Reader, have you heard of Occam's Razor? If not, you're surely familiar with the everyday translation: the simplest explanation that takes all the facts into account is usually the right one.
This is the theory hypochondriacs struggle with but Occam's Razor was made for you: in the absence of any other symptom, a headache is not brain cancer, but simply the need for a glass of water, a better night's sleep, maybe an aspirin.
But once in a while, really not all that often, the simplest explanation is not the right one at all.
And so we move on to the public service announcement component to this post, oral cancer awareness! How FUN!! Oral cancers in the young and healthy are on the rise. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation there was an 11% jump in cases in 2007 alone, thought to be due to a strain of HPV. Remember HPV? We talked about HPV a while back, when it leads to cervical cancer but HPV gets up to other mischief in your noggin, when mischief = sucky cancer.
So, reader: ask your dentist to screen you (which s/he should be doing anyway), don't ignore sores in your mouth that won't heal or any of these symptoms either.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. DUH.
Disclaimer: Sorry if this post freaks your shit out.
2 comments:
Dear PC,
How bizarre - I was looking up this very kind of information immediately preceding my excursion onto your blog. That's *almost* twilight zoney, but not really. Occam applies. I think I'm appropriately ascared about my bad girl history, but well armed with information to hopefully ensure early detection should something go badly awry. Thanks for the PSA, I'll add the watch outs to my list.
Happy Monday?
~ Urban Farmer
Good! I only meant to ascare you into awareness and action where appropriate. Hopefully no one is ascared into paralysis.
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