Breast Cancer
 
Managing Mouth Sores  

Is there anything I can do to help with the mouth sores from chemotherapy?

Yes. There are a several things you can do to help alleviate the discomfort of mouth sores (called mucositis), including:

  • Staying hydrated will help. Drink a lot of fluids.


  • Try sucking on ice chips to keep your mouth moist.


  • Many patients find that chewing sugarless gum or sucking on hard candy can help.


  • Try eating moist foods instead of dry, scratchy foods. Moistening dry foods before chewing them may be helpful.


  • Avoid very acidic foods, like tomatoes, oranges, and grapefruits, which that can exacerbate the sores. Try eating gentler foods like apricots, pears, beans, squash or peas.


  • Avoid very salty and spicy foods.


  • Rinse your mouth every 3 to 4 hours with a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon baking soda or salt and
    8 ounces of water.


  • Rinse with alcohol-free mouthwash, like Biotene, every 2 hours. You might want to try a chamomile mouthwash, which has a soothing effect on the mouth’s mucous membranes.


  • Keeping your lips moist with a nurturing balm can also help.


  • Use a soft toothbrush. If that is too painful, use cotton swabs to brush your teeth.



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