Sore Mouth and Throat

A sore mouth and throat can be a problem for some people in cancer treatment. Talk to your doctor or nurse about ways to better manage a sore mouth or throat. There are medications to manage mouth pain and aid with healing. Also focus on eating enough to keep your weight up during treatment. This will help you feel better and heal faster.

Nutrition Tips for Sore Mouth and Throat

• A sore mouth can increase risk of cavities and other mouth infections. Make sure you have regular dental care before, during, and after your treatment for cancer. Your health care team can help you get the dental care you need.
• Keep your mouth clean by rinsing after each meal and snack. Brush your teeth according to the directions given by your doctor or nurse. Do not skip mouth care, because this may increase you risk for more serious mouth infections.
• Eat more soft & liquid foods, such as Smoothies, Shakes, Warm Soup  (cook thoroughly, but do not serve hot), thin cooked cereals like oatmeal made with plenty of water or milk, yogurt, pudding, mashed potatoes, pasta, casseroles, and canned fruit.
• Try our recipe for Mouth Pain Relief Taffy.
• If helpful, use a straw to drink liquid to bypass mouth sores.
• When eating, take small bites and chew food completely.
• Eat soft, moist foods that are cool or room temperature. Try canned fruit, yogurt or pudding.
• Soften food with milk.
• Use a blender to mash or blend fruits & vegetables.
• Add broth, sauces, gravy, or soup to soften and moisten foods.
• Use yogurt, juice, or jelly to make foods go down a sore throat easier.
• Sip warm, caffeine-free tea.
• Instead of butter or margarine, try using a little olive oil or canola oil to make foods slippery and easier to swallow.
• Try sucking on frozen fruit. Frozen grapes, wedges of cantaloupe, peach slices, and watermelon work well.
• Suck on ice chips. Do NOT chew ice - this can damage your teeth.
• Try fruit that contains a lot of water such as watermelon, peaches, and nectarines. Avoid fruit that contains little seeds, such as berries. These small seeds can be irritating to the mouth.
• If you are having trouble swallowing because of mouth dryness, ask your pharmacist about gums, saliva substitutes, mouth moisturizers and other products made especially for a dry mouth. Examples of these products include saliva stimulators such as Salagen® (pilocarpine hydrochloride); saliva replacers such as Xero-Lube®, Salivart®, Mouth Kote®, Moi-Stir®, Orex®, Salix, Optimoist®, Sage Moist Plus® spray, and Gelclair®; and mouth moisturizers such as Oral Balance® and Sage Mouth Moisturizer®.

Avoid the following:

• Foods and drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee, soda, colas, and chocolate.
• Alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, and mixed drinks.
• Dry foods including tough meats, raw vegetables, breads, pretzels, rice, chips, muffins, and cakes.
• Commercial mouthwashes. These contain alcohol which will dry the mouth out and increase pain.
• Tobacco, including cigarettes, pipes, and chewing tobacco. These are very irritating to the mouth.
• Irritating or acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits & juices (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime), and spicy or salty foods.

Call Your Medical Care Team If...

• You notice white patches in your mouth. This may be an infection that requires medication.
• You have mouth sores that are preventing you from eating or that won't heal.
• Your lips are dry, cracked, or bleeding.
• You have lost more than 2-3 lbs in a week due to mouth sores that prevent you from eating.
• You feel like your pain medication is not working well.
• You have a fever.