Treatment for Mouth Ulcers: Nine Possibilities
Canker sores, also known as mouth ulcers, can be a common and often uncomfortable nuisance. While they are not contagious and usually heal on their own within 7-10 days, understanding their causes and potential treatments can help manage their impact.
## Common Causes of Canker Sores
1. **Trauma or Irritation**: Minor injuries such as biting the cheek, aggressive tooth brushing, or irritation from dental appliances can cause canker sores.
2. **Stress and Anxiety**: Stress is a known trigger for canker sores, and the discomfort or irritation they cause may lead to bleeding.
3. **Food Sensitivity**: Consuming acidic foods like citrus fruits or tomatoes can irritate the mouth lining, potentially causing sores and bleeding.
4. **Vitamin Deficiencies**: Deficiencies in vitamins like B12, folic acid, iron, or zinc can contribute to the development of canker sores.
5. **Autoimmune Diseases**: Conditions such as lupus or Behcet's disease can increase the risk of non-healing mouth sores.
6. **Medications**: Certain drugs, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or chemotherapy, can cause mouth sores.
7. **Cancer Treatment**: Oral mucositis, a side effect of some cancer treatments, can lead to painful sores.
8. **Gastrointestinal Conditions**: Canker sores can be a sign of underlying health concerns, such as gastrointestinal conditions.
## Potential Remedies and Preventive Measures
1. **Dental Hygiene**: Practicing dental hygiene with a soft toothbrush can prevent irritating canker sores and prevent ulcers from developing an infection.
2. **Salt Solution**: Rinsing the mouth with a salt solution may help keep the mouth clean.
3. **Aloe Vera**: Aloe vera gel applied directly to a canker sore may help soothe irritation and reduce pain and inflammation. This remedy is considered safe by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
4. **Vitamin B-12 Supplements**: Taking vitamin B-12 supplements can significantly reduce canker sore pain.
5. **Chamomile Tea**: Drinking chamomile tea with honey may help reduce pain and inflammation due to canker sores, but more scientific evidence is needed. Combining honey with chamomile in a tea could also be beneficial.
6. **Ice Chips**: Sucking on ice chips or applying them to a canker sore can help relieve pain and discomfort, as the cold numbs the sensation. It's important to melt the surface of an ice cube slightly before applying it to a canker sore.
7. **OTC Gels and Patches**: Using an OTC gel or patch can help protect canker sores from irritation caused by spicy or acidic food and touching.
8. **Mouth Rinse**: Using a mouth rinse with antiseptic properties can help prevent infection and numb painful sensations inside of the mouth.
9. **Chamomile Rinse**: Chamomile may have anti-inflammatory properties and can be used as a canker sore remedy by rinsing the mouth with a strong chamomile tea or soaking a chamomile tea bag in warm water and applying it directly to the ulcer.
## When to Seek Medical Advice
If canker sores last for more than 3 weeks, cause difficulty when swallowing, make a person feel unwell, or develop regularly over a long period of time, it's important to consult a doctor. Additionally, symptoms that may indicate an underlying health concern include unexplained tiredness, a rash or sore on another part of the body, fever, irritation in the eyes, and stomach pain.
If canker sores become particularly red and painful, this could be a sign of infection. In such cases, it's crucial to seek medical advice promptly.
- People experiencing persistent bipolar mood swings, depression, or migraines might want to investigate whether they are also prone to developing non-digestive ulcers, such as canker sores.
- The science of predictive health-and-wellness might one day uncover a correlation between autoimmune diseases like lupus and Behcet's disease and the likelihood of developing recurrent or unhealing canker sores.
- For individuals prescribed medications like NSAIDs or undergoing cancer treatment, it would be beneficial to be aware of potential side effects such as the development of ulcers, including canker sores.
- In the quest for overall health-and-wellness, adopting a balanced diet that includes vitamin-rich food sources could potentially reduce the likelihood of developing vitamin deficiencies leading to canker sores.
