It may not be as well-known as some chemotherapy side effects – hair loss or nausea, for example – but oral mucositis is easily one of the most painful and debilitating conditions affecting chemo patients. As many as 40% of those undergoing chemotherapy will see some form of mucositis, though the odds can be much higher for those receiving treatment to the head, neck, or chest; and for patients going through high-dose chemo, the chances of developing oral mucositis are close to 80%. (Source)
The true burden of oral mucositis comes from its ability to affect all aspects of a patient’s recovery. Not only is this side effect extremely painful, but it can also make eating and drinking difficult (or even impossible), leading to dehydration and malnutrition in many patients and can even delay treatment. The sores that appear also increase a patient’s risk of infection – a serious concern for patients whose immune systems have been ravaged by chemo drugs – and the economic impact of mucositis can be just as severe, with some patients seeing tens of thousands of dollars in additional medical costs thanks to this one condition.
If you or someone you know is getting ready to begin chemotherapy treatments, know that help may be possible in the form of the Chemo Mouthpiece®. To learn more about how this effective, easy-to-use medical device can reduce the incidence and severity of oral mucositis, visit us online or call (866) 496-8858 today.
The Price of Oral Mucositis Symptoms
The medical expenses that accompany cancer can be overwhelming, and the additional costs that come with oral mucositis only add to patients’ economic woes. In one study, an increase in the severity of mucositis symptoms was linked to significant health risks and more extensive treatments; just a single-point bump on the Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) can lead to an average of one extra day of fever, 2.7 more days of IV nutrition, 2.6 more days of narcotic painkillers and general hospitalization, more than double the risk of serious infection, and an almost four-fold increase in a patient’s 100-day mortality risk.
Combined, these myriad complications can require treatments adding up to tens of thousands of dollars in additional medical bills. That one-point increase in a patient’s OMAS scale cost patients in the study as much as $25,000 that they might not have otherwise had to pay; the study concluded the hospital bills of a patient with oral mucositis were an average of $42,000 greater than those who were spared this chemo side effect.
The Physical Toll of Oral Mucositis
Though mouth sores are the predominant sign of oral mucositis, this condition can have wide-ranging effects on a patient’s overall health and quality of life. In more severe cases, the sores that appear can change a patient’s sense of taste, cause persistent dry mouth or a thickening of the saliva, or make chewing and swallowing incredibly painful, leading many patients to avoid the foods and beverages their bodies need to keep up their strength. This reluctance to eat can mean slower healing, lower energy levels, unwanted weight loss, and even delays in chemo treatments.
The presence of open sores in the mouth also represents a significant threat to the immune system, as each sore is a potential avenue for infection. Because the body’s immune system is so often compromised by radiation and chemotherapy, an infection anywhere in the body – including the mouth – can prove life-threatening. Patients with oral mucositis must observe meticulous oral hygiene practices to keep their sores clean and clear of debris, despite the intense discomfort these procedures may cause.
Fighting Chemo-Induced Mouth Sores
While no treatment has shown the ability to completely prevent oral mucositis, one notable option has proven effective for many patients looking to limit the severity of their symptoms: cryotherapy. By applying cold temperatures to the soft tissues that line the mouth, the blood vessels in that area are forced to shrink, which makes it harder for the toxic chemo drugs to reach those vulnerable areas; it’s like closing lanes on a busy highway.
To cause this effect – called vasoconstriction – most treatment centers will distribute ice chips or popsicles for patients to suck on as their medication is administered. Of course, this method has some obvious limitations: Ice chips tend to sit in the bottom of the mouth, cooling only a small area before melting away, and popsicles aren’t much better. By comparison, the Chemo Mouthpiece can effectively cool the entire oral cavity, making it a significantly more potent cryotherapy option.
Save Thousands of Dollars and Months of Pain with the Chemo Mouthpiece™
For those about to begin chemotherapy, the Chemo Mouthpiece can be an invaluable tool for reducing the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis symptoms, saving patients significant money and pain along the way. If you or someone you know is at risk of developing chemo induced mouth sores, know that you can fight this debilitating condition. Learn more by visiting the Chemo Mouthpiece website or calling (866) 496-8858 right away.
Oral mucositis is one of the toughest, most debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. Not only are the symptoms of this condition painful, but they can also lead to a host of expensive, even life-threatening complications if left unchecked. Patients can find treatments at their local drugstore or around their home, but two of the most popular and effective remedies for oral mucositis are mouthwashes and cryotherapy. Which of these treatments is more effective for helping with mouth sores caused by chemotherapy? The experts at Chemo Mouthpiece® will explain the differences between them below.
What Causes Mouth Sores After Chemotherapy?
Although it is undoubtedly effective for treating many types of cancer, chemotherapy has become almost as well-known for its negative side effects as for its healing powers – so much so that side effects such as hair loss have become an instantly recognizable sign of cancer treatments. One of the most debilitating of these side effects is the appearance of sores in the mouth, often accompanied by inflammation, bleeding, and pain. In fact, many patients label this condition – called oral mucositis – as the worst they experience while undergoing chemotherapy, placing it above nerve pain, nausea, and other unpleasant side effects.
Like many of the side effects that follow a chemo treatment, oral mucositis is the result of chemo drugs attacking healthy tissue even as they target diseased cells. By design, chemotherapy medications seek out and destroy rapidly growing tissues, which includes those in a tumor as well as normal cells in the body’s hair, nails, bone marrow, and mucous membranes. When these toxic chemicals reach the mouth, they break down the mucous membranes there, causing the formation of painful lesions.
Depending on the amount of the drug that reaches the area, the symptoms can vary in magnitude; those being treated for head, mouth, or throat cancers are more likely to experience the symptoms of oral mucositis. Studies have shown that as many as 40% of chemo patients will experience these symptoms, and up to 80% of those undergoing high-dose chemotherapy are vulnerable to mouth sores.
The Cost of Oral Mucositis
As painful and inconvenient as oral mucositis may seem, the reality is far worse than you might imagine. The appearance of mucositis symptoms in a cancer patient has been linked to a host of complications, some of which are life-threatening and almost all of which are expensive. A 2008 study of patients with oral mucositis found that an increase in its severity led to longer fevers, more than double the risk of a serious infection, additional days of narcotic painkillers, IV nutrition, extra days spent in the hospital, and a significant increase in patients’ 100-day mortality rate. All told, the financial burden of mucositis can be as much as $25,000 for a single patient, making it as damaging to the wallet as it is to a patient’s overall well-being.
Treatments for Oral Mucositis: Mouthwash vs. Cryotherapy
Mouthwashes are among the most readily available and easy-to-use treatments for oral mucositis, as well as part of a good oral care routine for chemo patients. Often, all it takes is a rinse and spit to make those mouth sores feel just a little bit better, so it’s understandable that many patients use this method to help relieve their pain and keep their mouth clean. On the other hand, cryotherapy – the use of freezing or near-freezing temperatures to treat the body – offering a way to reduce the severity of symptoms before they even appear. So, which is more effective?
As stated above, mouthwashes are both accessible and convenient for patients to use. Anyone can make a saltwater rinse at home by adding a bit of salt to a warm glass of water and using that to clean and moisturize their mouth; alternately, the same effect can be achieved with baking soda in addition to or instead of salt. This makes mouthwashes an inexpensive treatment as well, but do they have any downsides? For one thing, mouthwashes are only useful to patients who have already developed mucositis; in other words, you must be in pain to gain anything from their use. Another issue is the relative lack of potency common to these treatments, as mouthwashes tend to provide only minor and temporary relief from the pain and inflammation.
By comparison, cryotherapy – when properly employed – has demonstrated an ability to fight oral mucositis symptoms before they appear. Cryotherapy works by chilling the blood vessels of the mouth, causing them to shrink and reduces blood flow to the area during the infusion of chemo drugs. This limits the amount of the drugs that can reach the vulnerable mucous membranes, which in turn limits the severity of mucositis symptoms. It’s the reason nurses and doctors distribute ice chips to patients during treatments, though ice chips are a less-than-ideal method of using cryotherapy as they only reach a limited area.
The Chemo Mouthpiece® is a unique oral cryotherapy device for chemo patients designed specifically to combat oral mucositis symptoms. Simply freeze the mouthpiece at home ahead of your treatment, then bring it with you to cool your entire mouth during the infusion, wash and refreeze the devices at home for cooling relief after treatment.
Oral Cryotherapy Device for Helping with Chemo Mouth Sores
When using cryotherapy to prevent mucositis symptoms, go for the most effective method around. The Chemo Mouthpiece cools the entire oral cavity uniformly, from top to bottom and side to side, bringing the cooling power of cryotherapy to your entire mouth. To learn more about how the Chemo Mouthpiece can help you or a loved one who is undergoing chemotherapy, visit us online or call (866) 496-8858 today.