Chemo tongue is real. There are actually different levels of chemo tongue, whether it refers to the metallic taste in the mouth after receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments, or to oral mucositis, or ulcerative oral mucositis, itself.
Ulcerative oral mucositis is when mouth sores and mouth ulcers are present, often giving the tongue a white coating. It has been nicknamed “chemo tongue” as it is the chemotherapy and radiation treatment that causes it to occur. Whereas the metallic taste is in fact a taste disorder known as dysgeusia. Dysgeusia is defined as an impaired or abnormal sense of taste, described as a persistent and consistent metallic, bitter, sour, or bad taste in the mouth.
Chemo White Tongue and Cancer-Related Mouth Sores
Unfortunately, approximately 40 percent of people undergoing regular cancer therapy will suffer from oral mucositis. While other studies have revealed that up to 75 percent of people who undertake high-dose chemotherapy may get a chemo tongue coating. And up to 90 percent of people who undertake both radiation treatments and chemotherapy treatments may get chemo tongue.
Those are some pretty high percentages. Mouth sores can make it difficult to eat or drink and can last anywhere from 7 to 98 days. The symptoms include pain, burning, swelling, bleeding, sore throat, and difficulty talking, eating, chewing, and swallowing.
Who is More at Risk of Getting Mouth Sores?
The Oral Cancer Foundation highlights that if you’re receiving treatment for cancer, you may have a higher risk of oral mucositis if you:
- Drink alcohol
- Smoke or chew tobacco
- Are dehydrated
- Have poor dental health
- Have poor nutrition
- Have diabetes
- Have HIV
- Have kidney disease
- Are female (oral mucositis is more common in women than in men)
While children and younger adults are actually more likely to get oral mucositis, they might also heal a lot faster than adults who suffer from it due to the fact that younger people’s cells shed and regrow faster.
How to Prevent Mouth Sores
As mouth sores are so common in cancer patients who receive chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments, preventing mouth sores should be top of mind. While quitting smoking, stopping alcohol consumption, and taking care of your teeth surely lowers your risk of mouth sores, another research-backed, doctor-approved way to mitigate the risk of mouth sores is by eating lots of fruits and vegetables. The Mayo Clinic says, “Choose a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. You’ll need the vitamins and nutrients they provide to help your body fight infections during treatment.” Organic, raw foods are full of the best bio-available vitamins, minerals, and nutrients out there are exactly what our EatToHeal food bars are made of.
Chemo Tongue: the Metallic Taste
A metallic taste in the mouth is actually a very common side-effect of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. This means that no matter what foods are consumed, everything states unpleasant. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “In many cases, people report enjoying foods they typically dislike and hating foods they normally love.” A strawberry tastes like metal and so does potato soup. When everything tastes unappetizing, this often leads to a loss of appetite. For those who are undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments, a healthy diet is of the utmost importance. A nourished body with nutrient-dense food supports our immune system and the process of healing.
Combatting Chemo Mouth
We carefully crafted our EatToHeal food bars with the ingredients your body needs the most and we put them all in one place for you— a single REAL food bar! As our founder, Jaime Fontaine Nappi, lost her mother to stage IV ovarian cancer, she saw firsthand how chemotherapy impacted food flavor. She knows how difficult to cook for someone who undergoes cancer treatment, and there’s a lot of trial and error. Jaime knew she wanted to bring flavor back to food and help her mother in any way possible. She created these food bars for cancer patients, with chemo tongue in mind. That’s also why our bars have texture. Some chemo patients aren’t able to taste at all, so at least they can feel the texture.
If you or a loved one is suffering from chemo mouth, whether mouth sores or metallic taste, one of the reasons why EatToHeal Real Food Bars* were created was to help chemo tongue sufferers to enjoy the texture of their food again. With only organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free, all-natural ingredients sourced from the earth, these food bars will nourish your body and heal from within. That’s why our name is EatToHeal. It would be a true honor and privilege to be a part of your healing journey.
*Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.
