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Common Canker Sores: Your Favorite Concerns Answered

24th September, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

If you’ve ever had a small, uncomfortable sore in your mouth area, chances are you, along with most of the population, have suffered a canker sore. They are a common dilemma that most people will endure at least once within their lives, but for something that occurs so often, canker sores are often mistaken for something else, or misunderstood altogether. Below are some of the more popular questions asked about these small annoyances.

What are canker sores?

Canker sores are uncomfortable sores that generally start as a reddish swelling that bursts open. They look like a small white or yellow ulcer surrounded by a burning reddish halo. There are three forms of sores classified by their size, and are always found on the inside of the mouth area, usually on the tongue or the linings of the lips and cheeks.

Exactly how do you develop canker sores?

There are many likely reasons that canker sores form, and most agree that it can be a combination of these components. Often the irritation in the mouth area will start due to food, since it spends time in your mouth. Allergies, spice, acidity, and high heat can all affect the sensitive parts of the mouth producing swelling. Also, anything causing harm to the mouth area like braces and biting can start a canker sore. Other conditions, hormones, and genetics may also be related.

Are cold sores the same thing as canker sores?

No, they’re completely different. Cold sores originate typically from the type one herpes simplex virus and cannot be cured. The virus lies dormant in the nerve cells between breakouts and is highly transmittable. They also occur on or around the lip area rather than the within the mouth.

Are you able to catch them from another person?

No, canker sores are not transmittable because they aren’t the result of viruses or bacteria. Though they can’t be passed, you still shouldn’t share things that touch the mouth area with others or engage in a lot of kissing, as your mouth area will be more vulnerable to outside infection causing bacteria.

How does one cure canker sores?

Canker sores can heal on their own in as little as a week depending on the severity. There are many ways to lessen the pain and speed up the healing process. Many items in your house can be used like vitamin E oils, wet tea bags, milk of magnesia, and especially some types of mouthwash. They also can help stop further infection. Over the counter medications like benzocaine and ibuprofen can help with pain, and a doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory gels if it is more severe.

Are canker sores preventable?

There are ways to decrease your odds of getting a canker sore, though there is nothing one hundred percent effective. By steering clear of the kinds of food discussed in causes, there is a smaller chance of a reaction in the mouth area leading to one of these small lesions. It is also vital that you protect the inside of your mouth from harm during things such as contact sports activities by using mouth guards.