How to Get Rid of Canker Sore - Causes - Home Remedies and Prevention

Canker sores (aphthous ulcers) are small, painful ulcers occur inside your mouth or on your gums. They may occur on the tongue and on the inside linings of the cheeks, lips, and throat. They usually appear white, gray, or yellow in color, with a red border. Although they can be painful and make it difficult to talk or eat, they usually don’t cause lasting damage. Most canker sores heal on their own within a couple of weeks.

Canker sores are among the most common types of oral lesions, affecting about 20% of people. Women get canker sores more often than men. Canker sore susceptibility may be inherited, and the condition can run in families.

READ ALSO: How To Get Rid Of Heartburn And Possible Causes

Several home remedies can help speed up the healing process, but they’re no magic bullet. It’s unlikely any remedy will cure a canker sore overnight. Many home remedies for canker sores aren’t well-studied, so use with caution. You can also call your doctor’s office if you have questions.

Diagnosis

Tests aren't needed to diagnose canker sores. Your doctor or dentist can identify them with a visual exam. In some cases, you may have tests to check for other health problems, especially if your canker sores are severe and ongoing.

What causes canker sores?

The cause of most canker sores is not well understood, and multiple factors may cause sores to appear. Some possible causes of canker sores include the following:

READ ALSO: How to remove dark circles - Home remedy - Possible causes

Injury to the mouth may cause simple canker sores. Injury could be from vigorous tooth brushing, dental work, braces or dentures, or a sports accident.
Acidic foods, including citrus fruits, may trigger a canker sore or make it worse.
Food sensitivities or allergies (anything from highly acidic foods to chocolate and coffee)
Diets low in vitamins B12, zinc, folate (folic acid), or iron
Toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate
Allergy to certain bacteria in the mouth
Hormones
Emotional stress
Smoking
Gastrointestinal tract diseases such as Celiac disease or Crohn's disease
Autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus or Behçet's disease
Other immune system weakness such as a cold or the flu, HIV/AIDS, or an organ transplant
Systemic conditions such as Crohn's disease or nutritional deficiencies
Oral cancer
Certain drugs may cause canker sores, including:
- Aspirin
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Beta-blockers
- Oral nicotine
- Chemotherapy medicines
- Immunosuppressants
- Penicillamine
- Sulfa drugs
- Phenytoin
- Anticholinergic bronchodilators
- Platelet aggregation inhibitors
- Vasodilators
- Protease inhibitors
- Antibiotics
- Antiretrovirals
- Antihypertensives

ALSO READ: How to last longer and work effectively in bed

Treatment

Treatment usually isn't necessary for minor canker sores, which tend to clear on their own in a week or two. But large, persistent or unusually painful sores often need medical care. A number of treatment options exist.

Mouth rinses

If you have several canker sores, your doctor may prescribe a mouth rinse containing the steroid dexamethasone (dek-suh-METH-uh-sown) to reduce pain and inflammation or lidocaine to reduce pain.

Topical products

Over-the-counter and prescription products (pastes, creams, gels or liquids) may help relieve pain and speed healing if applied to individual sores as soon as they appear. Some products have active ingredients, such as:

Benzocaine (Anbesol, Kank-A, Orabase, Zilactin-B)
Fluocinonide (Lidex, Vanos)
Hydrogen peroxide (Orajel Antiseptic Mouth Sore Rinse, Peroxyl)

There are many other topical products for canker sores, including those without active ingredients. Ask your doctor or dentist for advice on which may work best for you.

ALSO READ: How to cure quick ejaculation with coconut water and health benefits

Oral medications

Oral medications may be used when canker sores are severe or do not respond to topical treatments. These may include:

Medications not intended specifically for canker sore treatment, such as the intestinal ulcer treatment sucralfate (Carafate) used as a coating agent and colchicine, which is normally used to treat gout.
Oral steroid medications when severe canker sores don't respond to other treatments. But because of serious side effects, they're usually a last resort.

Cautery of sores

During cautery, an instrument or chemical substance is used to burn, sear or destroy tissue.

Debacterol is a topical solution designed to treat canker sores and gum problems. By chemically cauterizing canker sores, this medication may reduce healing time to about a week.
Silver nitrate — another option for chemical cautery of canker sores — hasn't been shown to speed healing, but it may help relieve canker sore pain.

ALSO READ: How to Increase Sperm Count

Nutritional supplements

Your doctor may prescribe a nutritional supplement if you consume low amounts of important nutrients, such as folate (folic acid), vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12 or zinc.

What natural or home remedies cure canker sores?

In most cases, canker sores do not require any treatment, and there is nothing specific you need to do to get rid of a canker sore because it usually will heal on its own. Home remedies can be used to help relieve pain and inflammation of canker sores.

If a you already have a canker sore, there are home remedies that can be used to help relieve the pain or irritation caused by the sore and to speed healing:

ALSO READ: How to know You've Found Your lifetime partner

Topical medications applied directly on the sore, mouthwashes, and oral medications can relieve pain or inflammation.
Allow ice chips to dissolve slowly in your moth for relief of pain.
Avoid acidic foods such as citrus fruits or spicy foods that may aggravate the sore.
If there is any vitamin deficiency (a doctor can test for this), take supplementation as prescribed.
Brush teeth gently and use a brush with soft bristles.
Use toothpaste and mouthwash that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
Another home remedy is to mix milk of magnesia with Benadryl liquid and use as a mouth rinse. You can also dab milk of magnesia directly onto the canker sore with a cotton swab.
Rinse your mouth with a salt water or baking soda rinse. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda per ½ cup water, and rinse.
Other natural remedies include goldenseal mouth rinse, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) gargled in warm water, and saltwater rinses.
Zinc lozenges may help provide relief and speed healing time. Do not give lozenges to young children, as they may be a choking risk.
Vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and lysine can be taken orally when lesions first appear and may help speed healing.
Infuse sage and chamomile herbs in water and use as a mouthwash four to six times daily.
The herb Echinacea may help speed healing
Carrot, celery, and cantaloupe juices may also be helpful.

Canker Sore vs. Cold Sore

Canker and cold sores aren’t the same.

Cold sores, also called fever blisters or herpes simplex type 1, are groups of painful, fluid-filled blisters. Unlike canker sores, a virus causes cold sores, and they’re highly contagious. Also, cold sores typically appear outside your mouth usually under your nose, around your lips, or under your chin but canker sores show up inside your mouth.

ALSO READ: How to know if You Were A Witch In your Past Life

When to see your doctor

Most canker sores aren’t cause for concern. They seldom leave behind lasting side effects. Still, some canker sores justify a call to your doctor.

Talk to your doctor if you experience any of the following:

The sore is larger than normal.
You have multiple sores.
New sores form before old ones have healed.
The sore doesn’t heal after two weeks.
The sore spreads to your lips.
The sore causes extreme pain.
The sore makes eating or drinking intolerable.
You also have a fever.

You should also contact your doctor or dentist if a jagged or sharp tooth or a dental hygiene tool is the reason for your canker sores.