“Coaches Corner” – It’s a Pain in the Mouth!

With Pemphigus and Pemphigoid, painful oral lesions frequently occur in the mouth and throat causing difficulty with drinking and eating solid foods. Let’s face it, it can be just painful! Assessing your individual tolerance to foods and adjusting what you are eating will enable you to better understand which foods to eat and which foods to avoid. For many, highly seasoned, acidic, or salty foods are irritating and those foods that are dry, sticky, or abrasive can be difficult to swallow. Extremes in temperatures of liquids or solids such as ice cream or hot chocolate may cause pain for some. In the case of severe mouth sores, use a blender or food processor is accessible.

Here are a few helpful hints to remember:

• Drink liquids through a straw.
• Cook coarse or hard foods, such as vegetables until they are soft and tender.
• Soften or moisten foods by dipping them in gravies or cream sauces.
• Take a swallow of a beverage with solid food.
• Eat small frequent servings rather than a large amount of food at one time.
• Rinse your mouth with water, peroxide, or Biotene during and after eating to help
• Remove food and bacteria and to promote healing.

Having oral lesions can present many challenges including; pain management, oral hygiene, nutritional intake, and your overall health. Speak with your doctor about ways to help relieve the pain and ensure that they are monitoring you blood sugar levels if you are taking systemic steroids. Make sure that you inform your dentist of your condition and require them to use caution when treating you.

If you have difficulty swallowing and find yourself choking on food, see your doctor immediately. Ask to be seen by an ENT so they can help determine the extent of your disease activity. The mouth is often one of the most difficult areas to treat and requires diligence. Changing your behavior and habits can be the biggest “pain” but will eventually pay off. If you need help, encouragement, or suggestions…just “Ask a Coach“!

When you need us, we are in your corner!

Marc Yale – Peer Health Coach