Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Mouth cancer can affect 650, 000 people worldwide according to the Mouth Cancer Foundation and according to Eva Grazel, a survivor of oral cancer and motivational speaker, oral cancer kills one American every hour of every day.

Marg happened to run into @evagrayzel after a conference in AZ a few years back and she would tell you that she felt like she met a celebrity. Eva is full of life!

Be aware of these potential early warning signs:

• A sore on the lip or in the mouth that doesn’t heal.
• Pain in the mouth that doesn’t go away.
• A lump or thickening in the lips, mouth, or cheek.
• A white or red patch on the gums, tongue, tonsil, or lining of the mouth.
• A sore throat or a feeling that something is caught in your throat that doesn’t go away
• Trouble chewing or swallowing.
• Trouble moving the jaw or tongue.
• Numbness of the tongue, lip, or other area of the mouth
• Swelling or pain in the jaw
• Dentures that start to fit poorly or become uncomfortable.
• Loosening of the teeth or pain around the teeth
• Voice changes
• A lump or mass in the neck or back of the throat
• Weight loss
• Pain in the ear

Many of these signs and symptoms can also be caused by diseases other than cancer, or even by other cancers. Still, it’s very important to see a doctor or dentist if any of these conditions last more than 2 weeks so that the cause can be found and treated, if needed.