What are Canker Sores?
Canker sores are painful areas of ulceration along the delicate inner mucosa of the mouth. The exact causes of canker sores are not clearly understood, but they seem to be linked to genetics, oral trauma, and dietary deficiency. Usually, canker sores will go away on their own after a short period of time, but if they are spreading or painful, a doctor may prescribe topical medication to help reduce the pain and shrink the canker sores. Canker sores are also sometimes referred to as aphthous ulcers.
A canker sore is not the same thing as a cold sore. Cold sores are associated with the highly contagious herpes virus, and they tend to appear on the lips, around the nose, and on other areas of the face. Canker sores only appear inside the mouth, along the inner lips, lower gumline, inner cheeks, and under the tongue. Typically a canker sore will appear red and irritated, and will sometimes develop a cloudy white covering. Canker sores are also not contagious.
Women are more prone to getting canker sores than men, and they usually start to appear in middle childhood. Women in their twenties have the highest incidence of canker sores, and they usually taper off after that period. For people prone to canker sores, avoiding rough foods and sources of oral trauma will help to reduce their incidence, as will consuming more vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, and iron. Canker sores also appear to have a genetic link; if someone in your family gets canker sores, you are more likely to get them as well.
When a canker sore appears, it can be quite painful. Many people treat canker sores at home by taking aspirin to reduce the pain, or applying topical analgesic gels directly to the sore. In addition, if you have an active canker sore, you should avoid eating acidic foods and chocolate, which can aggravate the canker sore. Heavily salted and crunchy foods may also be unpleasant to eat. Some foods, like pineapples and mangos, also contain enzymes which can irritate a canker sore.
If canker sores start spreading, last more than two weeks, or are extremely painful, a doctor should be consulted. Although they are benign most of the time, canker sores can sometimes be an indicator of a more serious medical problem, such as an oral cancer. In addition, a doctor can prescribe more heavy medications to treat painful canker sores and hasten the healing process.
Written by S.E. Smith
