Dental 4 Less, Some of the Risk Factors For Mouth Cancer
What is a “risk factor”, a risk factor is anything that increases that likelihood of developing a disease or condition. Such as, regular smoking increases your risks of developing lung cancer, therefore smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer. The risk factors for mouth cancer include:
* Smoking: Studies indicate that smokers have a risk five times great than a lifetime non-smoker of developing oral cancer.
* Chewing tobacco.
* Both heavy and regular alcohol consumption: Somebody who consumes an average of 30 pints of beer per week has a risk five times greater than a teetotaler or somebody who drinks moderately.
* Heavy smoking combined with heavy drinking: As tobacco and alcohol have a synergistic effect (their combined effect is greater than each one added together separately), people who drink and also smoke a lot have a significantly higher risk of developing oral cancer compared to others. Somebody who smokes 40 cigarettes per day AND consumes an average of 30 pints of beer a week is 38 times more likely to develop oral cancer compared to other people.
* Too much sun exposure on the lips, as well as sunlamps or sunbeds.
* Diet: People who consume lots of red meat, processed meat and fried foods are more likely to develop oral cancer than others.
* GERD(gastro-esophageal reflux disease): People with this digestive condition where acid from the stomach leaks back up through the gullet (esophagus) have a higher risk of oral cancer.
* HPV (human papillomavirus) infection.