Canker Sores

They are small and out of sight, but painful, persistent and annoying. They may occur on your tongue, inside your cheeks or lips, or at the base of your gums. They are called Aphthous Ulcers, but are more commonly known as canker sores.

They are different from the unrelated mouth pest known as a cold sore (Learn how to treat a cold sore). The cold sore almost always starts on your lips, and may not even spread into the soft tissue of your mouth, while the canker sore starts from the inside of the mouth. Cold sores are also caused by a form of herpes virus which is extremely contagious. Canker sores are not viral related, and are not contagious at all. Canker sores are more common in females, and an estimated 10% of the population has recurring problems with them. In just under half of the cases of canker sores there is prior family history.

The exact mechanism which causes them has not been determined, but the likely cause is a reaction of a person’s own immune system. For some unexplained reason, the immune system identifies an invading agent inside the mucous membrane of the mouth that isn’t really there. The immune system’s job is to identify invaders, and dispatch white blood cells to deal with them. In the case of the canker sore, the white blood cells attack healthy tissue that is minding its own business. The resulting carnage to the tissue is the resulting canker sore.

As with many similar problems, the best way to get rid of them might just be to never get them in the first place. With that in mind, here are some of the potential causes of canker sores. Avoiding them will help.

Canker Sore Causes

Toothpaste. Toothpastes that contain sodium lauryl sulfate tend to have a drying effect on the tissues of the mouth, breaking down the surface protection, and perhaps triggering the beginning of the sore. If canker sores are a problem, toothpaste that is free of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) can help.

Trauma. In one study, 38% of the people who developed canker sores reported some injury to the tissue inside their mouth prior to the development of the sores. These included self inflicted bites, or irritation from sharp teeth. Since very few people deliberately cause injury to the inside of their mouth, you are likely avoiding this one already.

Stress. Stress gets blamed for pretty much everything that can go wrong with you health wise and canker sores are no exception. It is good to avoid stress anyway (Tips on how to get rid of stress). If it helps reduce the occurrence of canker sores, that is even better.

Nutritional Deficiency. Some research has shown that people who develop frequent canker sores also suffer from some sort of nutritional deficiency. Vitamin deficiencies: B1, B2, B6, B12, C and other nutrients: zinc, folic acid, iron, selenium, calcium have all been linked to the sores. Like stress, nutritional deficiency gets blamed for a lot of health problems, and you should already be avoiding it.

Allergic Reactions. There is a whole host of items that could be causing canker sores by through what is really a kind of allergic reaction of the tissues of the mouth to a substance. The list of foods that are suspected here reads like an inventory list of your local grocery store. Have you added anything new to your diet recently? Try systematically removing certain foods to see if this helps clear up the problem.

Hormonal Changes and Genetic Dispositions. These are things that you aren’t going to be able to avoid, so if it is the cause of your canker sores, you might as well just skip on down to the treatment options.

It is important to note that canker sores are sometimes associated with other medical problems, some of them serious. If the problem becomes frequent, a visit to the doctor is suggested, if for no other reason than to eliminate them as a concern.

Since much of the above is either hard to avoid, or impossible, you may very well find yourself with a canker sore, so lets look at some time honored ways to get rid of them

Getting Rid of Canker Sores

1. Wait

Canker sores will normally go away by themselves in 7-10 days. The pain can be minimized through careful diet (eliminate spicy, acidic, or other foods that irritate them) or by the use of over the counter anesthetics.

2. Some Tried and True Folk Remedies

• Acidophilus taken in either capsule form or as an ingredient in plain yogurt may stimulate the immune system. Taking 2-4 capsules four times a day with milk has proven to both reduce the pain, and speed up the healing process.
• Aloe juice can be used as a mouth rinse several times a day.
• Alum from the spice section of your grocery store will relieve pain and speed healing, but will burn like crazy for a few minutes once it is applied. Do this once or twice a day, but be prepared for the burning, and rinse your mouth out well afterwards.
• Antacid formulas such as Mylanta and Milk of Magnesia have been reported to relieve pain and speed healing.
• Baking soda is a time honored remedy that can be used in powder form, or made into a paste and applied directly to the sore (For more baking soda uses, read 75 extraordinary uses for baking soda). This is another one that might sting a bit at first, but repeated treatments are reported to clear up canker sores in a couple of days.
• Copper sulfate, also called bluestone, is a remedy that was used as far back as two hundred years ago. It is hard to find, but should clear the sore in a day or two. Consult your doctor before trying this.
• Keep clean: Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash often.
• Stay away from salty and acidic foods.
• For pain you can use any over-the-counter oral antiseptic gel or spray.
• Using a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash can help clean out the canker sore and kill bacteria.
• Rinse your mouth with salt water a.k.a. saline
• Drink sage tea taking time to swish it around in your mouth with every sip.
• Rinse with vinegar mixed with a spoonful of salt three times a day.
• A baking soda / water paste applied directly to the canker sores can help speed healing.
• Try switching to another brand of toothpaste.
• Clove oil applied directly to the canker sore will numb it.
• Please share any more canker sore remedies you may know of using the form at the bottom of the page.

A wide variety of other folk remedies exist. They include hydrogen peroxide, raw onion, plum juice used as a mouth wash, chewing on papaya leafs and pressing a tea bag on the sore. The best approach may be to try them all, and find the one that works best for you.

There are also quite a few herbal remedies available. Some like Burdock and Lady’s mantle are made into a tea and you just drink them. Others like Goldenseal are made into mouth rinses or pastes and applied directly to the sore. In addition, there are several over the counter products that are designed for use with canker sores, but these typically only treat the pain associated with the sores, and are not meant to rid your mouth of the canker sores.

3. Don’t Wait.

Understanding that a canker sore is an ongoing process that runs its course inside your mouth suggests that the quicker you attack the process, the quicker you can reverse it and begin the healing. Even the use of a regular antiseptic mouth wash right from the onset of the sore can stop it in it’s tracks. The idea is to not wait until the canker sore is at full size with maximum pain before you begin treatment. Mouth examinations are a good idea if canker sores are an ongoing problem. As soon as you think one is starting begin your treatment of choice.

4. Prevent Them Any Way You Can

Understanding a bit about the cause of canker sores can help. If you have a problem with them, anything you can do that helps your immune system is going to help the canker sore problem (Learn how to boost your immune system). Vitamin intake, proper rest, stress reduction exercise and good diet can all help. Avoid foods that may produce mouth trauma. Some even suggest potato chips should be avoided by children who have problems with canker sores. Most people who have chronic canker sore problems report the use of SLS free toothpaste to be the single best preventive measure they have found. They also recommend frequent mouth washing and frequent changing of toothbrushes. The real idea is that anything that makes the mouth cleaner and eliminates bacteria is going to help.

Offsite resources

Mouth Ulcers at Wikipedia