Mr. Zhou is 58 years old this year, and he found that there were often ulcers around his tongue half a year ago.
As a result, half a year has passed, and the ulcer is still repeated, and it is getting more and more painful, and even talking and drinking water will stimulate it. During this period, he also went to the clinic several times, but they were all regarded as "ordinary ulcers".
In this way, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he hurried to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department of the hospital. After examination, it was found that there was a severe ulcer on the right side of the tongue and the abdomen of the tongue, and the diagnosis of tongue cancer was based on the flatness of the border, touch and pain.
He was also shocked by the diagnosis, how could a small ulcer be related to cancer?
1. What kind of disease is a canker sore?
Oral ulcer is a relatively high-incidence superficial ulcer symptom of oral mucosa, the size of a grain of rice or soybean, a slightly depressed wound, and a surrounding hyperema and edema.
Patients will experience symptoms such as pain, dry mouth, and mucosal bleeding, which may affect appetite and speech and pronunciation.
Canker sores can be said to be a disease for men and women of all ages, I believe many people have had a similar experience, this month's good canker sores, but a few months and recurrence, what is going on?
In fact, it is related to its complex pathogenesis, such as common immune imbalances, genetics, gastrointestinal diseases, viral or bacterial infections, malnutrition, endocrine disorders, psychological depression, allergies, etc., which may lead to ulcer recurrence.
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2. Are long-term untreated mouth ulcers a precursor to cancer?
Some people say that one of the precursors of oral cancer is ulcers, especially those that do not heal for a long time, and it is important to pay attention to examination.
In this regard, Wu Jian, deputy chief physician of the Head and Neck Cancer Center of the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Chongqing University, also reminded that mouth ulcers have not healed for more than 2 weeks, and it is best to screen the cause in time to prevent oral cancer from being at work!
Oral cancer is also subdivided according to the location of the occurrence, for example, tongue cancer occurs on the tongue, and so on gum cancer, buccal mucosal cancer, palate cancer, and floor of the mouth cancer.
Ulcers caused by cancer will also have symptoms such as limited mouth opening, swallowing discomfort, gum inflammation, loose teeth, etc., and some patients will also have swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
But not all ulcers are caused by cancer, so how can you tell the difference between common mouth sores and oral cancer? Mainly look at these 4 points!
1. Look at the size
The size of the typical canker sores is no more than 3-5 mm, while the sores caused by cancer are usually larger, 1-2 cm in size.
2. Look at the pain
Although ordinary ulcers are painful, they can be improved after medication, but the pain of ulcers caused by cancer cannot be controlled after medication, and even becomes more and more severe, and pain will occur in surrounding tissues and organs.
3. Look at the boundary
In general, it is normal for the ulcer to have clear borders, soft to the touch, and significant pain. However, the ulcer caused by cancer is very large, and the boundary is blurred, hard to the touch, uneven, and the pain is not obvious.
4. Look at the cycle
Ordinary canker sores generally last no more than two weeks, and if they do not heal for 1 month in a row, and are accompanied by obvious burning, pain and other reactions, it may be a risk of cancer.
3. These 3 kinds of mouth ulcers should not be taken lightly, as they are very harmful to the human body
Canker sores are strictly a clinical manifestation, and many diseases can cause canker sores.
1. Mouth ulcers caused by Behcet's disease
Behcet's disease is a variable vasculitic lesion with recurrent mouth sores as a common symptom, in addition to recurrent genital ulcers, causing damage to multiple parts of the eyes, nerves, blood vessels, etc.
2. Recurrent aphthous ulcer
Recurrent aphthous ulcers are also common recurrent canker sores, which are characterized by a long duration that can not heal for three months or six months.
3. Traumatic mouth ulcers
Traumatic oral ulcers are generally related to inflammation of the residual root and crown in the mouth, and it is best to do an oral examination first to observe the cause of the ulcer before confirming the diagnosis.
4. If I have mouth ulcers, is it useful to supplement vitamin C?
Many people subconsciously think that they are deficient in vitamin C, but in fact, the appearance of mouth ulcers is an inflammatory reaction caused by the deficiency of vitamin B2 and B vitamins.
Don't look at the mouth ulcers have little effect, the pain is really uncomfortable, improve the symptoms of mouth ulcers, teach you three tricks:
• Rinse your mouth with mouthwash after meals to clean the oral environment and prevent persistent infections and help with canker sore healing.
• In terms of diet, it is best to choose light, easy-to-digest food, eat less spicy and irritating food, and it is best not to eat too rough and hard food, so as to prevent food from causing new wear and tear to the oral mucosa.
• Anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving sprays can be used on the ulcer wound, and topical spraying can improve the persistent inflammation of the ulcer site.
If the ulcer recurs, it is also necessary to be alert to the risk of the disease, and it is recommended to go to the hospital for a check-up to find out what is causing the symptoms, and it is more reassuring.
Resources:
[1] "Canker sores are not terrible, but these 4 situations that it hides are likely to be life-threatening!" 》. Popular Science China.2023-03-23.
[2] "Canker sores that don't heal for more than 2 weeks must be careful! To distinguish between canker sores and oral cancer, look at these 4 points! 》. Sichuan CDC.2023-07-04.
[3] "Repeated mouth ulcers turned out to be advanced stage of tongue cancer! Don't be careless about these 4 symptoms of canker sores! 》. Health Times.2021-10-18.
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