On Merseyside, as in the rest of the country, recognised cases of oral cancers are on the increase. There are considered to be many reasons behind this. We are considered to be a nation on the go, always busy with little time to worry about simple things like dental check-ups and oral hygiene, and this can lead to bad lifestyle choices such as poor diet, smoking and drinking. This has a knock on affect in the rest of the body such as stress and a weak immunity system that can leave us exposed to all manner of oral problems such as gum disease, ulcers and lesions leading to bad breath, tooth loss and possibly oral cancer. It’s important that we take charge of our lives and be able to spot the problems before they turn nasty. Regular contact with the dentist is paramount to catching oral cancer early on and this can be achieved with a simple cell and biopsy- tissue diagnosis of the mouth and throat. If this proves to be positive, further in-depth examinations will be carried out to determine the extent of the disease and then a course of treatment decided upon. It all sounds extremely scary, but as the level of technology increases in the field of cancer treatments, so does the success rate. Only by gaining a greater understanding of the problem, can we avoid it in the first place. Wouldn’t it be preferable to avoid such hefty treatments such as radiothereapy and physical surgery by taking control of how we treat our mouth in the first place, such as with, diet, smoking, drinking and good oral hygiene?
Archive for the ‘oral cancer’ Category
Confronting oral cancer on Merseyside
Saturday, December 4th, 2010Cancer of the Mouth, A Wirral dentist gives the ins and outs of this disease and prevention
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
When we hear the word Cancer, we automatically think of the common forms such as breast cancer and leukaemia, a Wirral dental has commented. What many of us fail to grasp is that cancer of mouth or Oral Cancer, can be just as common and fatal. An obvious cause is smoking, this can cause cancer cells to become active in almost any part of the mouth including, the throat, lips, tongue and gums. Too much alcohol intake will also increase the risk of Oral Cancer, as will exposure to the sun. Skin cancer is fast becoming the top cancer in the U.K. but many of us forget that our lips are exposed to the sun as well, and the radiation from the sun can also cause cancer in the lips. Prevention is of course better than a cure, as with cancer there aren`t that many cures. At best the Oncologists can slow down the cancer growths or give us some respite from the tumours, but there are not too many actual cures. To stop smoking or chewing tobacco will go a long way to keeping Oral Cancer at bay, but just giving up won`t give us protection for a good few years so it’s best to stop now. The symptoms are sores that bleed and don`t heal up, reddish blotches and of course lumps on the tongue and throat that make swallowing hard and uncomfortable. Ask your dentist to look for signs when you have your 6 monthly check-up, they may not always look for signs as part of the routine. If you find a lump or any symptoms that may look like Oral Cancer, then tell your doctor and go for tests.