Mucositis
Overview
Mucositis is when your mouth or gut is sore and inflamed. It's a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although mucositis can be painful, it usually gets better a few weeks after finishing cancer treatment.
Symptoms
Mucositis affects the mouth and gut (digestive system).
Treatment
If you have mucositis in your mouth, treatments your care team may offer include: painkillers, which may be tablets, mouthwashes, gels or spraysmouthwashes that clean, numb and protect your mouthsprays or gels to keep your mouth moist (saliva substitutes) If you have mucositis in your gut, the treatments recommended will depend on your symptoms and how severe they are. For example, you may be given medicines to: relax your gut if you have stomach cramps or bloatingease pain and reduce stomach acidstop diarrhoea or reduce soreness inside your bottom (rectum) There’s also a treatment for oral mucositis called low-level laser therapy. A small probe that produces infra-red light is either put inside your mouth or outside your mouth, close to your cheek. The light can help prevent and treat mucositis. The treatment can be given before and during a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Each session lasts 20 to 30 minutes.