Mouth Ulcers |
Mouth Ulcers are a very common condition and usually appear suddenly, causing pain.
They are like small sores that appear on the inside of your cheeks. They can also be found on the edge of your tongue or underneath it and more rarely on the roof of your mouth.
They usually go away in one or two weeks without treatment but can come back within three months in some people.
No one knows the exact cause of mouth ulcers but some people tend to get them more 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.
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.
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 – 2 days before the mouth ulcer appears.
Small blisters or sores on the outside of your lips are usually cold sores.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
//looking up at the sky
at 7/20/2008 09:24:00 PM