7. Alcoholism
Much like smoking, alcoholism can also increase the odds of oral cancer. Let us start by saying that your odds of developing oral cancer from moderated and recreational drinking is very low. In contrast, chronic and excessive consumption of alcohol could lead to long-term and severe irritation of the cells within your mouth.
This irritation will make the cells far more vulnerable to oral cancer in comparison to healthy cells of those who drink in moderation or who don’t drink at all. When we say moderation, it’s important that you define what that actually means. Healthy adults are usually limited to a drink a day.
Anything beyond that will be considered excessive. For men who are below the age of 65, two drinks each day are permissible but starting to border on excessive. Three drinks a day will always be excessive regardless of gender or age. It’s worth noting that if you don’t drink now, we don’t recommend starting.