What are the dangers of nasopharyngeal cancer

There are many symptoms of nasal diseases. Once the symptoms are found, you should go for examination and treatment immediately to avoid some minor inflammations. Continuous occurrence will cause more serious sequelae. Nasopharyngeal cancer is one of the most common ones. If nasopharyngeal cancer continues to occur, patients will have difficulty opening their mouths. So, what are the hazards of nasopharyngeal cancer?

1. Dry mouth and tooth decay.

During radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the parotid glands are often damaged. 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. They have difficulty swallowing rice. Saliva contains various lysozymes. Reduced secretion leads to the proliferation of oral bacteria. Some patients develop severe caries and tooth damage several years after radiotherapy. The main preventive measures include paying attention to oral hygiene, rinsing your mouth frequently after meals, brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, and repairing or removing bad teeth in the mouth before radiotherapy.

2. Difficulty opening the mouth.

The incidence of difficulty opening the mouth after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma is 5 to 10 percent; this is related to the high dose of radiation to the temporomandibular joint. Some patients have severe mouth opening restrictions, which affects eating and speaking. Necessary mouth opening exercises during and after radiotherapy can reduce the incidence, such as holding a cork in the mouth, opening and closing mouth exercises, etc.

3. Hearing loss and deafness.

Eight percent of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma 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 radiotherapy dose.

4. Sclerosis of cervical fibers.

Several years after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, some patients may develop fibrosis of the neck muscles and skin, manifested as neck muscle atrophy, neck thinning, and thin skin. Active neck rotation exercises may reduce its severity.

5. Damage to the central nervous system.

After radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the temporal lobe tissue on both sides is exposed to high doses of radiation and causes 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.

Warm reminder: when patients develop sequelae of nasopharyngeal cancer for some reason, they should first adjust their mentality and communicate well with their families, and be admitted to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid the continued occurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer, which will cause very serious eating difficulties and threaten the patient's life.