What does HPV look like in your mouth?

Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Out of the more than 100 different types of the virus, around 40 can infect the mouth, throat, and genitals.

In most cases, the immune system clears human papillomavirus, or HPV, from the body before it can cause a full infection and symptoms.

Some strains of HPV result in harmless oral lesions that usually resemble common warts, but doctors have linked some others with oral cancers.

How common is HPV?

HPV and oral HPV are very common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 10 percent of men and 3.6 percent of woman in the U.S. have oral HPV.

What causes it and how does it spread?

Oral HPV spreads mostly through oral sex and mouth-to-mouth contact between people.

During mouth-to-genital or mouth-to-mouth contact, HPV particles travel via infected saliva or mucus through an open cut or sore in an uninfected person's mouth or throat.

Mothers can also pass HPV to their children. Most research indicates HPV may also sometimes spread via oral contact with contaminated utensils or medical instruments.

The immune system usually destroys invading HPV particles before they cause an infection. Healthy immune systems usually resolve HPV infections within 1 to 2 years. However, some HPV infections can persist.

Risk factors

The greatest risk factor for developing oral HPV is oral sex or having mouth-to-mouth contact with someone infected with HPV.

Researchers are still trying to determine the full range of risk factors for oral HPV, but some known factors include:

not using proper protection during oral sex

deep kissing

having multiple sexual partners

smoking and tobacco products

engaging in sexual activities from a young age

drinking alcohol

sharing drinks and utensils

Symptoms and what it looks like

Many people with minor cases of HPV do not have any apparent symptoms. There are also many strains of HPV that can each cause slightly different symptoms.

When it does cause a productive infection, HPV can cause growths that are:

small and hard

white, pink, flesh-colored, or red

slightly raised or flat

painless

usually slow growing

smooth or slightly calloused

single or multiple in a cauliflower- or cobblestone-like mass

anywhere in the mouth, but frequently on the tongue, soft palate at the back or roof of the mouth, and lips

HPV is the leading cause of oropharyngeal, or oral cavity, cancers, although this complication is rare. This is especially true for those infections that involve the tongue and base of the tongue into the throat.

The type of HPV called HPV 16 causes most oral cancers related to HPV.

Oral cancers tend to cause obvious symptoms, especially as they progress. Signs and symptoms of oral cancer include:

a sore or painful bump that does not go away within 3 weeks

difficulty swallowing or the feeling of things sticking together when trying to swallow

discoloration (red, white, black) of the soft tissues in the mouth

swollen but painless tonsils

a lump in the mouth that lasts for at least 3 weeks

a lump that a person feels on the outside of the neck

pain when chewing

chronic sore throat or hoarseness

chronic cough

numbness or tingling in the lips or tongue

a unilateral, or one-sided, earache that lasts for more than 3 weeks

drooling

Diagnosis

There is currently no easy way for a doctor to diagnose HPV. The most useful test for HPV is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

A PCR test takes a tiny fragment of DNA extracted from cells in a sample of mucus and amplifies it, making countless identical copies. Having so many copies of the DNA fragment allows scientists to look inside cells and detect minute quantities of abnormal or viral DNA.

In rare cases, when lesions are present in the mouth, a doctor may be able to diagnose HPV by examination alone.

Source: Medical News Today