institution.
Symptoms of oral chlamydia
When chlamydia enters the mucosa, they begin to multiply rapidly, which leads to the development of an acute inflammatory process. Subsequently, with a lack of therapeutic measures, microorganisms spread and affect the pharynx.
The main symptoms of chlamydia in the mouth are:
- discomfort and sharp sore throat, aggravated by swallowing;
- cough accompanied by severe and painful tickling;
- prolonged nasal congestion;
- mucus sticky and thick in consistency appears in the nasal part of the pharynx, gradually spreading to the palate;
- the color of the mucous membranes, gums and tongue changes;
- a pasty white-yellow coating appears on the tongue;
- mucus accumulates in the back of the tongue;
- unpleasant odor resembling rotten fish;
- enlarged submandibular lymph nodes;
- swelling of the tonsils and posterior pharyngeal wall.
Gradually, the patient disappears susceptibility of taste buds. The epithelial tissue dries, peels and cracks. Sometimes the tongue involuntarily moves or twitches due to spasms.
In advanced cases, asthma attacks that were not previously present can develop. It is difficult for the patient to inhale and exhale air, a sensation of suffocation appears. Most often, the internal symptomatology is similar to the symptoms of stomatitis or gingivitis, therefore, with the first changes, you should consult a specialist.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of chlamydia in the mouth involves an initial visual examination. To detect chlamydia, a scraping is done from the tongue. A blood test may also be required. For a more detailed diagnosis, the following methods are used:
- Polymerase chain reaction. This method is considered one of the most informative in the study of chlamydial infection.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay involves the detection of antibodies to chlamydia. IgG, IgA, IgM - these antibodies are actively produced by the body in case of infection. Thanks to ELISA, it is possible to detect not only the main pathogen, but also to clarify the stage of chlamydia.
- Chlamydia inoculation helps determine antibiotic susceptibility. After the doctor, based on the research data, he will be able to choose the most effective drugs for the treatment of chlamydia.
- You can do a mini-test yourself at home, initially buying it at a pharmacy. If you have chlamydia trachomatis, a positive result will be visible on the test. But the results may not be accurate, so anyway you need to see a doctor.
Therapy
In order to cure chlamydia of the oral cavity, special antifungal and antibacterial drugs are prescribed, along with the use of immunomodulators. The entire course of treatment for chlamydia in the mouth should be strictly observed, any sexual acts should be temporarily excluded. For the most part, this applies to oral sex. Refusal of alcoholic drinks and the use of dairy products is necessary.
Also, both partners need to undergo a course of treatment, since subsequently one of them can repeatedly infect a healthy person. It is advisable to be hospitalized under the supervision of a physician.
Drug treatment
Treatment with medications should be prescribed only by the attending physician. The selection of drugs on their own is prohibited, as some drugs can cause a severe allergic reaction, which will lead to complications of the underlying disease. The most common drugs for treating oral chlamydia are:
- antifungal: "Futsis", "Itracon", "Nystatin", "Lamicon", "Difluzole", "Fluconazole", "Diflucan";
- antibacterial: Tigecycline, Vancomycin, Mupirocin, Clindamycin, Spectinomycin;
- immunomodulators: "Bestim", "Neovastat", "Interferon", "Imudon", "Taktivin", "Vilozen";
- medicines of the macrolide group: Erythromycin, Spiramycin, Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Josamycin;
- penicillin medicines: Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Ticarcillin;
- fluoroquinolones: Sparfloxacin, Ofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Lomefloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Norfloxacin.
The most common remedy for the disease of the macrolide group is Erythromycin, but it is difficult to tolerate by patients. What "Erythromycin" treats and how to take it correctly, the doctor will prescribe. "Azithromycin" also helps in the treatment of this group. Compared with other drugs, it has several advantages. It is often prescribed for chlamydia. The instructions for the tablets "Azithromycin" says that they can be used even during pregnancy. But only if the doctor decides that chlamydia will cause more harm to the fetus than the drug.
In the fluoroquinol group, Ofloxacin received good recommendations. The instructions for use of tablets describe in detail how to take them.
To combat any disease, immunity plays an important role. If the immune system is weakened, then recovery will last longer and more difficult. To support immunity, special vitamin complexes can be prescribed to help enrich the body with essential nutrients.
In addition to preparations intended for oral use, it is recommended to use local antiseptics in the form of solutions for rinsing the oral cavity. Since antibiotic therapy strongly affects the liver, additional medications can be prescribed by the doctor to help restore the functioning of the organ.
Features of the treatment of pregnant women and children
Precautions should be taken during pregnancy, as many of them are highly toxic. For example, tetracycline for chlamydia during pregnancy is contraindicated. Also, do not independently give unfamiliar drugs to children with these diseases. For children, the doctor selects individual treatment tactics and special drugs. Medicines intended for adults have a powerful effect, which will negatively affect the condition of the child.
For example, the instructions for tablets "Azithromycin" indicate that the drug can provoke the occurrence of severe convulsive attacks in children. Also, certain drugs from immunomodulators can cause allergic reactions, which in the future will be difficult to neutralize.
Even knowing exactly what "Erythromycin", "Azithromycin", "Ofloxacin" and other medicines help with, you should not self-medicate. In any case, you need to consult a doctor and carefully study the instructions before use.
Proper nutrition
It is necessary to eat right, that is, the patient must have his own diet, which he will adhere to. With chlamydia, dairy products should not be consumed, food should not be heavy and spicy. Steamed dishes, fresh vegetables (carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, turnips, cauliflower), fruits (oranges, apricots, apples, pears), berries (blackberries, strawberries, strawberries, gooseberries), low-fat fish varieties are best suited ( carp, cod, pollock, pike, hake) and meat (chicken, turkey, rabbit), seafood (shrimp, spiny lobster, crab, squid).
As a drink, natural juices from blueberries, lingonberries, currants, beets or cranberries are suitable. Some cereals with a high level of vitamin E and D are also useful: buckwheat, oatmeal and millet. These vitamins are possessed by olive and sunflower oil.
The diet for children should be individually dietitian. With improper nutrition, a child may have a lack of useful and necessary trace elements that help fight the disease. This condition leads to a weakening of the functions of the immune system.
Folk remedies
For the treatment of chlamydia in the mouth, you can use some folk remedies. Most often, these are solutions for rinsing the affected areas in the oral cavity. The recipes are as follows:
- Grind 5 small cloves of garlic, pour a glass of boiling water and leave to infuse for 10 hours. Then strain and rinse the oral cavity with a warm solution 3 times a day.
- Take 1 tbsp. l licorice root, yarrow, chamomile and birch buds, pour 500 ml of boiling water and leave for 45 minutes. At the end of time, strain and use as a rinse 2 times a day after meals.
- Take 2 tbsp. l Calendula flowers, pour a liter of hot water, leave to infuse for 1 hour. Strain and rinse your mouth 3 times a day after eating.
Before using traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of oral chlamydia, it is necessary to inform your doctor about your intentions. If the specialist approves and the formulation of the funds does not interfere with the assimilation of the prescribed drugs, then you can independently prepare solutions and rinse the oral cavity.
Chlamydia Prevention
The main recommendation for the prevention of chlamydia in general is the advice to use barrier contraceptives during sexual intercourse. With multiple sexual contacts, the risk of infection with chlamydia increases. It is recommended to completely abandon the use of alcohol and any psychotropic drugs, especially for women.
After full recovery, it is necessary to undergo a repeated examination after 3 months in order to exclude a relapse of the disease. This can happen due to the carelessness of both partners, especially if one of the infected has not undergone treatment. It is also possible to conduct physiotherapy procedures - irradiation with a laser or ultrasound, etc.
Disease prognosis
Timely access to a doctor and treatment started give a favorable prognosis in the future, that is, the patient fully recovers. However, it all depends on the patient, he must necessarily take the prescribed drugs, strictly adhere to a healthy diet and be wary of his sex life.
In order to make sure of a complete recovery, the patient will need to pass the biomaterial at least two times to study the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Repeated blood tests for parasites are not ruled out. Only after the exclusion of the presence of chlamydial infection can we talk about a complete recovery.
Note!
Oral chlamydia alone will not disappear, so you should not hope for a spontaneous recovery. Many patients believe that if severe symptoms are absent, then everything is fine. In case of detection of a disease, you should immediately contact a qualified specialist.