What are the early signs of oral cancer? Remember 4 "red light signals", don't miss the opportunity to catch cancer

The 61-year-old Lao Li has always been strong and strong, but the teeth in his mouth are not very good. Five years ago, Lao Li had a stump of a tooth in his mouth. Usually it didn't hurt or itch, but occasionally the mucous membrane next to him would be rubbed off. The ulcer would heal for a few days, and some medicine would heal, so he never went to the hospital for treatment.

In July last year, Lao Li suffered from oral ulcers again, but this time was different. After a few weeks, the ulcerated surface not only did not improve, but became more and more serious. It was too irritating to eat and drink a little. Slowly, Lao Li also found that there seemed to be a lump on the ulcerated cheek, which felt hard and had a small pimple.

Lao Li went to the hospital for examination. The doctor took a part of the tumor tissue for pathological examination. The pathological report diagnosed it as: well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the left buccal mucosa! And to investigate the reason, it is the repeated friction of the stump of the tooth that caused oral cancer!

Lao Li can't regret it now, it turns out that the root of the rotten tooth should be pulled out! Chief Physician Liu of the Department of Stomatology, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University reminded that when a tooth is decayed to a certain extent, it becomes a bad tooth and a residual root, and if it is not treated for a long time, the long-term chronic stimulation of the bad tooth at the caries site will lead to ulcers, which may lead to ulcers. cause cancer.

Oral cancer is increasing year by year

Oral cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with two-thirds of cases occurring in developing countries in Asia and Southeast Asia. The story of Lao Li teaches us a lesson that chronic irritation of rotten roots is a cause of cancer. But in fact, there are many habits in your life that you don't take seriously can also cause oral cancer!

There are many causes of oral cancer, such as poor oral hygiene, prolonged high temperature or chemical stimulation, chronic damage to the tongue, gums or pharynx due to incorrect dentition or improper dentures, leukoplakia on the oral mucosa, etc. It can turn into cancer over time.

Therefore, corresponding to the incentives of oral cancer, we can also deduce which groups are high-risk groups of oral cancer. It is worth noting that for the following groups of people, it is very important to raise awareness of oral cancer and regularly self-examine changes in the oral cavity!

1. People with poor oral hygiene habits

Poor brushing times, timing and timing, poor oral hygiene, and long-term formation of dental plaque, gingival plaque, etc., lead to the long-term growth of various pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity, creating conditions for the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines and their precursors. promotes the occurrence of oral cancer.

2. People who smoke and drink for a long time

The irritating substances and toxic substances in the process of smoking and drinking are more irritating and damaging to the gums, periodontal, oral mucosa, etc. Many long-term smokers will have smoke spots on the teeth, and the spicy irritants in alcohol will produce gingival Serious irritation. Long-term irritation of teeth and gums puts the oral cavity in a state of stress, and inflammatory factors overreact for a long time, which can easily lead to oral cancer.

3. People with bad dental restorations in the mouth

Like Lao Li, poor dental restorations in the oral cavity can also lead to oral mucosal diseases. False teeth and sharp teeth can cause long-term repeated oral ulcers in the oral mucosa and induce oral cancer.

All in all, the first step in the prevention and treatment of oral cancer is to change the bad habits of smoking and drinking. After drinking or smoking, the oral cavity should be cleaned in time to avoid prolonged stimulation of the oral cavity. Dentures should be of good quality, without residual roots or crowns, and without irritating oral tissues. People with sharp teeth or dentures should seek medical attention in a timely manner when they experience discomfort in the mouth or teeth to reduce oral ulcer infection.

Because early-stage oral cancer is often painless, patients tend to ignore some early symptoms. In fact, as long as you pay more attention to oral health and pay attention to the signs of oral cancer, you can detect the signs of oral cancer early.

The main symptoms of oral cancer, how to diagnose?

Oral cancer generally refers to malignant lesions that occur in oral tissues, including soft and hard tissues such as lips, cheeks, tongue, tongue base, gums, soft palate, masseter muscles, teeth, alveolar bone, and jawbone. The most common types of oral cancer are tongue cancer, cheek cancer, gum cancer, lip cancer, floor of mouth cancer and hard palate cancer.

So, what are the main symptoms of oral cancer? Can long-term mouth ulcers cause oral cancer? How to diagnose if you have oral cancer?

1. Oral ulcers. The early manifestations of oral cancer are mainly oral ulcers that do not heal for a long time or repeated infection. General oral ulcers will heal within 1 to 2 weeks after the onset of the disease. possibility of cancer.

2. There is a lump inside the mouth. If there is a lump in the mouth that does not subside for a long time, grows rapidly, still does not subside after treatment or has a tendency to ulcer, it should be considered to be caused by some kind of oral cancer.

3. Loose teeth and restricted mouth opening. Adults who suddenly have multiple loose teeth without warning, or have limited mouth opening and rule out mandibular joint disease, may have some kind of oral cancer.

4. Numbness of the lower lip, facial paralysis. Numbness on one side of the lower lip is generally caused by cancer invading the inferior alveolar nerve, while facial paralysis of unknown cause in healthy adults is generally caused by the malignant tumor in the parotid gland destroying the facial nerve, causing the patient to have facial paralysis symptoms.

In daily life, you can often self-examine and pay attention to the changes around the mouth, early detection and early treatment. Do oral self-examination at least once a month , and consult a dentist or doctor as soon as you notice anything unusual for further examination and diagnosis. Early detection and early treatment not only make disease management easier, but also better prognosis.

Nowadays, the incidence of malignant tumors is getting younger and younger, and all organs of the body have the possibility of "cancerization", and the oral cavity is no exception. Oral cancer is easier to detect early and has a higher chance of recovery than other cancers. Unfortunately, there are still many patients who ignore the early warning signs and miss out on the golden period of treatment. Be smart to prevent oral cancer, and don't let yourself become a candidate for oral cancer.