A MAN says biting down on his tongue while sneezing saved his life – after it lead to the discovery that he had cancer.

Dan Durant, 26, first noticed an ulcer on the right side of his tongue in summer last year but didn’t think anything of it.

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But when Dan accidentally bit his tongue while sneezing “really hard”, the lump became inflamed and he went to the doctor.

He was shocked when he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma – a type of cancer – and told it was aggressive and he needed to have surgery to remove the tumour.

In the 11-hour operation, doctors removed 50 per cent of Dan’s tongue to cut out the two tumours they found and reconstructed it using skin from his left forearm.

They also dissected his neck to check the cancer hadn’t spread to his lymph nodes.

Dan is currently waiting for the results from the biopsy, which will confirm if he needs to have any following treatment.

Dan, who was working as a supervisor at a bar, from Stafford, Staffordshire, said: “I sneezed really hard and ended up biting my tongue.

“It went really inflamed.

“I was directed to Stoke Hospital and told it was cancer and it was aggressive.

“I had around 50 per cent of my tongue removed and reconstructed.

“The nurse said ‘you were lucky you bit your tongue’.”

Dan often got ulcers so didn’t think anything of the lump on his tongue when he first spotted it in August 2023.

He treated it with Bonjela and stopped noticing it. He also lost a lot of weight and often had a sore throat but didn’t realise it was anything to be worried about.

Dan said: “It was a grey, whitish patch. It was the size of a one pence coin.

“I didn’t think of it after that.

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“Mostly it just felt like it wasn’t there.”

But Dan started to notice the ulcer again in April 2024 and it became inflamed in August when he accidentally bit down on it.

He went to see his doctor who was suspicious it was cancerous and redirected him to Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent.

Dan’s cancer diagnosis was confirmed a week later on August 21, 2024.

He said: “I didn’t quite believe it could be cancer.

“Being told it was upsetting. I did have a cry.

“It was so surreal.”

GRUELLING OP

Dan was told the cancer was aggressive and they needed to get him into surgery soon to remove the tumour.

On September 12, 2024 Dan had the 11-and-a-half hour operation.

Doctors had planned to do a partial removal of his tongue but had to remove 50 per cent when they found a second tumour.

At the same time the took a lymph node from his neck to do a biopsy – to confirm the cancer had not spread.

He said: “They took skin from my forearm for my tongue and then the skin from my stomach to replace skin on my arm.

“They also used my the arteries from my forearm and put them into my tongue so there was a blood flow.”

Dan then spent eight days in hospital – to ensure there were no problems following the reconstruction and so he could get used to eating and drinking again.

‘LIFE-CHANGING’

The 26-year-old is now on a soft food diet and is waiting for his results from the biopsy on his lymph node.

Dan said: “Learning to swallow properly was quite difficult.

“I’m just getting used to chewing.

“My jaw aches a lot. It’s a lot of relearning things.

“If there is little to no cancer cells left I will just be one round of radiotherapy.”

Dan was about to start a new job when he got his diagnosis and is now unable to work.

As well as raising awareness, Dan has set up a fundraiser to help fund his living costs for the next few months and will donate any remaining money to cancer research.

He said his family and friends have been a “wonderful supportive network”.

Dan said: “Everything is normal and then all of a sudden it is not.

“It’s a life-changing thing.”

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IT’S that time of year again when everyone appears to be sick.

Now, before the pandemic, no one really thought much of this.

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But now, so much as a splutter can lead to raised eyebrows on the bus and looks of concern from people in the office.

Is it a cold? Flu? Or worse, Covid?

While Covid isn’t as prominent as it was this time last year, a new concerning variant has arrived as cases have risen over the past few weeks.

Millions have already had the bug and the majority of Brits also have protection due to the huge vaccine rollout.

First detected in Germany in June, the XEC variant has now been reported in several countries – including the UK.

And now, it makes up one in 10 Covid cases in England and Wales.

As it stands, scientists believe the fresh bug is not likely to be as deadly as some of its predecessors, but could be more contagious.

It comes as experts fear Brits may face a ‘tripledemic’ of bugs this winter, as the NHS rolls out a mass vaccine drive.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows Covid-19 hospital admissions in England are continuing to rise.

The admission rate for patients testing positive for Covid-19 stood at 4.5 per 100,000 people in the week to October 6, up from 3.7 a week earlier.

It is the fourth weekly rise in a row.

“If you are showing symptoms of flu or Covid-19 such as a high temperature, cough, and feeling tired and achy, try to limit your contact with others, especially those who are vulnerable,” Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, from the UKHSA.

With lateral flow tests no longer free, it can be hard to know which bug you have.

Here’s how to tell the difference.

XEC

We don’t know for sure what the specific XEC symptoms are just yet.

So far, the symptoms of the new buf are not too dissimlar from what we’ve seen with earlier strains.

Which cold and flu remedies actually work?

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Sun Health reporter Isabel Shaw put 9 well-known cold and flu remedies when she was struck with a lurgy.

Over the course of a week, she tried products targeted all symptoms associated with cold and flu, as well as treatments that only aimed to get rid of specific issues.

These included:

1. Hot honey and lemon
2. Steam inhalation and Vicks Vaporub
3. Echinacea
4. Chicken soup
5. A spicy curry
6. Beechams All in One Oral Solution
7. Strepsils
8. Lemsip Max
9. Sudafed Blocked Nose Spray

She took into account pain reduction, and how quickly and for how long they worked.

Read her full verdicts here. 

This includes tiredness, headaches, sore throat, a high fever and a dry cough.

The loss of taste and smell – once a hallmark sign of the bug – is only reported by two to three per cent of infected Brits, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

If you are suffering from Covid, prioritise rest and hydration while using over-the-counter medications like paracetamol to relieve symptoms.

The best way to protect yourself from Covid is to get vaccinated.

Jabs have been updated to tackle recent variants, though not specifically for XEC, which evolved from earlier Omicron strains.

The NHS is offering autumn Covid boosters to the most vulnerable in October. This will include:

• Over-64s
• People aged between six months and 64 years with health conditions that make them more vulnerable
• People living in care homes for older people
• Front-line health and social care staff, including in care homes for older people

The NHS will contact eligible patients directly, but they can also book their own appointments now via the NHS App, GPs, pharmacies, drop-in clinics, external or by calling 119.

Flu

For many people having the flu will feel like an exaggerated cold.

The NHS states that flu symptoms can come on very quickly.

They include:

1. A sudden high temperature
2. An aching body
3. Feeling tired or exhausted
4. A dry cough
5. A sore throat
6. A headache
7. Difficulty sleeping
8. Loss of appetite
9. Diarrhoea or tummy pain
10. Feeling sick and being sick

The dry cough could be similar to the cough experienced by people who have contracted the coronavirus.

The NHS states that the symptoms are similar for children, but they can also get pain in their ear and appear less active.

Infection rates and hospitalisations of flu are currently stable across all age groups, according to UKHSA data.

But cases will likely rise in the coming weeks, peaking around Christmas time, according to the NHS.

The NHS offers a free flu jab to those most at risk of getting the virus so if you qualify then you can get it free anywhere that offers it.

This can be at your doctor’s surgery as well as supermarket pharmacies like Asda and high street favourites like Boots.

If you’re not in the eligible groups entitled to a free vaccination listed below, you can pay for a flu jab at certain stores.

• All children aged two and three
• All children in primary and all children in school Years seven to 11 in secondary school
• Children aged six months to 17 years with certain long-term health conditions
• Those aged six months to under 65 years in clinical risk group
• Pregnant women
• Those aged 65 years and over
• Unpaid carers
• Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• Frontline health and adult social care staff

A cold

Rhinovirus, more commonly known as the common cold, is a mild viral infection that circulates all year long.

Professor John Tregoning, of Imperial College London previously told The Sun says that the bug usually peaks in about October but “never really goes away”.

It’s normal for a child to have eight or more colds a year, and adults two, official guidance states.

The NHS lists says a common cold can cause:

1. A blocked or runny nose
2. A sore throat
3. Headaches
4. Muscle aches
5. Coughs
6. Sneezing
7. A raised temperature
8. Pressure in your ears and face
9. Loss of taste and smell

The difference between a cold and the flu is that a cold does not typically cause such a sudden spike in temperature.

There may be more blockage in the sinuses and a feeling of stuffiness, as opposed to flu which is more like total body fatigue.

With a common cold, you can usually expect to see an improvement after less than a week, although this can vary.