Chemotherapy and radiation in some areas of the body can cause sores in the mouth and throat becuase these areas can become dry and irritated or they may bleed.

Mouth sores should be treated aggressively for the following reasons: Mouth sores can be painful. Mouth sores can become infected by the many germs that normally live in your mouth. Infections can be hard to fight during treatment and can lead to serious problems. It's important to take every possible step to prevent infection. (For other steps to help avoid infection, click here.) Mouth sores can cause difficulty in eating which, in turn, can affect nutrition. 

There are a variety of methods for treating mouth sores. One of the practical tips for dealing with mouth sores is to eat foods and drink liquids that are easy to swallow. For practical tips about dealing with mouth sores, click here. For information about food and liquids to avoid as well as those that are easly to swallow, click here.

If pain is not relieved with topical products, there is no need to "suffer through it."  Speak with your doctor about stronger medications. For instance, while the thought may not be pleasant, an altermative is treatment with narcotics in hospital. Studies show that patients who use narcotics to treat very real pain do not generally become addicted.

NOTE:

• If you have difficulty swallowing, click here
• If you have dry mouth, click here.
• To learn how to keep your mouth, throat and gums healthy to prevent future problems, click here.

THE FOLLOWING TIPS WERE COMPILED BY EDEN STOTSKY-HIMELFARB, BSN, RN

Pain can be a significant problem.  We divide the discussion into tips for when you have a mild case of pain and when you have a more painful situation.

Tips to consider if you have a mild case of pain:  

• Continue brushing with a soft bristle toothbrush after every meal. If you find it too painful to brush, ask your doctor or nurse what you may use.
• Rinse your mouth often with a solution of one teaspoon baking powder and one teaspoon salt, diluted in a glass of lukewarm water. Don't use commercial mouthwashes containing alcohol.        
• Eat foods cold or at room temperature. Hot and warm foods can irritate a tender mouth and throat.
• Choose soft, soothing foods, such as ice cream or milkshakes.
• Try easy to eat foods such as baby food, pureed or minced food, soft fruits (like bananas and applesauce), mashed potatoes, cooked cereals, soft-boiled or scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, macaroni and cheese, custards, puddings, and gelatin. (You also can puree cooked foods in the blender to make them smoother and easier to eat.) For additional foods that are easy to swallow, see the next section.
• Avoid:
  • Irritating, acidic foods, such as tomatoes, citrus fruit, and fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, and lemon) 
  • Spicy or salty foods
  • Rough, coarse, or dry foods such as raw vegetables, granola, and toast.
  • Mouthwashes that contain salt or alcohol.
• If there is pain, the following remedies help relieve the pain. They do not cure the difficulty. 
  • Consider using a topical product to relieve pain.
  • Ice pops, water ice or ice chips may help numb the area. 
  • Dab milk of magnesia  on sores to temporarily soothe their pain. Experts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest first dabbing the sore witha mixture of half water and half hydrogenperoxide, then dabbing on the milk of magnesia. 
  • Milk of magnesia can be mixed with an equal amount of liquid Benadryl to make a mouth rinse to help coat tissues and relieve pain.

Tips to consider if you have more than a mild case of pain

Ask your doctor if there is anything you can apply directly to the sores and if he or she can prescribe medicine you can take to ease the pain. Topical pain relievers (medicines that relieve pain in a particular area instead of the entire body) include lidocaine, benzocaine, dyclonine hydrochloride (HCI) and Ulcerease. Issues to consider when considering topical agents are:

• Topical agents do not effectively coat all areas 
• Pain relief is brief

If you do not obtain relief from mouth sores with topical treatments, narcotic analgesia is often necessary. This may require admission to a hospital for intravenous (IV) pain medications until the sores begin to heal, particularly if you are unable to swallow. It is important to note that this side effect is temporary and the use of narcotics for the relief of this pain will be temporary as well (and will not cause addiction). 

Foods to avoid

Avoid foods that are spicy, acidic or scratchy.  For instance, avoid citrus such as oranges, grapefruit or lemon, tomatoes, cereal pickles, crackers, and toast.

Food and drinks that are easy to swallow:

According to the National Cancer Institute, the following may help if you have sores in your mouth or trouble swallowing: