Tag: Self-Care

The Invisible Tobacco – Case 2

Similar case of lesions without the use of tobacco was observed in a 52 year old lady. She had a mixed red and white lesion on right buccal mucosa and alveolar ridge, which was found to be malignant on investigation.

She belonged to a well to do family. Both her husband and son were ayurvedic specialists. She refused any form of tobacco use, at least not that she was aware of.

For the last 23 years following her marriage she had been using a special form of toothpaste which initially (as per her version) gave her dizziness, but later she felt good after using the tooth paste and could not brush her teeth without it every day. She loved to brush her teeth twice a day with the same paste and sometimes just applied the same in her oral cavity.

She was not aware what it contained but was definitely liking it. But now, it has caused her lesions and pre-cancerous changes are becoming prominently visible in other parts of her mouth. She will now have to undergo a major surgery where in her cheek as well as the lower jaw will have to be resected along with the lymph nodes of the neck.

This is yet another case of a tooth paste causing lesions and pre-cancerous changes. This case hints that we must understand what changes a product is causing in our body and mind. Anything unusual should be realized and stopped with immediate effect to prevent further damage to us. Any changes in the body should also be realized and screened to identify it and get it treated at the earliest so that it does not take any severe form later.

It is recommended that you screen your mouth every month to recognize any changes and get it screened immediately. Self-Care will ensure timely detection and treatment of the disease occurring in your body. Let’s try to adopt preventive care.

The Invisible Tobacco – Case 1

A 57 year old lady , with a good socio-economic background, had visited me for an ulcer on her lower lip around 3 months back, and it was increasing at a rapid pace.

Cancer on the Lower Lip of the Patient

She had consulted many hospitals, who confirmed the lesion to be a lip cancer. She did not use any form of tobacco yet she had developed lip cancer. What could be the cause?

None of the hospitals, which she had visited earlier for investigation of her ulcer, were able to diagnose the causative agent. Over and above she affirmed that she was not a tobacco user. Her oral cavity was not healthy and definitely some thing was missing. It did not also look that she was telling a lie, and it also seemed that she wouldn’t use tobacco knowingly.

White Plaque like Lesion on the Right Buccal Mucosa
White precancerous lesion in the lower labial vestibule plus tobacco stains on teeth
Some reversible changes in the left buccal mucosa

So we went ahead to ask her of her habit and any special toothpaste or gargle she would use. It was then that we came to know that since childhood all her family members including herself were using a special toothpaste. She also said that she feels good after using the toothpaste.

This toothpaste was the causative agent of lip cancer in her lower lips. She was shocked to know the real cause of her cancer. This was her invisible tobacco that made her feel refreshed and good after using it. It is therefore important to realize the effects of products we are using in everyday life. We need to be alert about the unusual pleasantness or any other change that is happening in the body with a product because it might be a reason for cancer.

How Can I Self-Quit Smoking/Chewing Successfully?

In one of my blogs earlier, I had described how to quit smoking by self; based on the experience and tried method of a friend. This method to self-quit had helped many individuals in Raj’s (my friend) circle to quit without fail. However, it is a time taking process and will require tenacious dedication from you for at least 6 months to see the results. Besides, not everyone would be able to get the same results as Raj had.

Therefore in this blog, I shall introduce to you a wonderful book that will make your quitting easy and simple. It enumerates ABC of quitting both effectively and successfully. The book is titled “Win Over Tobacco Made Easy” authored by Dr. Pawan Gupta, a renowned oncologist, author and social activist with 25+ years of experience and more than 7000 successful surgeries to his name.

Studies have demonstrated that hardly 7% people across the globe have successfully quit by self. In India, the relapse rate is extremely high. Those who have tried to quit have relapsed in the second month of their quitting! Often I hear tobacco users saying that “I have a strong will power and I can quit any time I want.” But if their willpower is really that strong, then why aren’t they able to quit? Why the relapse rate is so high and quit rate so low?

The answer is very simple. Neither do the majority of tobacco users have strong willpower nor does the internet give them the right knowledge to quit by self. Instead of trying and testing multiple methods of quitting and failing every time, it is better to access the right resource and knowledge on quitting effectively. That’s why I recommend this book by Dr. Gupta who has made quitting simpler and manageable.

This book is available in 2 languages – English and Hindi and over a million copies have been sold already to help many tobacco users quit efficiently. Why not then grab your copy today and make life healthier? This book is available on https://www.icancare.org/book-win-over-tobacco-made-easy-60. Order today either for yourself or for your friend/relative/spouse who wants to self-quit or has failed in quitting multiple times (and still unwilling to seek professional help) but is positive about quitting.

I’m sure this book will enlighten you about the steps you must follow while quitting, the do’s and don’ts, what are withdrawal symptoms and how to manage them, how to design a plan of action in quitting, assessing self-health and most importantly it will help you to audit and monitor your own progress of quitting. This will enable you to understand what is going good for you, what is affecting you and how to improvise your action plan to make quitting successful.

In a nutshell this book will tell you “How to Quit” your habit of tobacco. Grab your copy without any delay and add atleast 13 more years of life to yourself by quitting a disease!