Canker sores, also called aphthous ulcers, are small, shallow lesions that develop on the soft tissues in your mouth — under your tongue, inside your cheeks or lips, and at the base of your gums. Unlike cold sores, canker sores don't occur on the surface of your lips and aren't contagious. They can be very painful, however, and can make eating and talking difficult.
Canker sores are usually found on the movable parts of the mouth such as the tongue or the inside lining of the lips and cheeks. The ulcers begin as small oval or round reddish swellings that usually burst within a day. The ruptured sores are covered by a thin white or yellow membrane and edged by a red halo. Generally, the sores heal within 2 weeks without scarring. Canker sores range in size from an eighth of an inch wide in mild cases to more than an inch wide in severe cases. Severe canker sores may leave scars.
Cause of Canker Sores
Recurrent canker sores have been associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. In these cases, the development of canker sores may signal a flare-up of the bowel disease.
Canker sores can run in families. They may also be linked to problems with the body's immune (defense) system. The sores may occur after a mouth injury due to dental work, aggressive tooth cleaning, or biting the tongue or cheek
Certain strains of the herpes virus cause cold sores. Herpes simplex virus type 1 usually causes cold sores. Herpes simplex virus type 2 is usually responsible for genital herpes. However, either type of the virus can cause sores in the facial area or on the genitals. You get the first episode of herpes infection from another person who has an active lesion. Shared eating utensils, razors and towels may spread this infection.
Female sex hormones also apparently play a role in causing canker sores. Many women experience bouts of the sores only during certain phases of their menstrual cycles. Additionally, most women experience improvement or remission of their canker sores during pregnancy.
Canker sores are thought to form when, for unexplained reasons, a person's immune system identifies the presence of chemical molecules that it does not recogniz
Treatment of Canker Sores
Nutritional supplements. Your doctor is likely to prescribe a nutritional supplement if you're low in important nutrients, such as folate (folic acid), vitamins B-6, B-12 and zinc.
Pain from a canker sore generally lessens in a few days and the sores usually heal without treatment in about a week or two.
Avoid hot and spicy foods and foods with sharp crunchy edges, such as nacho chips, which can poke into the canker sore.
Topical pastes. Over-the-counter and prescription pastes such as Orabase, triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog in Orabase), amlexanox (Aphthasol) and fluocinonide (Lidex) can help relieve pain and speed healing if applied to individual lesions as soon as they appear.
Medications: The use of no steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), beta blockers, chemotherapeutic agents, and nicorandil have each been reported as possibly acting as a trigger for outbreaks of canker sores.
Avoid acidic foods or beverages such as orange juice. Anything acidic produces a burning sensation when it comes into contact with the sore.
To speed up healing, try mixing 1 part hydrogen peroxide and one part water and apply it to the canker sore with a cotton swab. Then dab a small amount of milk of magnesia on the canker 3-4 times a day. This also helps relieve discomfort.
Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Disease And Conditions" article category.
People interested in the above article "Canker Sores - Cause and Treatment of Canker Sores" are also interested in the related articles listed below:
The living of the normal human beings are being affected by many diseases and even death is caused by many unknown diseases in the present world. The inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord is the most important organ and this disease is called Meningitis. In few cases meningitis is caused due to certain medications or because of the illness, mostly it is caused due to bacteria and virus.
The main issue when dealing with treating diseases is acknowledging that something is wrong. A little infection could potentially cause huge problems if left untreated for extended periods of time. Identifying that something isn't right is the initial step that should be taken. The following is some good info that may help you determine if you could have MRSA...
Are you suffering from problem sweat? Do you find yourself in embarrassing position because of the excessive sweating problem? If your answer is yes, then its time to look for solution for this problem. One of the simple but effective way to fight with hyperhidrosis is using antiperspirants. It is true that market is flooded with different types of antiperspirants, all claiming to fight with excessive sweating problems. Thus, it is very important that you must select the right antiperspirants that will help you to fight with the problem effectively and save yourself from the embarrassment.
Abdomen is located below the lower margins of ribs, diaphragm above, pelvic bone below and flanks on either sides of them. Stomach, spleen, small intestine, pancreas, colon, liver, gall bladder and pancreas are the important organs of abdomen. Suffering in abdomen is abdominal pain. Abdominal pain can cause because of the tissues that are located in abdominal wall that surround abdominal cavity like skin and abdominal muscles. Abdominal pain comes from abdominal organs. Abdominal pain is not a must to arise from abdominal cavity but it can come from the parts near to abdomen. Abnormal conditions in the lower part of kidneys and lungs can cause the pain.
Glycemic index refers to the speed at which certain food products that are rich in carbohydrates break down to secrete glucose in blood stream. A low glycemic index is refers to the index which is at 55 or less. Glucose is needed to feed the various organs, brains and muscle, and food that digests glucose quickly have a high index, and the food products that digest slowly have a low index. Low index diet is recommended by physician to people who are suffering from diabetes or heart diseases because it helps in reducing blood sugar level. It is also helpful in reducing weight and it is mostly found in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Pancreatitis is a condition in which the pancreas, which produces enzymes and hormone insulin for digestion suffers from inflammation which reduces the capacity of pancreas to absorb nutrition from the food products and provide it to body. The condition can be either acute or chronic, and it can cause bleeding in the region close to the pancreas. Chronic pancreatitis can be caused by excess intake of alcohol and the predominant symptom of the condition is presence of oil in stool. It can cause severe medical conditions such as blockages in intestine, fluid collection in pancreas, diabetes, mal-absorption and malnutrition.
Diarrhea is a condition, in which, the patient suffers from unusually frequent bowels, and the stool eliminated from the body is watery. The condition can be caused by bacteria or viral infection, or it can be caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Many patients suffer from mala-absorption, the condition in which the digestive tract is unable to absorb nutrients in the small intestine and it can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea is sometimes caused by ulcers or inflammation in the digestive tract. It can be caused by dysentery and sometimes, it is caused by excessive exercise.
