Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 August 2010 11:34

Mouth ulcers are small, painfull lesions that appear in the mouth. They can affect the inside of your cheeks, the edge of your tongue or underneath it and more rarely, the roof of your mouth.

Mouth Ulcers Overview

Mouth ulcers usually go away by themselves in one or two weeks, but can be a recurring problem in some people. Treatment can numb the pain, protect the ulcer from further damage or decrease the chances of a bacterial infection. Some medicines may speed up healing of used early enough.

What Causes Mouth Ulcers?

Some people tend to get mouth ulcers more often than others, especially if there is a family history of mouth ulcers. Mouth ulcers are common in children and young adults.

Students and people who are under a lot of stress may get them more often. Some woman tend to get mouth ulcers before their periods or during prgnancy. Occasionally they can be the sign of a more serious condition.

Common Causes of Mouth Ulcers

• Damage to the inside lining of your mouth by very hot or acidic food and drink

• Biting you inner cheeks

• Brushing your teeth and gums very hard.

• Poor fitted dentures.

• A very dry mouth – due to a medical condition or from some medications

• Eating food to which you are allergic scraping of the mouth lining by sucking hard sweets.

• Being stressed, or lacking certain vitamins and minerals in your body such as folic acid and B-group vitamins or iron.

• Certain medications.

Signs and Symptoms of Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are round or oval and usually less than 1cm in diameter. They are yellow to grey in colour on the inside and red and swollen around the edge.

• They can be very painful, especially when eating or drinking.

• Some people get a tingling or burning feeling, 1 to 2 days before the mouth ulcer appears.

• Small blisters or sores on the outside of your lips are usually cold sores.

Mouth Ulcer Treatment

Mouth ulcers can heal within 7-14 days without treatment but medicine and treatment may provide relief.

Treatment can numb the pain, protect the ulcer from further damage or decrease the chances of a bacterial infection. Some medicines may speed up the healing of used early enough.

Paste Treatments 

• Form a protective layer over the ulcer, helping the medicine stick to the ulcer. This allows the ulcer to heal faster and can help relieve the pain.

• Some pastes contain anti-inflammatory medicines that, if applied at the tingling stage, can prevent the mouth ulcer from developing further. You may need to dry your mouth first before applying the paste. Dab it on rather than rub it in.

Gel Treatments 

• Form a protective layer over the ulcer.

• Some also contain treatments that numb the pain. Avoid using large amounts of gels, especially in children under 12 years of age.

Mouth Washes

• Are useful for hard to reach ulcers and when there are many at one time.

• Can help prevent bacteria causing an infection

• Some can also numb the pain

• Work best if you start to use them as soon as you feel the tingling sensation.

Liquid paint Treatments 

• Form a protective layer over the ulcer but need to be re-applied often.

• Ask your pharmacist to help you choose the most suitable treatment for your mouth ulcer. Apply pastes and gels during the day. Also apply at bedtime to allow longer contact with the mouth ulcer.

• Take a pain reliever like paracetomol if pain from the ulcer is severe. Check with your pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or before giving children medication for mouth ulcers.

Self Care of Mouth Ulcers

There are many things you can do to keep more comfortabe while affected by mouth ulcers.

• Suck on ice to help reduce the pain of mouth ulcers.

• Avoid spicy or acidic food and drink when you have a mouth ulcer.

• Avoid very hot food or drink

• Brush your teeth with a soft toothbrush straight after eating. If you cant brush, rinse your mouth with warm water or chlorexidine bought from your pharmacy.

• If dentures cause your mouth ulcers, have their fitting re-checked.

• Take Vitamin B and C supplements if you are run down, especially for students and women who get mouth ulcers often.

• Learn some relaxing tips to help with stress.

• Drink lots of water to avoid a dry mouth.

• Eat a healthy well balanced diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially green vegetables.

Important

See your doctor if you have mouth ulcers that:

• Are larger than 1 cm or you have lots of small ulcers join together to form a large ulcer.

• Do not heal within 3-4 weeks even with treatment.

• Bleed allot

• Occur often in a very short space of time, e.g. every 1 -2 weeks.

• Come with a sore throat, or rash on any part of your body

• Are not painful at all

• Occur with diarrhoea as well

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Related Articles:

• Mouth Ulcers: Symptoms
• Mouth Ulcers: Causes
• Mouth Ulcers: Natural Treatments
• Readers Views

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