Hi,

Thank you for posting in your query.

As you have rightly said, the symptoms that you seem to have point towards Submucous fibrosis which is a long term effect of tobacco chewing.

It is good to know that you have stopped the use of tobacco.

Oral submucous fibrosis is a disease of the oral cavity characterized by inflammation and progressive fibrosis of the submucosal tissues resulting in marked rigidity and an eventual difficulty to open the mouth. Submucous fibrosis is known to have malignant potential.

My suggestion:

1. Continue the good work that you have done of stopping tobacco chewing.
2. Get the following tests done: CBC (complete blood count), Iron profile, Vitamin B12, ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate), CRP (C- reactive protein).
3. Get an oral biopsy done and a histopathological examination of the same to ascertain the stage of the disease.
4. Get yourself evaluated by an oncologist and an ENT specialist who would ascertain the disease stage as well.

You might need medication and most probably surgical intervention to relieve the difficulty in opening your mouth. Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the oral cavity would also be required. Diet XXXXXXX in Iron and Vitamin B12 might be required if your blood results show deficiency.

We need to stop the progress of the disease to malignancy and the best way to do this would be to act fast.

Hope I have answered your query. Please accept my answer in case you do not have further queries.

Regards,

Dr Gowri

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Hi,

Thank you for reverting back.

The stage of submucous fibrosis can only be determined after a physical examination although restricted mouth opening is frequently seen in Stage 2. You would need to consult an ENT specialist for the same.
I would also suggest that you get the tests done only after you've seen an ENT specialist.

I hope I have answered your query

Regards,

Dr Gowri

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