How to Get Rid of Canker Sores

Canker sores are known as aphthous stomatitis in medical science, and they are a type of mouth ulcer. They generally appear in the mucus membrane of the oral cavity, especially the inside of the lips, tongue, cheek as well as the upper throat. They normally appear as red lesions with a white coating and are often found to be confused with other lesions, mostly cold sores or fever blisters that appear in the outer lips. Fever blisters are caused by the herpes simplex virus and they are contagious. On the other hand, canker sores are not caused by any virus, instead they are related to a nutritional deficiency, and injury of the oral tissues, among several other factors. Let's take a brief look at the causes of canker sores and how to get rid of them.

Causes of Canker Sores
The exact causes of canker sores are still unknown, though a number of factors have been found to play a significant role in their development. Out of them, nutritional deficiency, especially of vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid is one of the most significant factors for triggering canker sores. Sometimes, canker sores can simply result from trauma or stress and injury of the tissues of the oral cavity. They are also supposed to occur as a result of immune reaction or response.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a common ingredient in many toothpastes and mouthwashes, and over exposure to this compound has been suspected to trigger canker sores in certain individuals. Apart from these, hormonal changes, food allergies, as well as bacterial infection are some other common causes of canker sores. It has been observed that people with inflammatory bowel disease often suffer from recurrent canker sores, while some people are found to have a genetic predisposition to develop this type of mouth ulcers.

How to Get Rid of Canker Sores?
Generally, canker sores do not require any treatment, unless they appear in clusters and cause severe pain. Corticosteroid preparations that contain hydrocortisone hemisuccinate or triamcinolone acetonide are usually prescribed to ease the pain and inflammation. A common medicine recommended for treating canker sores is tetracycline suspension liquid. But, recently a new drug, debacterol has also shown efficacy in canker sores treatment. It can not only reduce the pain, but can speed up the healing process as well.

In addition to these medications, benadryl can be used as an oral rinse to get rid of canker sores. It is the fastest way to get rid of canker sores. In addition to benadryl, milk of magnesia can be used for relief from the pain and discomfort caused by canker sores. Hydrogen peroxide is a strong antiseptic, and if diluted with water, can be applied on these sores. It can provide considerable relief from the pain. In case of multiple canker sores, anti-viral medications can be used, while for severe canker sores, prednisone, a corticosteroid is used. But prednisone can have several side effects and hence should not be taken without consulting a physician.

However, many people have benefited by using some simple home remedies, especially in case of small and minor canker sores. The simplest, yet best way to get rid of canker sores is to use saline water as a mouthwash. This has to be used several times a day. Similarly, vinegar can also be used as an oral rinse. Applying clove oil on the affected areas can relive the pain and accelerate the healing process. Otherwise, you can apply a paste of baking soda or sodium bicarbonate directly on the sores. Baking soda can be mixed with water and a small amount of salt to make an excellent mouthwash. Another effective home remedy is aloe juice, which can be used as an oral rinse to get rid of canker sores on the tongue. Some other herbal remedies are tea tree oil, tomato, raw onion, papaya leaves and licorice root extract, which may provide considerable relief, especially if applied in the early stages.

It has been observed that vitamin B12 is quite effective in preventing recurrences of canker sores. A healthy diet, rich in vitamins and minerals, can play a crucial role in reducing the frequency of canker sores. But make sure to avoid certain foods, especially spicy, salty, as well as highly acidic foods to prevent irritation of the affected areas. Along with proper treatment, it is important is to find out the factors that can induce the outbreak of canker sores, so that their frequent recurrences can be prevented. Hope this brief discussion about how to get rid of canker sores has helped you get an idea about how to treat canker sores and, more importantly, prevent them from occurring frequently.