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.
