The 60-second life saving hack you need to lay your eyes on

Are you aware of the fact that every day, almost 31 people in the UK are diagnosed with head and neck cancer? Mouth cancer cases are already soaring high in the UK and it has more patients as compared to those of testicular and cervical cancers.

The Head and Neck Cancer foundation (HNCF) is a charity that spreads awareness and educates people regarding neck, head and oral cancer. The organisation tries its best to avoid people from undergoing surgery. They conduct mouth checks very often, as early diagnosis leads to a greater scope of increasing survival rates.

Michelle Vickers, HNCF CEO, has highlighted few tips to do self mouth check at home. The 60-second long check is described as follows

● Check your face out in the mirror: Look for swellings on any parts of your face. Look out for moles on your skin which are increasing in size, itching or bleeding. Remember to turn your head from side to side, in order to stretch your skin over the muscles so that lumps can be easier to be noticed.
● Try to feel your neck: Run your fingers under your jaw and try to feel the larger muscle located on both side of your neck using your finger. Check for lumps and swollen areas on both sides of the neck and check if both sides feel the same.
● Pucker up: Consume the time of brushing your teeth to inspect your lips. Run your tongue through the inner part of the lips and along the gum line. Any lumps, bumps, changes in texture or ulcers that have been hanging around need to be inspected by a medical expert.
● Feel your cheeks: Your cheeks should feel the same way on both sides. Try to check the inside and outside of your cheeks using your fingers. Try to search for red or white patches, ulcers, lumps or tenderness.
● Tilt your head: Try to look at the roof of your mouth. Open your mouth wide in front of the mirror and tilt your head back. Look out for ulcers and changes in colour and texture. Do this every week to easily spot changes inside your mouth.