Mouth care for cancer patients

The effects of cancer treatment on your mouth

Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and some biological therapy drugs used for treating cancer may create mouth problems.

Infection

Symptoms of infection can be a temperature of 37.5 degrees of Celsius and above, extremely sore mouth, white coating on your tongue and large deep ulcers in your mouth.

If you notice any of the symptoms mentioned, contact your doctor immediately.

Soreness and mouth ulcers (oral mucositis)

Oral mucositis causes the mouth’s lining to become very sore and can even be the cause of mouth ulcers. This can happen after your treatment (5 -10 days) and gradually improves after the end of your treatment (3 – 4 weeks). There is a greater risk of oral mucositis for older people. Once oral mucositis develops, a treatment for relieving symptoms and decreasing acuteness is available.

Changes in taste

Some cancer treatments may give you a metallic taste in your mouth and make food taste different. Your taste should return to its normal once treatment is complete, though it can be up to a few weeks.

To better cope with taste changes, it is recommended to choose foods with distinctive flavour, pungent spices and herbs. Sauces are another option to intensify the flavour of meat and fish, for example, curry, chilli, sweet and sour etc.

It is recommended to try eat your food cold, instead of heated, some people find that their food tastes better that way. Swapping classic metal cutlery for wooden or plastic may also make a change in terms of decreasing metallic taste.

For beverages, it may be more refreshing to drink fizzy drinks with a sharper flavour, such as ginger or lemon.

Dry mouth

Cancer drugs and treatments can make your mouth dry. For example, some people suffer with dry mouth perpetually after undergoing radiotherapy on their head.

Another reason of getting dry mouth may be that your food and drink intake is insufficient due to not feeling well.

Some of the ways to moisten your mouth can be eating meals with gravies and sauces to enable easier swallowing. Try taking regular sips of water with your meal to aid with chewing and swallowing and drink as much as possible throughout the day. Chew sugar free chewing gum or keep you mouth fresh by sucking on ice.

Fruit and vegetable juices are a good choice, just make sure to avoid anything acidic if your mouth is sore.

Last but not least, discuss options of saliva stimulating medications available to you or if you have concerns about your dry mouth.

Dry lips

Yellow paraffine or a regular lip balm is advised to use to moisten dry lips. However, if you are on oxygen or going through radiotherapy to your head or neck, please consult your doctor or nurse first before applying any products.

Bad breath

Coupled with dry mouth, your breath may be badly affected. This can be solved with a good mouth care.

Some useful tips for bad breath:

• regular teeth brushing
• flossing daily
• use of mouthwash after brushing your teeth or eating
• sugar-free gum or mints
• regular dental check-ups
• drinking plenty of water

Preventing mouth sores and infection

To prevent mouth sores and infection, make sure to check your mouth daily for changes and let your doctor or nurse know of any issues. Follow your mouth routine strictly, day, night and after eating. To stop bacteria in the mouth from flourishing, use a salt water rinse (1 teaspoon of salt in 1 pint of cold or warm water) after each meal. Make sure to prepare a fresh salt water rinse every day. Avoid consuming sharp foods, such as crisps or crackers. Alcohol, especially pure spirits can irritate the lining of your mouth and cause problems. According to Cancer Research UK, sucking on crushed ice during chemotherapy sessions is helpful in reducing blood flow to the mouth, nevertheless, it is important to discuss this option with your doctor prior to trying.

Providing oral care to someone else

It may be that you are required to do mouthcare for someone who is too weak to do this for themselves or may be in an out of sleep. Regular oral care and moistening of the mouth is still very important in this case can add to their comfort. To help them drink, you can either encourage them to have a drink or tap their mouth with a sponge stick. In terms of mouth care, this may be done with products recommended by the healthcare team, ideally when the person’s head and shoulders are elevated.  If it’s not possible for the person to be elevated, ensure that no fluids are accumulating inside the mouth. Do ask the healthcare for help and recommendations on how to help your friend on loved one with cancer with mouth care, so that it is a comfortable experience for both of you.

How can Cavendish Homecare help?

At Cavendish Homecare, we deliver exceptional care in the familiar surroundings of your own home. We provide personalised private cancer homecare tailored to individual needs in London and the Home Counties. To learn more about our care services and how we can assist with your needs, please reach out to our team at 020 3008 5210 or email us info@cavendishhomecare.com. We are here to discuss further and address any questions or concerns you may have.