Distinguishing Strep Throat from Chlamydia: A Guide

Understanding the Differences Between Strep Throat and Chlamydia

Sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and swollen lymph nodes are all symptoms that can indicate a variety of infections, including strep throat and chlamydia. While these two conditions share some similarities, they are fundamentally different, and it’s important to tell them apart to receive appropriate treatment. This blog post will explore the key differences between strep throat and chlamydia, including their causes, symptoms, diagnostic methods, and treatments. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand these two conditions and be better equipped to identify and treat them if you or someone you know experiences symptoms.

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Overview

Strep throat, caused by the strep A bacteria, is a common cause of sore throats. However, in some cases, people can be infected with chlamydia. This can also cause a sore throat, and knowing the difference is important.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium in the Chlamydia family. In this case, we are talking about Chlamydia trachomatis, which typically infects the genitalia. While sexually transmitted infections typically affect the genitals, they can affect the throat if you are having oral sex, regardless of the gender or genitalia of your partner. However, the risk is much less than genital sex, as Chlamydia trachomatis prefers genital colonization.

Chlamydia trachomatis can be a serious condition. It can lead to blindness, fertility problems, inflammation of the pelvis, and arthritis resulting from sexually transmitted infections. However, as a throat infection, it is mild, commonly asymptomatic, and clears within a few weeks. It is most commonly seen in men who have sex with men and transwomen who have sex with men. When it does have symptoms, they include a sore throat, dental problems, pain, and sores in and around the lips and mouth.

Strep Throat

Strep throat is a common infection caused by strep A bacteria. This is very contagious and also spreads through respiratory droplets and direct contact. It can occasionally be transmitted by poor food handling.

Typically, symptoms include:

• Sore throat
• Fever
• Pain when swallowing
• Red and swollen tonsils
• Petechiae, which are tiny red spots that can appear anywhere but are seen on the roof of the mouth with strep throat
• Swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck

Other symptoms include headache, stomach pain, nausea, and/or vomiting, although these are less common.

Signs and Symptoms

Strep throat can be distinguished from chlamydia symptomatically. Both infections result in a sore throat. It’s worth noting, however, that chlamydia does not typically cause pain when swallowing, red and swollen tonsils, and/or petechiae or swollen lymph nodes. Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is often asymptomatic.

Strep throat does not typically cause a stuffy or runny nose, fatigue, cough, or hoarseness.

There are, obviously, other respiratory infections that can be mistaken for either of these conditions. Chlamydia, in particular, can be mistaken for a cold, although the symptoms drag on and last longer. Both infections can occur asymptomatically, but asymptomatic carriers are much less likely to pass on the condition.

Diagnosis

The gold standard for diagnosing strep throat is taking a swab at the back of the throat and then sending this throat swab to a lab to be cultured and viewed. However, many offices use rapid antigen testing to start antibiotic treatment sooner if the test is positive. A negative antigen test, however, does not necessarily mean you don’t have a strep throat infection. The lab test is more accurate, but the downside is that this test takes time.

Chlamydia pneumoniae, another species of the genus Chlamydia, is also diagnosed by a lab test — either