Oral Cancer Causes
Cancer remains one of the most
feared conditions of our generation. It is caused by the mutation of
cells within different parts of the human body. The medical community
continues to invest much of its time and resources into discovering
cures for various different types of cancer. While the various
treatments for different types of cancer are improving, a definitive
cure for most types remains undiscovered.
One of the many
cancers against which we are currently fighting is oral cancer. Oral
cancer is not as commonly heard of as other cancers such as lung and
breast cancer, but can be every bit as deadly. The one-year survival
rate for oral cancer is 81% and the five-year rate is 56%. Avoiding oral
cancer causes is one of the best ways to proactively fight against it.
Avoiding
cancer is a game of managing percentages. It is important to try to put
yourself in the best percentage category to remain healthy. There are
various different things that increase oral cancer risk. To begin it is
important to know that if you have a relative that has been diagnosed
with oral cancer, it is even more important that you do not expose
yourself to risk factors as you are already at increased risk, so be
extra careful.
One of the most obvious oral cancer causes is
any use of tobacco products. Smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes will
increase your risk by six times when compared to those that have never
smoked tobacco. Use of dip, snuff or chewing tobacco products is even
worse with the increase in risk being fifty times that compared to those
who have avoided these activities. This is one of the easiest oral
cancer causes to avoid. Try not to pick up the habit.
Another
simple to avoid cause is excessive use of alcohol. The risk of oral
cancer increases by six times if you drink excessively. Social drinking
is not included so feel free to drink reasonably on occasion with
friends and family, but avoid going on binges.
Another of
the oral cancer causes is exposure to excessive sunlight. It is commonly
known that this can cause cancer of the skin, but few people think of
the fact that their lips are being exposed to the same amount of sun.
Pick up a lip balm that includes a good SPF rating and wear it if you
will be in the sun for a while.
The last of the big oral
cancer causes currently known is the HPV virus. This is a sexually
transmitted disease that is known to induce cancer formation in human
cells. The best way to get this in your mouth is to have unprotected
oral sex. Make sure that you always use protection when engaging in any
type of sexual activity to avoid contracting HPV and other harmful
diseases.
Keeping yourself out of the previously mentioned
categories, while not a guarantee, gives you the best chance at avoiding
oral cancer. If you notice any symptoms such as unusual sores, various
pains in the oral area that will not go away, or difficulty chewing and
swallowing be sure to be checked by a physician as soon as possible.
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق