Canker Sores: Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

Ever had that small, shallow yet painful wound or sore inside the cheek lining, lips, throat or near the tongue area?

These minor mouth ulcers are known as Canker Sores, medically known as aphthous ulcers.

Canker Sores include mostly white, grey or yellow in colour, with a red border around it. While these canker sores might be more common among women than it is with men, around 20% people still suffer from these sores.

Types of Canker Sores

Before moving forward, know this:  Canker sores are not contagious and different from cold sores. They are also considered under the same branch as Aphthous stomatitis.

They can be categorized into three types:

1. Minor canker sores: They measure anywhere between 3 to 10 millimeters and are the most common type of canker sore. This type of lesion lasts 10 to 14 days and heals without leaving any scar behind. Generally, people between the ages 10 and 20 are affected by it and the sore can recur three to four times in a year.
2. Major canker sores: These are larger and deeper than minor sores often with a diameter greater than 10 mm. They have an irregular border. Major canker sores are uncommon to occur but if it does, it may take more than two weeks to heal and can leave a scar after healing.
3. Herpetiform canker sores:These are clusters of multiple small canker sores in one region of the mouth. They heal without scarring, very rare to occur but extremely painful.

Now let’s talk about the causes of canker sores:

Causes of Canker Sores:

No definite cause has been identified and marked as the sole reason for the formation of canker sores. Though it is a common occurrence, research is still being done to understand its underlying cause.

However, there are few possible factors that are usually responsible for a canker sore.

• Injury to the mouth is one of the most prominent cause for simple canker sores. The injury could be from vigorous tooth brushing, biting your cheeks, dental work, braces, dentures, or a sports accident.
• Tissue injury, like from a sharp tooth or a dental appliance
• Acidic foods, including citrus fruits, may provoke a canker sore or make it worse.
• Food sensitivities or allergies (sometimes, highly acidic foods like lemons, oranges, figs to even chocolate and coffee)
• Nutritional problems like diets low in vitamins B12, zinc, folate, or iron
• Toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate
• Allergy to certain bacteria in the mouth
• Hormones or hormonal imbalance
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen
• Emotional stress
• Smoking

• Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that can cause peptic ulcers

• Gastrointestinal tract diseases like Celiac disease or Crohn’s disease

• Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that can cause peptic ulcers
• 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

Symptoms of Canker Sore:

Canker sores are easily detectable. Some of the symptoms you will notice when you have a canker sore are-

• Formation of a white, grey or yellowish small sore inside the mouth, in the lining of your cheeks, on the tongue, inside the lips, or on the soft palate.
• Painful irritation or burning sensation
• Difficulty in chewing because of the irritation
• Difficulty in talking
• Sore will be mostly round with a red edge around it.

If the canker sore is severe, there might be fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes along with the other symptoms.

Canker sores are not very serious problems as they are not contagious. Moreover, they mostly heal by themselves within two weeks.

However, if a canker sore persists for longer than three weeks, it is advised to consult a dentist. Additionally, if the sore develops into the following things, it demands your serious attention and you should see a doctor immediately.

• If the sore is unusually large
• The sore starts spreading
• It lasts longer than three weeks
• It causes extreme pain despite avoiding trigger foods and taking over-the-counter painkillers
• If you have trouble drinking enough fluids
• A high fever

A proper diagnosis can be done by a physical examination of the sore, along with a reading of your medical history. The doctor might suggest you to test your blood to detect any vitamin deficiency that is causing the sores.

Now that you have a fair understanding of what are the symptoms and causes of Canker Sores, let’s look into the treatment for the condition:

Canker Sore Treatment (What Works)

No particular medical treatment is prescribed as the go-to way to cure canker sores. The pain subsides in few days and the sore can heal by itself.

Nevertheless, there are few home remedies which are said to speed up the healing process.

• Alum Powder

Alum powder consists of potassium aluminium sulphate. It’s frequently used to preserve food and to pickle vegetables.

Alum has caustic properties that might help shrink tissues and dry out canker sores. You can follow these steps to cure a canker sore with alum.

1. Create a paste by mixing a tiny amount of alum powder with a drop of water.
2. Dab the paste onto a canker sore.
3. Leave on for at least 1 minute.
4. Rinse your mouth thoroughly.
5. Repeat daily till the sore is gone

• Salt Water Rinse

Although rinsing your mouth with salt water is painful, it is a go-to home remedy for mouth sores of any kind. It may help dry out canker sores.

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in half a cup of warm water.
2. Swirl this solution in your mouth for 15 to 30 seconds, then spit it out.
3. Repeat every few hours as needed.

• Rinse with Baking Soda

Baking soda has a restore pH balance and reduces inflammation, which may heal canker sores.

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 cup of water.
2. Swirl this solution in your mouth for 15 to 30 seconds, then spit it out.
3. Repeat every few hours as needed.

Avoid swallowing baking soda; though it isn’t really harmful but it tastes extremely salty and unpleasant.

• Yogurt

It is a popular belief that some canker sores are caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. There is a 2007 research that shows live probiotic cultures such as lactobacillus may help eradicate H. pylori and treat some types of inflammatory bowel disease. In theory, if either of those conditions cause your canker sores, eating yogurt that contains live probiotic cultures may help. You can eat a cup of yogurt once a day not just to cure your canker sore but also prevent them from happening in future.

• Honey

Honey’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory abilities are effective in reducing canker sore pain, size and redness. It can also help in preventing a secondary infection. Apply honey on the affected area four times a day to help your cause.

• Coconut Oil

Research proves that coconut oil has antimicrobial abilities. It can cure canker sores caused by bacteria and prevents them from spreading further. Coconut oil is also a natural anti-inflammatory and might help reduce redness and pain.

To use, generously apply coconut oil gently to the sore. Reapply several times per day until your canker sore completely vanishes.

• Mouthwash

Several types of mouthwash, both organic and medicinal products, can help to soothe a canker sore. You can use sage leaves, echinacea, chamomile, apple cider vinegar or deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) to wash your mouth. Most of them have anti-inflammatory and anti0bacterial properties and will help to heal the sore.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, there are several cultures who use zinc lozenges, watermelon frost, milk of magnesia, even hydrogen peroxide to cure canker sores. However, not much research has been done to prove its effectiveness.

In case your canker sore does not cure at all, then you should immediately consult a doctor who will advise you to do the following.

•  Oral medications. The ulcer drug sucralfate (Carafate) and the gout drug colchicine (Mitigare) can also treat canker sores. Sometimes, your doctor might prescribe you steroid pills.
• Nutritional supplements. You might need these if a nutrient deficiency is causing your canker sores, such as  Vitamin D Deficiency.
• Cautery. Dental lasers can help you feel better right away. Your doctor can also cauterize sores with chemicals like debacterol or silver nitrate.

How to Prevent a Canker Sore?

There is no proven cure, remedy or even cause for the canker sore. Hence, there is no particular way to prevent it. But if you are someone who frequently gets these painful sores, you can try the following steps to lessen their occurrence.

• Completely avoid foods that irritate your mouth, or cause wear and tear as you eat them, like ice cubes, citrus fruits, acidic vegetables or spicy foods.
• Chewing gum often leads to wear and tear inside the mouth, so try to avoid it.
• Brush your teeth gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush after every meal.
• Floss your teeth daily to clean out food residuals that might trigger sores in your mouth.

Conclusion:

Canker sores might be very common. If you are a woman, you face them more often than men because of hormonal differences. But they sure are painful and cause quite discomfort.

You can not talk properly or eat your favourite food during the whole period of the sore. So, it is always wise to keep looking out for symptoms and treating it the right way before it blows up to cause any more pain and irritation.

If you are still in need of more information about canker sores or any other medical advice,  you can reach out to our team that will provide you more intel on this common yet irritable condition.