First, the true face
of oral cancer
Oral cancer is a general term for malignant tumors occurring in the oral cavity. Most of them belong to squamous cell carcinoma, which is the variation of oral mucosa. Although its etiology is not yet clear, current studies have found that it may be related to a variety of factors.
Long-term addiction to tobacco and alcohol is one of the important risk factors. According to statistics, smoking and drinking are considered to be one of the main culprits of oral cancer. Alcohol, as an organic solvent, can promote the dissolution and absorption of carcinogens in tobacco. The incidence of oral cancer in people with bad habits of smoking and drinking is significantly higher than that in people without these bad habits.
Poor
oral hygiene also increases the morbidity risk of oral cancer. Without attention to oral hygiene, food residues will be conducive to the growth of bacteria and fungi, resulting in harmful substances such as nitrosamines. For example, when oral hygiene is poor, the chance of oral cancer may be about 20% higher.
Long-term
foreign body irritation is also a factor. Sharp cusps, supplementary wisdom teeth and bad restorations stimulate oral mucosa for a long time, which can easily lead to oral cancer.
Malnutrition may also be related to the occurrence of oral cancer. Nutritional absorption disorders caused by long-term alcoholism or the lack of vitamins and some trace elements in the diet are also considered to be related to the occurrence of oral cancer. For example, vitamin A deficiency can lead to hyperkeratosis of oral mucosal epithelium and increase the risk of morbidity of oral cancer.
In a word, the occurrence of oral cancer is the result of many factors, and we should pay attention to these potential risk factors and do a good job of prevention.
Two, betel nut and tobacco are harmful
.
I just talked about the basic concept of oral cancer, so how much do you know about betel nut? Many friends will say that betel nut is a kind of food, a kind of medicine. But what they don’t know is that the World Health Organization has classified betel nut as a “class I carcinogen”.
(1) Damage
to teeth and digestive system
Often chewing betel nut will wear teeth, make teeth red, black, according to statistics, long-term chewing betel nut people, the proportion of tooth discoloration as high as 80%, and even cause tooth loss. Smoking can also cause yellowing and blackening of teeth, and betel nut plus smoking can cause double damage to teeth. At the same time, regular chewing of betel nut can cause damage to the taste nerve and saliva secretion. Studies have shown that people who chew betel nut for a long time may have a 30% decrease in taste sensitivity. Moreover, betel nut can irritate the stomach wall and even cause inflammation of the gastric mucosa. Smoking can promote gastric acid secretion and induce ulcers. Under the combined action of the two, the harm to the digestive system is more serious.
(2) High
carcinogenic risk
Often chewing betel nut may lead to gum degeneration, oral ulcers, and even oral cancer. Smoking is also one of the carcinogenic factors. Areca nut contains a large amount of arecoline and alkaloids, both of which have cytotoxicity. When areca nut enters the oral cavity, the oral mucosa reacts with the alkaloids contained in areca nut, causing fibrous lesions under the oral mucosa. In the long run, it will develop into oral cancer. Cigarettes usually contain more than 4000 harmful substances and carcinogens, such as nicotine, carbon monoxide, tar, acetone, arsenic, formaldehyde and ammonia, which can induce related malignant tumors, such as lung cancer, oral cancer, throat cancer and esophageal cancer. Adding smoke to betel nut can significantly increase the content of toxic substances in saliva, harm cell DNA synthesis and other processes, damage the mouth, respiratory tract, throat, lungs and esophagus, and greatly increase the risk of oral cancer. At the same time, betel nut and tobacco are class 1 carcinogens, which are related to oral cancer, lung cancer and other cancers.
(3) Betel nut plus tobacco has a certain
addiction.
Betel nut contains arecoline and arecoline, and ephedrine is produced in the process of processing, and nicotine is produced in smoking. All three will make people feel excited and happy, and over time they will become addictive. Social factors are also one of the reasons why it is difficult to completely disconnect betel nut. Nowadays, betel nut is popular among many young people, just like some of my classmates.
3. Take Action
to Prevent Oral Cancer
So, what should we do in the face of these situations?
For primary prevention, we must say no to betel nut. Reduce smoking and drinking as much as possible, and try to quit smoking and drinking. Eat less spicy and stimulating food, less pickled food, and more vegetables and fruits with high vitamins.
Secondary prevention is mainly aimed at regular oral screening of high-risk groups, striving for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.
I hope that through this narration, we can realize the harmfulness of betel nut, so as to improve our habits and have a healthy life forever. Over the past 30 years, more and more people suffer from oral cancer. Most people do not know that betel nut can cause oral cancer. In recent years, there have been more and more bans on betel nut. It can be said responsibly that betel nut can not be called “food” now.
Betel nut plus smoke is harmful. Refuse betel nut, start from you and me.
Oral cancer
