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  • Essay / Leukemia: impact of systemic diseases on oral health

    There are many systemic diseases that can affect the body in different ways. Diseases like leukemia affect the body during treatment. There are many symptoms indicating how radiation therapy affects the body and oral cavity. In addition, there are ways to maintain the health of the body and the oral cavity. “Each year, in the United States alone, nearly 32,000 adults and more than 2,000 children develop leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells.” Acute and chronic leukemia are both types of disease. Acute leukemia progresses much more quickly, chronic leukemia progresses gradually and the immune system is damaged more slowly. (Pano 36). Leukemia is one of many systemic diseases. Each illness affects the body differently. Leukemia affects the immune system, which affects the body by "feeling extremely ill, complaining of recurrent infections, bleeding, bruising, bone tenderness, fever, chills, sweats, weakness, fatigue, headaches or swelling of the neck or armpits. Otherwise, an individual may have no indication and the disease may be discovered accidentally during a follow-up blood test. When detection of acute leukemia usually results in immediate hospitalization, patients should be treated in medical facilities. Acute leukemia is treated with chemotherapy, which includes two stages: an initiation stage, in which an individual is forcibly treated with a mixture of powerful drugs to kill leukemia cells entirely, and a consolidation stage, using similar or different medications, and begins. once the disease has gone into remission (Mayfield 1), the normal action against leukemia includes radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which destroy the heart of the paper sores. Additionally, pain relievers might be used to relieve the discomfort caused by mouth sores. To combat xerostomia, drinking water and sugar-free drinks can help, or even “sucking on pieces of ice”. To also relieve dry mouth, the patient's doctor may prescribe other medications or gels. In conclusion, before continuing treatment, the patient should discuss their oral health and the problems that may arise from it (“Dental” 1) with their doctor. All illnesses affect the body and mouth differently. Leukemia, for example, can be treated with chemotherapy or blood and bone marrow transplants. Depending on the degree of chronicity of the disease, these treatments can cause problems in the oral cavity. However, there are ways to prevent or alleviate these complications. If the patient has other problems or questions, it would be recommended to speak to their doctor..