Tuesday, October 5, 2010

7 Oral Cancer Symptoms And Ways To Prevent It

Cancer is one of the top causes of deaths anywhere in the world and just to let you know, our mouths are not safe from this dreaded disease. Learn about the oral cancer symptoms and the ways on how you can prevent it.

It is often hard to maintain a very healthy lifestyle and most of us are struggling just to get enough exercise each day and eat the right kinds of food. But there is a big part of our population who are smoking heavily. And it is about time that they should stop this nasty habit because smoking has been linked to oral cancer.

The following are 7 of the common oral cancer symptoms. Always be on the look out for these symptoms and once in a while you should conduct your own self-examination just to be safe.

1. Too much bleeding of the gums without clear explanation as to the cause.

2. Any lumps on the gums and the lips.

3. Chronic sore throat.

4. Unexplained weight loss.

5. Unexplained pain in the mouth area.

6. Hoarseness or sudden change in the voice.

7. Sores in the face and the mouth's area that do not heal after more than 2 weeks.

These are just some of the symptoms that you should be looking out for just to be on the safe side. Most especially if you admit that you are a heavy smoker.

Now that you know the oral cancer symptoms, let us discuss some of the ways that you can prevent these from occurring.

First and foremost, stop smoking if you are into that habit. As stated earlier, smoking has been proven to be one of the major causes of oral cancer. And for most people, just by stopping it can greatly lower their risk from acquiring this dreaded disease.

Cigarettes are not just the culprit when it comes to smoking. If you are using other types of tobacco products you should stop using those too. And not only tobacco but also alcohol. When it comes to alcohol just drink in moderation and you should have no problem with it.

Another way to prevent getting cancer is by limiting your exposure to the sun. Too much exposure to UV rays can harm the cells in your lips which might eventually turn into cancer. If you really have to be out under the sun for prolonged period of time, put sunscreen.

You should also eat a healthy and balanced diet. Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants which help fight off free radicals and other elements that can cause cancer. One way to do this is by making sure your meals are colorful. What this means is you should eat green leafy vegetable, a variety of fruits, and foods that are less fatty.

And lastly, the best prevention that you can do to avoid seeing oral cancer symptoms is by regularly visiting your dentist and asking for a full dental check up. Your dentist will then be able to see any signs of problems that might have started to occur and therefore can prescribe the best treatment for you.

Find Out How Dentists Prahran Can Help With Your Oral Care. Visit: http://www.thedentists.com.au