Neck radiotherapy sequelae

If there is a problem in any part of the human body, you should seek medical treatment promptly to avoid worsening of the condition. Although the neck is not a site with a high incidence rate, the occurrence of diseases such as lymph nodes cannot be ruled out. Especially when there is a tumor, chemotherapy treatment is required. However, the side effects of neck radiotherapy are also quite complicated. For example, you may often feel dry mouth, because radiotherapy weakens the function of saliva secretion; it may also become difficult to open your mouth; and some people may suffer from hearing loss.

1. Dry mouth

Human saliva is mainly secreted by the parotid glands, and its function is to keep the mouth moist and help digest food. During neck radiotherapy, the parotid gland will inevitably be irradiated, which will greatly reduce its saliva secretion function. When the parotid gland cells cannot secrete saliva normally, the saliva becomes less and more viscous, and the patient will experience symptoms of dry mouth. This symptom may be difficult to recover from several years after radiotherapy.

2. Tooth decay

The occurrence of dental caries is closely related to the decrease in saliva secretion, because saliva contains a variety of lysozymes that can reduce the reproduction of bacteria in the mouth. When the amount of saliva decreases, this function of inhibiting bacterial reproduction will decrease, leading to an increase in bacteria in the mouth, thereby endangering the health of teeth and oral cavity. Therefore, some patients may develop severe caries and tooth damage several years after neck radiotherapy.

3. Difficulty opening the mouth

Sequelae of neck radiotherapy also include difficulty opening the mouth, which is related to radiation exposure to the temporomandibular joint. Because the temporomandibular joint is located on the face, it is inevitably exposed to high doses of radiation during chemotherapy. Therefore, many patients experience difficulty opening their mouths after neck radiotherapy, which affects their eating and speaking. This phenomenon is not easy to improve and will continue to affect patients for many years.

4. Hearing loss

Hearing loss is also a major sequelae of neck radiotherapy. Because after radiotherapy of the neck, the nasopharynx will also be exposed to a certain amount of radiation, causing congestion and edema of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, and even ulcers. The Eustachian tube in the nasopharynx is connected to the tympanic cavity of the middle ear. When the nasopharyngeal mucosa is swollen, the Eustachian tube becomes narrower, causing the middle ear cavity to be unable to communicate with the outside world, and the transmission of sound waves is blocked, resulting in hearing loss.