The mucus after radiation usually stops after 6 weeks to 8 weeks depending on how long your radiation treatment was.
The mucus after radiation can be caused by radiation therapy and even chemotherapy and will heal itself and go away if you have not infection.
To treat dry mouth after radiation you should rinse your mouth out every 2 hours using some water or a bland mouth rinse.
You can use a baking soda, salt water or saline mouth rinse to help treat dry mouth during radiation therapy.
Also be sure to drink plenty of water as well.
The amount of water you should drink after radiation is 8 cups to 12 cups of water a day.
If you drink some tea or coffee you should limit the amount of coffee or tea to 1 to 2 cups or glasses a day.
Getting saliva back after radiation takes between 4 weeks to 8 weeks after finishing the radiation treatment.
When you get the saliva back after radiation it can be thick and taste unpleasant at first and you will often have dry mouth which in rare cases can be permanent.
Thick saliva after radiation tends to last for 2 months to 6 months but in some cases the thick saliva can last as long as 5 years and sometimes longer.
The thick saliva can begin during the first couple of weeks of radiation.
The mouthwash that is good after radiotherapy and radiation is BetaCell Oral Rinse and Biotene PBF Oral Rinse.
After radiotherapy and radiation you want to use a mouthwash with no sugar or alcohol which the above mouthwashes do not contain.
After radiation treatment you should not use any creams, powders, perfumes, body oils, ointments, lotions, deodorants or home remedies in the treatment areas.
You should also avoid or limit red meat, processed foods, alcohol and sugar and instead eat a plant based diet to promote better and long term health and wellness and to maintain a healthy weight.
The amount of weight you lose during radiation is around 10 percent of your weight that you had before the radiation.
Weight loss can also have serious consequences for the well being and health of people being treated with radiation for neck cancer and head cancer.
The two most common side effects of radiation are skin changes and feeling tired or fatigue.
Other early side effects that are common after radiation include hair loss and dry mouth.
The length of time it takes to feel normal after radiation is around 2 months although some people feel normal or better within a few weeks.
Some side effects after radiation can continue after treatment is over as it takes time for the healthy cells in the body to recover from the radiation therapy effects.
And late side effects of radiation can occur months or even years after radiation treatment.
Most people do fully recover from radiation within a few months or so after the radiation treatment is over.
Although some people have side effects that do not improve after radiation and other side effects of radiation may show up months or even years after the radiation therapy is over and are called late effects.
Radiation can weaken your immune system forever although most cases of radiation therapy only weaken the immune system temporarily.
For most people that undergo radiation therapy will have minimal affects from the radiation therapy.
Radiation therapy involves giving the person high doses of radiation beams directly into the tumor.
The radiation beam of radiation therapy changes the DNA makeup of the tumor and causes it to either shrink or die.
Radiation therapy does have fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
After radiation, your immune system can stay suppressed for several months.
While newer research has been illuminating, much remains to be learned about the specific immune-system effects of cancer treatments.
Healthy cells that are damaged during radiation treatment usually recover within a few months after treatment is over.
But sometimes people may have side effects that do not improve.
Other side effects may show up months or years after radiation therapy is over.
These are called late effects.
After radiation therapy your skin might feel different to touch and your hair might grow back a different color or texture in the treatment area, you might have permanent hair loss within the treated area and you might develop red spidery marks on your skin (telangiectasia) caused by small broken blood vessels.
Some ways you can rebuild your immune system after radiation therapy include.
Eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
Eliminating tobacco and avoiding alcohol.
Limiting stress.
Exercising regularly.
Sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night.
Doctors do not generally give radiation therapy twice due to severe adverse effects.
Receiving radiotherapy twice in certain areas of your body, such as the head and neck region, can lead to severe health complications, including internal hemorrhage, that may lead to death.
The life expectancy of men who received radiation treatment was 11.49 (95% CI 10.72–13.18) years at age 75, and 10.56 (95% CI 9.79–11.58) years at age 80.
Life expectancy was less than 10 years for men older than 80 years, reaching 9.46 (95% CI 7.73–11.44) years at age 82.
Although radiation therapy has saved the lives of countless cancer patients, it's not ideal for every person with cancer.
There are also some side effects of radiation therapy, although they usually go away after treatments end.
Surrounding healthy tissue or organs can be damaged, depending on their location to the tumor.