Mouth Pain
Dec 09
Relieving pain
- Try topical medications for pain. Rinse the mouth before applying the medication onto the gums or lining of the mouth. Wipe mouth and teeth gently with wet gauze dipped in saltwater to remove particles.
- Painkillers may provide relief when topical medications do not. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS, aspirin -type painkillers) should not be used by patients receiving chemotherapy because these patients have a bleeding risk.
- Capsaicin, the active ingredient in hot peppers, may be used to increase a person’s ability to tolerate pain. When capsaicin is put on inflamed tissues in the mouth, mucositis pain may decrease as the burning feeling from the capsaicin decreases. The side effects of capsaicin are not known.
- Zinc supplements taken during radiation therapy may help treat mucositis as well as dermatitis (inflammation of the skin).