Blisters in Mouth

Mouth blisters can occur in both children as well as adults. They can occur on the lips, inner cheeks, inner lips, palate, tongue and floor of the mouth. In most cases, they are not serious and often heal and get cured on their own in just a few days time. Let us learn about the reasons behind the occurrence of mouth blisters, followed by the treatment options and remedies.

Causes

Injury or Trauma
Injury caused inside the mouth due to reasons such as accidentally biting the cheek or wearing dentures which do not fit properly, can cause mouth blisters.

Allergy
Mouth blisters or mouth sores, could be due to an allergic reaction to some food item or medicine which the person has undertaken. A condition known as celiac sprue, a kind of food allergy, caused by gluten intolerance often causes mouth sores. Sometimes chemicals in products such as mouthwash, toothpaste or candies can trigger a reaction in the body, thus causing blisters in the mouth.

Viral Infection
Viral infections resulting from viruses such as herpes simplex virus and herpes zoster, can cause blisters in the mouth, sores on the lips and ulcers in the mouth palate. Herpes zoster often causes this which are restricted to only one side of the mouth. Gingivostomatitis is another viral infection of the mouth which causes mouth ulcers. Blisters resulting from such viral infections often cause severe pain in the mouth which may be last long after the blisters have been healed.

Bacterial Infection
A bacterial infection caused by bacteria of the mouth, teeth or gums can cause this condition. Mouth blisters caused due to a bacterial infection are often accompanied by inflammation of the mouth. The blisters might also have pus inside them.

Canker Sores
Blood blisters in the mouth could be due to canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers and due to cold sores. The cause of canker sores is still not known though they can be very painful and cause great discomfort to the person.

Inflammatory Disorders
Certain inflammatory disorders such as, inflammatory bowel disease, can also cause this. Behcet's syndrome, another inflammatory disease affects many organs of the body such as skin, eyes, joints, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract, etc. causes painful, persistent mouth and tongue blisters.

Deficient Diet
A diet which is deficient in the essential nutrients required by the body can result in mouth blisters too. Deficiency of vitamin C, vitamin B12, iron and zinc is especially known to cause these blisters.

Treatment

The treatment for mouth blisters, caused by infections or diseases, will involve treating these conditions first. If the blisters are accompanied by fever, it is recommended that a doctor is consulted immediately as such blisters cannot be treated at home and might even become worse with time. Doctors will generally prescribe either of the medicines such as penciclovir, famciclovir or acyclovir. These medicines help in healing the blisters faster, thus, bringing down the associated fever. For blisters which are not caused by an infection, doctors may prescribe a corticosteroid gel to be applied on the blisters to aid in the healing process.

Home remedies include maintaining oral hygiene at all times by brushing the teeth twice a day and using a medicated mouth wash afterward.

Refraining from such foods and drinks which aggravate the condition, will help the healing process too. Thus, eating spicy food, hot food or food that are acidic in nature is a big no and avoiding such foods will serve as a cure for fever blister as well as blisters not associated with fever.

Alcohol and caffeine intake should be avoided as these substances can irritate the mouth even more and increase the pain associated with it.

Lastly, give the blisters time to heal on their own. They heal very fast, usually within ten days, on their own as mouth contains saliva, which has natural healing properties.

With proper oral hygiene and a healthy diet rich in iron and vitamins, mouth blisters can be prevented and taken care of easily.