5 WAYS TO PREVENT ORAL THRUSH DURING CANCER TREATMENT
Oral thrush is a fungal infection caused by fungus named Candida Albicans in the mouth resulting in creamy white lesions on the tongue or the inner cheeks. Patient may have pain and bleeding upon scraping of these lesions.Cancer treatment weaken the immune system and can damage tissue in the mouth, increasing the risk of oral thrush .It is sometimes painful and can impair sense of taste, as well as making it difficult to speak or eat.
Given below are 5 ways to prevent oral thrush during cancer treatment
1. Improve Oral Hygiene
i. Cleaning the mouth several times a day with soft brush can help prevent fungal infections from arising.
ii. Visit your dentist frequently so that oral health problems such as gingivitis can be detected and treated
iii. Avoid use of Alcohol based mouthwashes
iv. Those who wear denture, things like a poor fit, rough surfaces, leftover food can increase the likelihood of causing fungal infection For this reason, dentures should be cleaned regularly with a toothbrush and a special cleaning solution.
2. Keep Your Mouth Moist
i. Drink water frequently to keep your mouth moist and to avoid the burning sensation
ii. Popsicles, ice cream, smoothies, and crushed-ice beverages can temporarily help the burning sensation.
iii. Chew sugarless gums to increase salivary flow
3. Maintain Healthy Diet
i. Try limiting the amount of sugar-containing foods you eat. These may encourage the growth of candida.
ii. Limit or avoid baked goods, vinegars, alcohol, dried fruits, nuts, mushrooms, hard and aged cheeses and artificial additives, preservatives, colourings and sweeteners
iii. The bulk of your diet should be vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes and fermented foods that contain live, active probiotics.
iv. Chilled soups make for excellent snacks or side dishes.
4. Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
i. Inhaled tobacco smoke dries the mouth, causing microbial imbalance which can lead to overgrowth of Candida.Avoiding tobacco also improves immune system.
ii. Daily exercise can help maintain a good immune system and thus reduce the occurrence of oral thrush
5. In Case Of Diabetes, Keep Sugar Under Control
Saliva with high sugar content promotes the growth of fungus so watch your blood sugar.Timely checkups and keeping the diabetes under control can prevent oral thrush
REFERNCES
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0088209/The prevention and treatment of oral thrush;18 may 2016
https://www.livestrong.com › Diseases and Conditions;Foods to Avoid When You Have Oral Thrush;14 aug 2017
https://www.verywell.com › Cancer ,Treatments › Chemotherapy › Side EffectsOral Thrush During Chemotherapy; July 17, 2017
A Akpan, R Morgan; oral candidiasis; Postgrad Med J. 2002 Aug; 78(922): 455–459. doi: 10.1136/pmj. 78.922.455
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Treating-and-Preventing-Oral-Thrush.aspx;Treating and Preventing Oral Thrush
https://www.myvmc.com/diseases/oral-thrush-monoliasis-oral-candidiasis-oc/;oral thrush
