How to treat canker sores

Canker sores and the main facts

This health problem is known under several other names, butthe fact is that the greatest majority of people will probably know what itrefers to when they hear mouth ulcers. They are nothing else but small and shallow lesionsthat affect the soft tissue in the mouth, cheeks, tongue, and the base of thegums. Even though the real culprit for their occurrence has not been identifiedso far, some facts imply that the presence of several risk factors usuallyresults in their appearance. Some of these factors also include:

minor injuriesto the mouth due to brushing, eating spicy foods, dental work, or biting thecheek accidentally, etc.increased sensitivity to foods such as coffee,chocolate, eggs, pineappleallergies to foodCeliacdiseaseCrohn’s diseaseulcerative colitisBechet’s diseaseHIV/AIDShormonalchanges, andstress.

Whichever the cause, one thing is sure – they do occurdue to the presence of herpes simplex virus and, even though it is not reallyclear why, it seems that women are somewhat more prone to the condition inquestion.

Methods of treatment for canker sores

Even though they are usually not painful, when the personwho has them tries to eat or talk, the pain and discomfort will probably be present.If the person is patient enough, they will usually go away on their own after aweek or two, but if they turn out to be persistent, then medical help isnecessary. Mouth rinses, pastes that need to be applied topically, oralmedications and some nutritional supplements are available options.

As for mouth rinses, those that contain dexamethasone arehelpful when it is necessary to reduce the pain and inflammation, while thosethat contain tetracycline speed up the healing time and also diminish pain. However,the latter has certain negative sides, because the persons who use them might become moreprone to oral thrush, while their teeth might be permanently discolored.

Topical pastes are available without the doctor’sprescription, and they relieve the pain and reduce the time needed for healing.Oral medications that are helpful aren’t really intended to treat canker sores,but heartburn or gout, for example. Sometimes even oral steroids might be used,particularly in cases when nothing else helps. Still, due to the possiblenegative effect, steroids are only used as a last resort. Regarding nutritionalsupplements that help, those that contain folic acid, zinc and vitamins B6 andB12 are the best choice.