Canker Sores, Causes And Treatment

Any of us have ever had canker sores, also called canker sores or ulcers. They can appear anywhere in the mouth and are flat lesions with a whitish center surrounded by red, irritated erythema. They cause pain and stinging and although they are benign and not contagious, they can make things like eating or talking difficult.

The specific causes of their appearance are not known, but it is known that there is a direct relationship with the immune status of the person who suffers from them, and that there are some situations that predispose us to suffer them.

Causes of canker sores

Some of the possible causes of canker sores are:

1. There is a certain genetic predisposition, since many of those who suffer them regularly have a direct relative with the same problem.
2. Physical attacks on the mucosa can also trigger its appearance, such as a bite on the lip or tongue, a small wound produced during a visit to the dentist or the fact of wearing orthodontics. In the latter case, they are usually larger and continuous canker sores due to permanent friction.
3. When we suffer a cold or the flu, since our defenses are weakened.
4. In women, in whom they are more frequent, they are common a few days before or during menstruation.
5. The vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin C, vitamin B12 and folic acid.
6. Situations of stress and anxiety.
7. In situations where the acidity of the mouth increases, which can be as diverse as having poor oral hygiene or suffering from gastrointestinal reflux.

If we suffer from canker sores with certain recurrence, we must investigate if we are likely to find ourselves in any of the above situations. If not, we should not worry because in many cases canker sores are idiopathic, that is, of unknown cause.

Even so, there are certain measures that we can adopt to avoid or at least reduce the frequency of appearance. Correct nutrition is important to have an ideal supply of all nutrients , avoid eating spicy, very hot or very acidic foods, maintain good oral hygiene and avoid stressful situations.

Treatment of canker sores

As we have said previously, canker sores usually disappear after a few days without the need for treatment ; Also, there is no drug that makes canker sores go away. But if they hurt us a lot, in the pharmacy we will find two types of treatment:

• Rinses with anesthetics whose function is to numb the area a bit so that they do not bother us while we eat or talk. You can also use rinses that contain a disinfectant such as chlorhexidine, but do not contain alcohol because it is irritating to the oral mucosa.
• Formulations with corticosteroids and / or other anti-inflammatory drugs that may slightly accelerate the reduction of inflammation and the healing of the lesion.

Other recommendations for the treatment of this oral condition is to avoid very hot foods, with a lot of salt or with many seasonings. It is also advisable to avoid citrus fruits. You can rinse with salt water.

We need not to confuse them with the lesions that cause cold sores. These begin with a slight stinging, and then a blister appears and a crust forms that falls and disappears. As a viral infection, it must be treated with antivirals (Acyclovir and the like).

In any case, consult your doctor or dentist if you have recurrent thrush and the treatment you should use.