A STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HONEY MOUTH WASH ON RADIATION INDUCED ORAL MUCOSITIS AMONG PATIENT WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER AT SELECTED HOSPITAL, COIMBATORE

Chithra*, Preethi, Deepa, Lingaraj Chitra

Introduction: Radiation-induced oral mucositis is a frequent complication in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, often causing pain and treatment delays. This study evaluated the effectiveness of honey mouthwash in reducing mucositis severity. Aim: To determine the therapeutic effect of honey mouthwash on radiation-induced oral mucositis. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–post-test control group design was conducted at Ashwin Hospital, Coimbatore. Sixty patients were purposively assigned to experimental (honey mouthwash) and control (routine care) groups. Mucositis severity was assessed using the Oral Mucositis Grading Scale. The experimental group used a rinse of 20 mL honey in 200 mL water, held for 30 seconds twice per rinse, thrice daily after meals for six days. Post-test severity was reassessed, and data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Honey mouthwash significantly reduced mucositis severity. Post-test, 20% of the experimental group were mucositis-free, with no severe cases, whereas 43.3% of controls developed very severe mucositis. Mean scores decreased from 1.90 to 1.07 in the experimental group but increased from 2.57 to 3.13 in controls (t = 8.46, p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Honey mouthwash is a safe, natural, and effective supportive measure for reducing radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients.