Oral HPV: Bumps on the Lips, Tongue and Throat
Quick answer
Oral HPV usually causes no symptoms at all, and there is no approved test for it. Some HPV types can cause small warts in the mouth or throat, but a bump on the lip or tongue can have other causes, such as a cold sore or harmless Fordyce spots. Most oral HPV clears within about two years. A clinician can check any bump or sore that lingers.
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Ticking an item does not mean you have HPV or cancer. Many things cause these symptoms. It means a clinician should take a look.
Spotting a bump in your mouth or on your lip and wondering whether it is HPV is common. The short version: oral HPV usually has no visible signs, and most mouth bumps turn out to be something else. It is still worth knowing which signs deserve a check.
What are the early symptoms of oral HPV?
Usually there are none. MedlinePlus says oral HPV infection shows no symptoms, so you can carry it and pass it on without knowing. Most infections clear on their own within about two years and cause no health problems.
Can HPV cause bumps on the lips?
Possibly, but HPV is only one of several explanations. MedlinePlus notes that low-risk HPV types can cause warts on or around the genitals, anus, mouth or throat. That means a wart-like growth in the mouth can be HPV.
A bump on the lip can also be a cold sore (caused by herpes simplex, not HPV) or a harmless variation of normal skin. The CDC adds that HPV is not known to cause cancers of the lip.
Can oral HPV cause bumps on the tongue or in the throat?
The infection itself usually doesn’t, but warts from low-risk HPV types can appear in the mouth and throat. Because looks alone can’t confirm the cause, a clinician has to examine any growth that persists.
What else can cause bumps on the lips or inside the mouth?
- Cold sores. These usually start with tingling, itching or burning. Within about 48 hours, fluid-filled blisters appear, burst and crust over. They should start to heal within 10 days.
- Fordyce spots. These are small, yellowish or white raised dots (1 to 5 mm) on the lips or inside the cheeks, caused by oil glands. They are not an STI and not infectious. DermNet says they are present in 80% of adults and are best regarded as a normal variant.
See a clinician if a cold sore hasn’t started to heal within 10 days, or if you aren’t sure what a bump is.
How do you get oral HPV?
MedlinePlus says oral HPV is thought to spread mainly through oral sex and deep tongue kissing. The risk rises with more sexual partners, tobacco or alcohol use, and a weak immune system. The CDC says oral HPV is also transmitted “possibly in other ways”, so the exact routes aren’t fully settled.
Condoms and dental dams can lower the chance of passing HPV on, but they can’t fully protect, because the virus can be on nearby skin.
How common is oral HPV?
The CDC says about 10% of men and 3.6% of women have oral HPV, and it is more common with older age. Most people clear HPV within 1 to 2 years.
Can I be tested for oral HPV?
No. The CDC says no approved HPV test exists for the mouth or throat. MedlinePlus says an oral HPV infection has no symptoms and can’t be detected by a test. The HPV tests used in cervical screening only look at cells from the cervix.
If a clinician suspects cancer, they may take a small tissue sample (a biopsy), and that tissue is also tested for HPV.
Should I worry about throat cancer?
Most oral HPV never causes cancer. Some high-risk types, when the infection lasts for many years, can cause cancer at the back of the throat (the base of the tongue and tonsils). The CDC says it usually takes years after infection, and HPV is thought to cause 60% to 70% of these cancers in the United States.
Signs to get checked include a sore throat lasting more than 2 to 3 weeks, hoarseness lasting more than 3 to 4 weeks, trouble or pain swallowing, a lump in the neck, a white or red patch on the tonsils, and unexplained weight loss. Alcohol and tobacco also contribute, and the CDC says the risk is higher when both are used.
If a bump or symptom lingers, checking early is the safer choice.
Get care today if
- Noisy or high-pitched breathing, or trouble breathing
- Coughing up blood
- Pain or trouble swallowing that is getting worse
- A lump in the neck, cheek or mouth, or a white or red patch on a tonsil
- Swollen, painful gums and mouth sores along with a cold sore
- Your immune system is weakened, for example by chemotherapy or diabetes
Call 911 for a medical emergency. Otherwise, urgent care or your doctor can see you today.
When to test
- When you notice a new bump, sore or white or red patch in your mouthSee a clinician to have it looked at. They can examine your mouth and decide whether any further tests are needed.
- If throat symptoms lastGet checked if a sore throat lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks, or hoarseness lasts more than 3 to 4 weeks, even if antibiotics were tried.
- About testing for HPV itselfThere is no approved HPV test for the mouth or throat, so you can't be tested for oral HPV. Cervical screening tests check the cervix only.
Common questions
Can I get tested for oral HPV?
No. The CDC says there is no approved HPV test to find HPV in the mouth or throat, and MedlinePlus says oral HPV infection can't be detected by a test. A clinician can still examine any bump or sore.
Can HPV cause bumps on my lips?
Low-risk HPV types can cause warts in the mouth and throat, but bumps on the lips have other common causes, such as cold sores or Fordyce spots. A clinician can tell them apart.
Does oral HPV go away?
Usually, yes. The CDC says most people clear HPV within 1 to 2 years, and MedlinePlus says most oral HPV infections go away within 2 years without treatment. A few infections last longer.
Can I get oral HPV from kissing?
Oral HPV is thought to spread mainly through oral sex and deep tongue kissing, according to MedlinePlus. The CDC says oral HPV is transmitted by oral sex or possibly in other ways.
Does the HPV vaccine protect the mouth and throat?
The CDC says the vaccine protects against the HPV types that can cause oropharyngeal cancers, so it may also prevent them. MedlinePlus says it's not yet clear whether it prevents oral HPV infection. It works best before exposure.
Sources
This guide is general information written by a patient advocate using public health sources. It is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician who examines you, or a lab test, can tell you what you have. Read how we write and check our guides.