Mucositis

Mucositis – General Information

Mucositis is disorder which can appear as the side effect of cancer treatment. In most of the cases, this disease is quite painful and causes a lot of discomfort. In the first stage, the disorder is characterized by a minor inconvenience but it develops fast and, if not treated as soon as possible, it can turn into a severe complication. In such cases, the patients may need to stop the treatment. This is the reason why those who start a cancer treatment should be carefully informed about the complications which can appear, especially the mouth sores and how can they prevent the appearance and development of such disorders. However, if the patient already experiences Mucositis, he should consult a doctor in order to find the best way of treatment to minimize the pain and to eliminate the problem. The mouth sores which are related to cancer are ulcers which appear inside the mouth or on the lips. They are usually described as a painful feeling of burn and, sometimes, they can result in an inability of talking, breathing, eating and swallowing. The ulcers can affect any soft tissue inside the sufferer’s mouth or on his lips: the gums, the floor of the mouth, the tongue or the roof of the mouth.
Mucositis is quite common in most of the cases of those who receive cancer treatment and, because of this, the doctor has to correctly adjust the treatment, considering the patient’s general condition and the stage of the disease.

Mucositis - Symptoms

The most common cause of the appearance of Mucositis is the cancer treatment which involves radiation and chemotherapy which are performed to the neck area or to the head; these types of treatment are administrated in order to kill quickly the cancer cells, which grow fast. However, in the body are also other types of cells which grow in a fast rhythm are these are also affected. The most important consequences in this case, is the fact that if the cells inside the mouth are affected, the mouth cannot longer fight against the bacteria and other major complications can appear, such as a mouth infection or mouth sores. In the case of a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant, the patient can experience a graft-versus-host-disease, a disorder characterized by the fact that the body cells do not accept the new cells and fight against them. This can also result in the appearance of mouth sores. On the other hand, Mucositis can also affect people who do not receive cancer treatment. In most of the cases, the mouth sores appear as a minor complication, characterized by a mild feeling of burn and pain inside the mouth. In this stage, the patient may notice the appearance of some white patches on the soft tissues of the mouth. As the disorder evolves, these patches become larger and larger and they turn red. If the sores are not treated as soon as possible, they can cause severe pain, bleeding or they can result in the difficulty of talking, drinking and eating.

Mucositis – Treatment

If you notice the appearance of any of the signs and symptoms described above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to benefit from the best way of treatment. In the first stage, the treatment is administrated in order to reduce the pain and, after that, the major objective is the healing and the regeneration of the cells of the mouth. The most common ways of treatment which can be chosen in the case of a person who suffers from Mucositis are: the administration of topical painkillers or the administration of coating agents. The coating agents are quite important as they reduce the pain by forming a film which protects the sores and allows the patient to eat and drink. On the other hand, the topical painkillers can be used directly on the affected tissues; however these types of drugs have major effects and you may hurt yourself while brushing your teeth or eating without even noticing. In addition to the administration of medicines, your doctor will also recommend you some simple measures which you can apply to your everyday life in order to improve your general condition and to eliminate Mucositis.

The most common but useful advice is the fact that you have to avoid the painful foods, more precisely spicy foods and acidic foods, which can contribute to the irritation of the mouth. In addition, the sufferer has to avoid crunchy and sharp foods, such as crackers and chips and choose soft foods. Another important thing which the sufferer gas to remember is the fact that he should consume the foods at the room temperature, as cold or hot food can increase the damage of the tissues; apart from that, the patient should choose to eat the food cut in small pieces. If the patient experiences problems while drinking, he will probably be recommended to use a straw in order to avoid the liquids to reach the affected tissues. However, those who suffer from Mucositis should be aware of the fact that, if they want to eliminate this disorder, they have to pay a great attention to the way in which they clean their teethes. If they can not use a toothbrush, they should consult with their dentist in order to choose a less painful method for cleaning the teeth.

However, the patients have to start the treatment for Mucositis as soon as possible after they are diagnosed with this disorder, as the sores evolve quickly and they can result in major complications, such as infections, bleeding or extreme pain. In all of the cases, however, the patient has to continue to clean his mouth. There are some simple measures which every person can apply to his everyday life in order to reduce the risk of suffering form Mucositis. First of all, every person should perform a periodical dental checkup, in order to be aware of the appearance of any complications. On the other hand, people should try to stop smoking, at least while they are administrated the cancer treatment.