
What causes canker sores? The cause of cankers can be a single issue, such as stress, food allergy, poor nutrition, a menstrual cycle and even sensitivity to ingredients in toothpaste. Patients experiencing side effects from prescribed medication are especially prone to sores, as well as those who are gluten intolerant or lacking certain nutrients, such as folic acid and iron in their systems. Being susceptible to the sores may also be hereditary.
The sores are painful and eating spicy or acidic foods can be uncomfortable especially if there is more than one sore in the mouth. They are normally small dots but can become larger or there can be a cluster of sores together causing even more pain and discomfort when aggravated by eating.
Canker Sore Treatments
While it's natural to want to be able to avoid triggers for these painful mouth sores, canker sores can be caused by a multitude of different things. This means that, for many people, canker sore treatments become more of a priority than canker sore prevention. Although canker sores usually heal in a short time, some may last for extended periods. In these cases, consult your doctor for a prescribed treatment if the sores have persisted for more than two weeks.
For short-term sores, home remedies, such as rinsing the mouth with warm salt water, help alleviate the soreness and speed up the healing process. Other natural remedies include mixing baking soda and warm water together and rinsing the mouth several times a day, dabbing Milk of Magnesia directly on the sore throughout the day or mixing several drops of grapefruit seed extract with water and rinsing at least once a day. These home remedy treatments help reduce the pain and speed up healing of the affected are.
Over-the-counter oral salves are useful in reducing pain and preventing additional irritation to the sores when eating or drinking. These types of medications are applied directly to the area. A mild mouthwash to rinse the mouth and the affected area helps reduce soreness.
Canker sores are painful red or white ulcer-type sores that appear in the mouth, seemingly without reason or cause. Learning how to get rid of canker sores in a timely manner is just the first step in helping keep your mouth healthy. |
Find articles about canker sores, including canker sore treatment, what causes canker sores and the best canker sore remedies. |