If you suffer from canker sores, then you know how painful and irritating these recurring ulcerated mouth sores can be. They appear on the inside of your mouth - on the tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth), or inside your cheeks, and are round, white, or gray in color, with a red edge or border.
It's frustrating that there seems to be no consensus on what causes them, or if they can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, allergic reactions to food, a vitamin deficiency, or if they are contagious.
Try to determine the next time you get a canker sore, what events occurred just prior to the eruption. Were you tired or under stress? Did you have a dental appointment that might have been a little painful? Did you eat something acidic, like a lemon or tomato? If you can zero in on a recurring pattern, you are on the way to relief.
IS IT A VIRAL INFECTION? If your canker sores occur after a dental procedure or other painful experience in the mouth area, for example, biting the inside of your cheek, or when you are experiencing stress, are over-tired, or receiving chemo therapy or radiation treatments, consider a virus as the culprit.
Anti-viral Treatments:
Propolis - Produced by bees, propolis is used as a construction material in bee hives, comprised of a complex of chemicals (especially flavonoids), which play a role as an antiviral agent. Some individuals have allergic reactions to Propolis, and for them, this would not be a good choice.
Slippery Elm - Mix this herbal powder with water to create a paste, and smear it directly on the canker sore a few times a day. In some people, this mixture completely heals the canker sore.
Canker Sores Begone - You might want to try this superb, topical herbal product in a pocket-size bottle that you can take with you throughout the day. Feedback from clients, many of my readers, and that of my own personal experience is that it does work as promised.
FOOD ALLERGIES. When you eat acidic food such as a tomato, citrus fruit, strawberries, grapes, chocolate, certain nuts, spicy or salty food, sugar or coffee, do you get a canker sore? If the answer is yes, or I think so, try one or both (but not at the same time) of the following suggestions:
Eliminate the suspected foods for a few weeks, and then reintroduce them one at a time to see which one triggers a canker. This may take a little self-discipline, but it's well worth the experiment.
Food elimination may be too difficult for some people, so another way to go is nutritional supplementation. Buffered Vitamin C taken daily will reduce the level of histamines in your body. Take 1,000-1,200 milligrams. To enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C, take 100 milligrams of grapeseed extract daily which will help work as a preventative, or if there's an existing canker sore, allow for quicker healing.
VITAMIN DEFICIENCY OPTIONS - Because research shows that if you are deficient in thiamin, it can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. As a preventative, and on a daily basis, take 100 milligrams of thiamin.
A High-Potency Multivitamin - If purchased at a health food store, it should give you the nutrients necessary to prevent canker sores. Take 800 micrograms of folic acid, 500-1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of iron, and 20 milligrams of zinc. If your multivitamin doesn't include all you need, add what's needed to make up the difference.
If nothing has worked from the previous recommendations, don't worry. Here are two additional methods from which many people have found success:
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) - This is a form of the herb known as licorice. It has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds the healing process, and soothes the discomfort of canker sores. Take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. Use until the sore heals.
Tea Bag - Tannin from tea may relieve the pain almost instantly. Hold a used tea bag against the sore for a few minutes. Repeat a few times daily until healed.
In deciding upon which of these options to try, be patient and persistent. If one remedy doesn't seem to work, try another. Finding a solution will be worth it, wouldn't you agree?
It's frustrating that there seems to be no consensus on what causes them, or if they can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, allergic reactions to food, a vitamin deficiency, or if they are contagious.
Try to determine the next time you get a canker sore, what events occurred just prior to the eruption. Were you tired or under stress? Did you have a dental appointment that might have been a little painful? Did you eat something acidic, like a lemon or tomato? If you can zero in on a recurring pattern, you are on the way to relief.
IS IT A VIRAL INFECTION? If your canker sores occur after a dental procedure or other painful experience in the mouth area, for example, biting the inside of your cheek, or when you are experiencing stress, are over-tired, or receiving chemo therapy or radiation treatments, consider a virus as the culprit.
Anti-viral Treatments:
Propolis - Produced by bees, propolis is used as a construction material in bee hives, comprised of a complex of chemicals (especially flavonoids), which play a role as an antiviral agent. Some individuals have allergic reactions to Propolis, and for them, this would not be a good choice.
Slippery Elm - Mix this herbal powder with water to create a paste, and smear it directly on the canker sore a few times a day. In some people, this mixture completely heals the canker sore.
Canker Sores Begone - You might want to try this superb, topical herbal product in a pocket-size bottle that you can take with you throughout the day. Feedback from clients, many of my readers, and that of my own personal experience is that it does work as promised.
FOOD ALLERGIES. When you eat acidic food such as a tomato, citrus fruit, strawberries, grapes, chocolate, certain nuts, spicy or salty food, sugar or coffee, do you get a canker sore? If the answer is yes, or I think so, try one or both (but not at the same time) of the following suggestions:
Eliminate the suspected foods for a few weeks, and then reintroduce them one at a time to see which one triggers a canker. This may take a little self-discipline, but it's well worth the experiment.
Food elimination may be too difficult for some people, so another way to go is nutritional supplementation. Buffered Vitamin C taken daily will reduce the level of histamines in your body. Take 1,000-1,200 milligrams. To enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C, take 100 milligrams of grapeseed extract daily which will help work as a preventative, or if there's an existing canker sore, allow for quicker healing.
VITAMIN DEFICIENCY OPTIONS - Because research shows that if you are deficient in thiamin, it can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. As a preventative, and on a daily basis, take 100 milligrams of thiamin.
A High-Potency Multivitamin - If purchased at a health food store, it should give you the nutrients necessary to prevent canker sores. Take 800 micrograms of folic acid, 500-1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of iron, and 20 milligrams of zinc. If your multivitamin doesn't include all you need, add what's needed to make up the difference.
If nothing has worked from the previous recommendations, don't worry. Here are two additional methods from which many people have found success:
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) - This is a form of the herb known as licorice. It has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds the healing process, and soothes the discomfort of canker sores. Take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. Use until the sore heals.
Tea Bag - Tannin from tea may relieve the pain almost instantly. Hold a used tea bag against the sore for a few minutes. Repeat a few times daily until healed.
In deciding upon which of these options to try, be patient and persistent. If one remedy doesn't seem to work, try another. Finding a solution will be worth it, wouldn't you agree?
About the Author:
The herbs and vitamins are available in health food stores. Canker Sores Begone can be purchased online at www.csbegone.com, (888) 877-6315. Author: Janet Malley is a natural healing teacher and writer living and working in Southern California. Contact her at janetmalley@gmail.com.
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