Health Tips | American Oral Cancer Foundation

Foods That Should Be Avoided To Ensure Dental Health

These days, people are very concerned about their Dental health. They follow all the tips such as proper brushing, flossing and the likes. But one thing, many people miss out is right food for dental health. There are some foods that are bad for our dental health and therefore these should be avoided in our diet. Let us discuss such foods in detail.

First of all, foods with excessive sugar should be avoided as the primary step to take care of your teeth and your oral health. A lot of people try to check whether a particular product has sugar or not by the sweet taste of that product. Sweetness is not the right way to check the sugar as an ingredient in a particular substance.

There are some products which, though are sweet, but do not contain too much sugar and some product, though are not sweet in taste, but contain a lot of sugar. Thus, the best way to check sugar in a particular product is by checking the list of ingredients on the packing of edible items and not by the taste.

It does not mean that you should not eat sugar; it only means that right quantity of sugar should be taken so that it does not damage our teeth. Many doctors say that taking sweet food is less harmful if a person takes it before, after or during the meal.

Apart from sugar, people should also avoid sticky food since such foods stick in between our teeth and therefore are not good for the oral health. Soft drinks also contain sugar as well as acid; thus, can cause problems in tooth enamel and can even cause toothache as well. Smoking and chewing tobacco can also cause serious damage to oral health and can even lead to oral or mouth cancer.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Health Care Tagged With: Dental public health

Stroke

Stroke is a major disease like Cancer or Heart attack. Stroke is preceded by Mini Stroke in almost all cases, but remained unidentified. This causes stroke and even death in future. Stroke is caused either by insufficient blood supply or by hemorrhage in the brain. A block or a leak causes insufficient blood supply and thus the death of the cells in that region of brain. If it remains unidentified, may even lead to death.

Fat deposition in the major blood vessel supplying brain or a thrombus which is formed in some other part of the body and carried away by blood may cause a block in the blood supply. This is called Cerebral Thrombosis or Ischemic Stroke. A high blood pressure may rapture the walls of the blood vessels. This also will lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain. Brain cells cannot live more than a few seconds without oxygen. Thus that cells dies. Speech, locomotion, memory, everything is controlled by brain cells.

So the death of the brain cells will impair the function associated with it. Intensity of the stroke depends on the type of artery blocked. If the block is in a major artery, it causes major problems. Fast food and lack of exercise are some of the reasons for stroke. The chances for stroke are 2-4 times greater in High blood pressure Patients. Type-2 diabetes patients are not free from the risk of stroke. Some symptoms of stroke are weakness in the limbs, difficulty in talking, sudden decrease in vision, losing balance while walking and headache.

Stroke is usually preceded by mini stroke which includes problems in vision, balance and head ache. But this will vanish after a while.

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Man and Health

When you take the statistics of the number of cancer patients in the past few years, you would find that there has been a substantial increase in it. More people are taking treatment for curing cancer and they have to undergo painful experiences if the illness is very serious. This has led to the speculation that if you continue to lead the same lifestyle there may be more problems for the future generations.

A few decades back cancer was a serious illness; it hardly had any treatment at all. Today, you may have all the facilities and latest technologies which can help you overcome your illness or at least the strength to tolerate it. But the fact remains that while there were no particular treatment for cancer in the early days, the number of patients were less too, nearly negligible.

Today, the unbalanced lifestyle and unhealthy conditions of the atmosphere has led to increase in such diseases such as cancer, and have introduced a bout of other new diseases as well. It makes you wonder whether you are stretching the limits of Mother Nature beyond her capabilities at such a rate that she reciprocates by stressing out your survival ability skills.

By harming the nature you inwardly destroy yourself. There is hardly any place in the world which has not been affected by the cruelty of man by compromising his environment for the development of technologies. This has led to many diseases like can cancer and so on. The diseases that were unheard of yesterday have become common today.

All you can do now is to help to bring the nature on her feet and curb any activity that would affect her. Saving is out of question because the extend of the damage done is boundless, but if you can contribute in your own ways to be compatible with nature then perhaps the world would be a healthier place to live in.

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Better Options than Cigarettes

Keeping your mouth healthy should be a priority for everyone. Oral health is important. With different diseases and cancers affecting the mouth, it is vital that you address the health of your mouth along with the health of your body. Cigarettes are a leading cause of oral health issues. Kicking the bad habit of smoking can be difficult. For some, it is downright impossible. Nicotine is addictive and once people are addicted, quitting can sometimes be out of reach. This is why many people are addressing their nicotine habit with a different approach. Rather than focusing on quitting completely, many people are trying to reduce their nicotine intake. They are trying to wean themselves off cigarettes.

One helpful way to reduce your nicotine intake is with an electronic cigarette. Making the switch to electronic cigarettes instead of regular cigarettes gives you total control over your nicotine intake. Electric cigarettes operate on batteries. Instead of burning tobacco, tar and other harmful additives, you inhale a vaporized form of water and nicotine. With some tasty flavors available, you can enjoy your cigarette in the same way that you enjoy regular cigarettes. The only difference is that you will be having your nicotine in a much healthier way.

“Vaping” on an electronic cigarette makes it possible for you to get your nicotine in places where smoking is banned. There is no worry of second-hand smoke because you inhale the nicotine vapor. There is not bothersome odor and the people around you will appreciate it. If you are trying to keep your oral health at its highest level, consider trading your cigarettes for the electric version. You can still satisfy your nicotine cravings, only you will be doing it in a way that is safer for you and for everyone around you. You can even lower your nicotine level gradually, helping you to stop smoking for good.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Smoking Tagged With: Cigarette, Health, Nicotine

Fatigue

It is natural to feel fatigue after a rigorous physical effort. But fatigue is not so simple if it is not associated with a physical activity. It may be an indicator of some major problems. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is characterized by abnormal fatigue. A continuous fatigue lasting more than 6 months is the primary symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This will affect the personal as well as social life of an individual. It is characterized by forgetfulness, non-energizing sleep, prolonged fatigue, prolonged headache, joint pain, muscular pain and throat pain.

This syndrome is more common in ladies than in gents. It is commonly found among individuals between 25-45 years of age. Causes of fatigue may be infections, imbalances in the immune system, mental depressions and a lazy lifestyle without proper exercise. Fatigue may be associated with some other diseases. Anemia is one of the reasons for fatigue. Anemia is characterized by decreased amount of hemoglobin.

This leads to decreased supply of oxygen in the cells. Lack of Iron in food may cause anemia. Problems with the Pituitary gland and Thyroid gland are also characterized by fatigue. Another reason for fatigue is diabetes. Fatigue is always experienced by heart patients. Heart problems causes decreased blood supply to different parts of the body and the cells may experience a shortage in Oxygen. This will lead to fatigue. Over medication is also a reason for fatigue.

Lack of nutritious food especially deficiency in Iron, Vitamin B12, Folic acid can cause fatigue. Fast food and junk food are rich in fat and poor in nutrients. This causes extra effort for the digestive system and lack of nutrients causes fatigue. Hormone related problems can cause fatigue.

Filed Under: Health Tips Tagged With: Chronic fatigue syndrome

Some Facts About Cancer

Cancer is not an incurable disease. Early diagnosis and treatment can cure cancer completely. There are mainly three types of treatments in cancer. They are Chemotherapy, Radiation and Surgery. Chemotherapy is the treatment using drugs. Either solid tablets or liquid injections are used. Either a single drug or combinations of drugs are used. Chemotherapy is used either to decrease the intensity or to cure cancer. Chemotherapy is done as a number of courses. Powerful medicines are used in this.

So the patient may experience some difficulties. In radiation, cancerous cells are burnt using powerful energy radiations. Surgery is done if the cancer is restricted to a particular part or organ of the body. Usually a combination of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery is used in the treatment, depending upon the type and intensity of the disease. If the patient is in advanced stage of cancer, palliative care is given. A healthy life can prevent cancer up to 35-40 %. Fast foods, processed foods, smoking, alcohol consumption and increased consumption of non vegetarian food can cause cancer.

Exercises are effective in some cases. Breast cancer and prostate cancer are example. A regular exercise up to 30 minutes can prevent these cancers to a greater extent. Cancer is not a single type. There are about 200-250 types of cancer. So, a single vaccination to prevent all types of cancer is not practically possible. But researches are in progress. Recently, a vaccine is developed which can be used against cervical cancer. Others are in experimental stage. Over consumption of non vegetarian food may cause some differences in the DNA structure of the cell and may lead to uncontrolled cell division. This may lead to cancer.

Filed Under: Health Tips Tagged With: Cancer

Avoiding Oral Cancer with Regular Trips to the Dentist

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While most people make an annual trip to the doctor for a health physical, many are avoiding the dentist for various reasons. Regular trips to the dentist are an important part of detecting and then preventing Oral Cancer.

A yearly visit to the dentist is a superb way for this dental-health professional to assess not only the health of your teeth, but also detect any early signs of oral cancer.

It’s no secret that those who use tobacco products increase their chances of developing oral cancer. If you think the only tobacco product that can cause oral cancer is smokeless tobacco or chew (sometimes called snuff), you would be mistaken. Smoking cigarettes also greatly increases the chances of developing oral cancer as the ingestion of the tobacco product is nearly as harmful as chewing tobacco. Electronic cigarettes have become a healthier option for smokers who are concerned about developing this cancer of the mouth.

The most common sign of Oral Cancer would be finding a sore in the mouth. It’s important to pay attention if a sore in your mouth lingers as many people have cold-sores or canker sores especially during the winter months. If you have a sore that persists for more than 10 days, it’s crucial to get to a dentist for early detection.

Oral Cancer is not always detected in the mouth. For some, their first sign of a problem might come in the form of a lump in the neck. The beginnings of oral cancer can just as easily start in the neck as opposed to the mouth.

Other signs of oral cancer can be problems swallowing or a certain loss of feeling sensation in parts of the mouth. For any kind of lumps or loss of feeling or inability to swallow, consult with a physician or a dentist if a problem persist more than a week.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Cancer, Smoking Tagged With: Cancer, Health, Oral Cancer, Tobacco

How to Remain Healthy

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Being healthy is a very tough job in the world today with all the pollution, junk food and desk bound jobs. Gone are the days when people used to be “fit as fiddles”. You can see even the children getting tired and fatigued very easily. Perhaps our ancestors had a much happier life than we are having now with fewer troubles regarding their health.

One of the first steps to having a healthy life is to eat healthy. This feat can be made next to impossible when you think of how dependant you are on the junk food and ready-to-eat dishes which are loaded with chemical preservatives. You should be aware of the fact that you are consuming more oil and fat than the healthy side of a food substance when opting for these two.

Having fresh fruits and vegetables is the way to get some life into your unhealthy body. Try taking them in the form of fruit juices, or salads. Having them raw would give you more energy and benefits than cooked food. Of course, with all the pesticides and insecticides you can hardly trust the food in the markets, but wash them properly and have them. They are definitely better than junk food.

Have work outs or at least move your body in some way or the other so that it can handle long and stressful days. Doing exercise may be too much for you, in that case, try to do small things like taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking to the grocery instead of using the car. Small things go a long way.

Staying fit and healthy is not at all a difficult task. Once you get that thought out of your mind you can be assured that you will be able to live healthily.

Filed Under: Health Tips Tagged With: Food, Health, Juice, Junk food

Studies Show Black Raspberries Slow the Progression of Oral Cancer

Within the last ten years black raspberries have become a big player in slowing the spread of one of the most common and deadliest cancers- oral cancer. During the last decade the incredible impact of black raspberries on oral cancer have become more and more evident as it has been determined that the berry contains a chemical and antioxidant property (ellagic acid) which acts as an anti tumor agent.

Oral cancer is simply cancer of the mouth which includes the throat, tongue, larynx, and anything associated with the oral cavity, it also sometimes affects the face and neck and can sometimes interfere with an individual’s ability to speak, breathe, and swallow.

Recently rats were injected with cancer-causing substances and then fed a diet rich in berries, it was determined that the berry-fed rats had 80 percent few tumors deemed malignant, whereas rats on a diet lacking in berries faired far worse. In 2002 it was discovered in hamsters that the inclusion of black raspberries in a diet aided in the suppression of tumor development in the mouth and surrounding areas.

Advocate for the reduction of cancer risk via a diet of fruits and veggies, Dr. Gary Stoner of Ohio State University believes that if research continues in a positive direction that the black raspberry could legitimately aid in the role of starting to eliminate not just oral cancers but other cancer strains as well.

Currently there is no hard evidence that black raspberries will cure cancer, slow its onset, or prevent it. but ellagic acid is being sold as a supplement boasting health properties based on studies conducted by Hollings Cancer Center Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Minnesota and the Ohio State University (which is responsible for conducting the majority of the research and having the most extensive list of accomplishments.)

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Cancer Tagged With: Cancer, Ohio State University, Oral Cancer

What is the typical treatment for oral cancer?

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Once a doctor has determined the diagnosis and stage of oral cancer in a particular individual it is then important for a plan of treatment to be designed to fit the needs of the specific patient. Oral cancer treatments depend upon a range of factors which include size, type, location, and stage of the disease. The patient’s general health and age is also taken into account by the physician. It is then determined whether or not chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery or a combination of the available treatment methods.

Prior to beginning a treatment the majority of patients are required to have a full dental exam. Cancer treatments typically cause the mouth to become more sensitive, and additionally infected more easily. Doctors typically tell patients to have any needed or required dental work taken care of before the start of treatment as once treatment begins it might be too uncomfortable.

It is important for cancer patients to know a significant amount about their disease and choices for treatment so that an active role can be taken in the decision making process. A patient should always ask any and all questions for their physician. Some patients find that making a list of questions prior to the appointment with their physician will make it easier to remember what needs to be asked, and how the doctor responds.

Making decisions regarding treatment can be difficult, a patient might want to have multiple doctors review the diagnosis and the planned course of action for treatment. There is an extensive amount to learn about an individual’s cancer and treatment options. Getting a second opinion will not cause a significant delay in treatment but will give the patient a sound mind when making such a life altering decision.

There are a variety of options, and patients should keep an open mind regarding things such as clinical trials, which might offer up treatment methods that work, and help that are not readily available to the public.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Oral Cancer Tagged With: Cancer, Health, Oral Cancer