11 Symptoms That Tell You Are Suffering From Mouth Cancer

Our body is a storehouse of cells with billions of cells forming an integral part of our body. Cancer occurs when a perfectly healthy cell loses its sanity developing an abnormal cell condition. These abnormal cells have quite a reputation for proliferating their number twice as faster than the normal cells, which results in these abnormal cells grow more quickly and larger than necessary, for example mouth cancer. Unlike normal cells, these cells don’t mature to the fullest, making them premature for use, but they do not die like the normal ones, which makes the situation worse.

Often at times, these cells accumulate in a specific place, which with time, forms a lump. That is in medical terms called a tumor, which is an abnormal growth of cells. These tumors, or cancer if malignant, to expand its base source, then spread to different body parts. Often a few cells break away from the primary tumor and through the blood vessels and lymph nodes travel to other parts of the body, causing cancer cell formation there. This way, cancer slowly spreads. Let us get to know in detail about the symptoms of oral cancer in this article.

# Sores:

Often in case of mouth cancer, there are sores almost the same as canker sores, which are fleshy and white or reddish. These sores can be painful and may persist for longer than necessary, despite treatment.

# Soreness in Throat:

If the cancer cells have targeted your throat, you will have a sore throat. At first, one might mistake it for something familiar, but later if this sore throat persists for long and increases, maybe with time, make sure you get a quick check-up done.

# Voice Modulation:

Oral cancer might show early symptoms in the form of a coarse, rough voice, which is different than your original sound. Difficulty in swallowing or pain along with it is also a bad omen.

# Jaw Pain and Stiffness:

Difficulty in swallowing or talking might be noticed due to jaw stiffness and pain. It usually occurs in advanced stages of cancer when it has spread locally.

# Red and White Patches in the Throat and the Mouth:

Apart from soreness, red and white patches in the mouth are one of the most common symptoms of mouth cancer. They might occur anywhere in the oral cavity, from the tongue to the buccal mucosa.

# Ulcers:

Mouth ulcers are also some of the common cancerous symptoms. An ulcer that refuses to heal despite adequate treatment should be checked for cancerous signs.

# Bleeding, Pain, or Numbness in The Mouth:

Bleeding and pain without any apparent cause, numbness in the mouth, or changes in taste sensation are all symptoms of mouth cancer.

# Lumps in The Neck:

A victim of mouth cancer will probably suffer from lumps in the neck, which are nothing but spread to the lymph nodes in the neck. This is common in both old as well as young people.

# Loosening of Teeth and Ill-fitting Dentures:

If you have mouth cancer, then you might face loosening of teeth with no apparent reason. Recurrent visits to the dentist for ill-fitting dentures are also a cause for concern.

# Weight Loss:

Weight loss is a very nonspecific symptom of cancer. If an individual loses about 5% of his body weight in 1-3 months, then it is significant and might be a symptom of oral cancer.

# A Lump in The Mouth Anywhere or Thickening Of The Lining of The Mouth:

You might exhibit one or more of the symptoms above, which might not be related to oral cancer, but it is always advisable to consult your doctor.