What are the complications of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Common sequelae of nasopharyngeal carcinoma include dry mouth, hearing loss, tooth decay, difficulty opening the mouth, cervical fibrosclerosis, etc. Generally speaking, the above symptoms are relatively mild and will not significantly affect life and work, which is inevitable in radical treatment of tumors.

Dry mouth and tooth decay: The parotid glands are located deep in the cheeks on both sides. They are inevitably exposed to high doses of radiation during conventional radiotherapy, which greatly reduces their ability to secrete saliva. Even after several years of radiotherapy, it is still difficult to recover. Many patients experience dry mouth and have to drink water every few minutes. It is difficult to swallow rice. Saliva contains various lysozymes. Reduced secretion leads to the proliferation of oral bacteria. Some patients develop severe tooth decay and tooth damage several years after radiotherapy. After discharge, you can boil some thirst-quenching Chinese medicine to drink, or chew saliva alcohol to relieve dry mouth. If dry mouth is not effectively cured, the acid produced by dry mouth will corrode the teeth and cause broken teeth to fall out within two or three years. Prevention measures include paying attention to oral hygiene, drinking more water (ginseng tea, thirst-quenching Chinese medicine, saliva alcohol), rinsing your mouth after meals, brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, and repairing or removing bad teeth in the mouth before radiotherapy.

Difficulty in opening the mouth: The incidence of difficulty in opening the mouth is 5% to 10%, which is related to the high dose of radiation to the temporomandibular joint. Some patients have severe limitations in opening their mouths, which affects eating and speaking. Necessary mouth opening exercises during and after radiotherapy can reduce the incidence. Mouth opening exercises should be carried out every day within two to three years after discharge, such as holding a cork in the mouth, opening a tube, and opening and closing mouth exercises.

Hearing loss and deafness: Eight percent of patients have significant hearing loss after radiotherapy, and three percent of patients have bilateral deafness, which is related to the high dose of radiation received by the middle ear and inner ear. There is currently no effective preventive measure except reducing the radiation dose.

Neck fibrosclerosis: Several years after radiotherapy, some patients may develop fibrosis of the neck muscles and skin, which manifests as neck muscle atrophy, neck thinning, and thin skin. Active neck rotation exercises may reduce its severity.

Central nervous system damage: The temporal lobe tissue on both sides is exposed to high-dose radiation and then suffers from radiation-induced brain damage. The main symptoms are memory loss, personality changes, headaches, etc. The general treatment includes high-dose hormone shock therapy, VitminB12, Mecobalamin and other nerve-nourishing drugs.

Once again, I suggest that you do some self-examinations frequently and touch your neck frequently. Normally, the cervical lymph nodes cannot be touched. If you can touch the lymph nodes, it means that the lymph nodes are swollen. In addition, patients who often have inflammatory diseases of the ear, nose and throat should go to a regular hospital for treatment in a timely manner, because chronic inflammatory stimulation may also increase the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer.