Oral ulcers refer to some round or oval ulcer surface phenomena that occur in the mucosa of the oral cavity, which generally occur in the inner lip, cheek, and palate of the mouth.
Although these ulcer sites have a more obvious pain sensation, as long as you pay attention to lifestyle adjustments, they will generally heal on their own in about a week.
However, in daily life, some people will have recurrent ulcers, mouth ulcers appear for more than 4 weeks, and will be accompanied by symptoms such as severe pain. Once these phenomena occur, they should be vigilant, most likely related to tongue cancer.
What is the association between mouth ulcers and tongue cancer?
Mouth ulcers and tongue cancer itself are two completely different diseases, the former is a benign disease, while the latter is a malignant neoplastic disease.
However, whether it is mouth ulcers or tongue cancer, patients will have some ulcers in the mouth, and these ulcers are accompanied by a certain sense of pain.
But the difference is that mouth ulcers are self-healing, usually self-healing in a week or so.
However, mouth ulcers caused by tongue cancer are not self-healing, and will persist for a long time, and will be accompanied by some other uncomfortable symptoms, all of which are characterized by progressive exacerbation.
Below, let's take a closer look at what is tongue cancer.
First, the cause of the disease
Tongue cancer is one of the types of oral cancers that occur at the base of the tongue. It tends to occur in men around the age of 60.
The cause of the disease is not clear, but it is generally believed to be related to the long-term poor oral hygiene, resulting in the growth of a large number of mold or bacteria in the mouth, and causing a series of co-inflammatory diseases, so that the cells are in an abnormally hyperplasia state.
In addition, if the body lacks various trace elements for a long time, such as vitamin A, iron, and zinc, it will also cause abnormal thickening of the upper wall of the tongue mucosa. For people who drink alcohol, smoke, chew betel nuts for a long time, and are infected with HPV virus, the probability of developing tongue cancer will also be very high.
2. Symptoms of the disease
After developing tongue cancer, some ulcers may also appear in the mouth of patients, but ulcers tend to occur on the tongue area.
The patient may have some raised and irregular edges on the tongue, and some white spots or small indurations with uneven basal mounds.
These small indurations have a relatively strong sense of pain, which is a severe pain that will last for a long time and become more and more severe. And it will be accompanied by symptoms such as bad breath and unconscious drooling.
If the situation is more obvious, the patient's jaw and neck, there will also be some enlarged lymph nodes, and these lymph nodes are generally painless, immovable lymph nodes.
If the tumor invades the muscles deep in the tongue, the patient's movement of the tongue is restricted, resulting in confusion in speech or difficulty chewing or swallowing.
All in all, if there is a mouth ulcer, after proper treatment or good life conditioning, it will heal in 1 to 2 weeks, then there is no need to worry too much.
However, if the mouth ulcer persists for about 4 weeks, accompanied by a series of symptoms such as severe tongue pain, difficulty swallowing, and lymphadenopathy, it is generally related to tongue cancer.
This is a malignant tumor that occurs at the base of the tongue and is triggered by factors such as poor oral hygiene, malnutrition, alcohol and smoking, and infection with the virus. Once the disease is not treated early, it will cause the cancer cells to spread rapidly, seriously endangering the patient's life.
Therefore, when these symptoms appear, they need to be admitted to the hospital for examination and receive formal treatment at the first time in order to maximize their own health.