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Submitted by Amit on 8 July 2014

A friend of mine is undergoing chemotherapy and is constantly battling mouth ulcers. What can he do about it ?

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Mouth ulcers are common during chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs kills rapidly growing cancer cells along with some healthy cells which divide rapidly including cells in the mouth. Mouth ulcers during chemotherapy depend on the type, dose and frequency of the treatment. Mouth ulcers caused by chemotherapy usually begins to appear in few days after the start of the treatment and disappear with in two –three weeks after stopping treatment.

Here are few tips to reduce the pain from mouth ulcers. Drink a lot of water to keep your mouth moist. Keep mouth, tongue and gums clean. Choose foods that are easy to chew and swallow.
Avoid mouthwashes with alcohol, quit smoking and avoid foods that are hot, spicy or high in acids. Ask your doctor about topical painkiller and coated agents.
Enquire with your doctor about cold therapy for prevention of mouth sores.

Dr S. Patel

Sat, 07/12/2014 - 13:02

A simple mouth rinse used daily made of baking soda in water can help reduce bacteria and keep the mouth clean. This can be easily made at home and is a cheaper option. Also eating cold (ice-creams, yogurt, pudding etc) and soft foods (purees, mashed foods etc) eases the soreness. Drinking from a straw can avoid further discomfort.