Canker Sores

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What Is Canker Sores

Canker Sores are small, painful ulcers that appear on the inside of the mouth, tongue, lips, or throat, and they most commonly are white, gray, or yellow in color, with a red edge. Most Canker Sores do not require treatment and heal on their own after 10 to 14 days. They are among the most common types of oral lesions, and women tend to experience them more frequently than men do. Canker Sores are not the same as cold sores (fever blisters), which are an infection caused by herpes (HSV1).

Signs Of Canker Sores

Most Canker Sores are round or oval with a white or yellow center. They form inside your mouth, or under your tongue, inside the cheeks or lips, at the base of your gums, or on the soft palate. You may notice a tingling or burning sensation a day or two before the sores actually appear. They are painful, and make it hard to chew or swallow food. Some symptoms are as follows:

Small, oval shaped sore with a red edge
Irritation around the sores
Defined borders with irregular edges
Burning sensation before sores appear

What Causes Canker Sores

There is no clear cause of Canker Sores; however, there are a number of possible triggers. These can include minor injuries from dental work, an accidental cheek bite, food sensitivities (particularly to spicy or acidic foods), a diet lacking in vitamin B-12, iron, or zinc, hormonal shifts, and allergic responses. Other possible causes and risk factors can include:

Food sensitivities (specifically to eggs, cheese, spicy foods, acidic foods, or chocolate)
Hormonal imbalance
Stress
Allergic reaction to bacteria in the mouth
Toothpastes or mouth rinses (that contain sodium lauryl sulfate)
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Celiac disease

Dherbs Approach...adjusting your diet is always key!

Natural Remedies

Baking soda is an alkalizing product that can help neutralize acids that irritate Canker Sores. It can also help kill the bacteria so that your sores heal quickly. Try it at home by rinsing your mouth with a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of warm filtered water. If you don’t have baking soda at home, you can also do the mixture with sea salt, but be warned that you may experience some discomfort when the salt comes in contact with the Canker Sore.
Raw honey is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Because of these properties, it can be an effective food to help reduce Canker Sore pain, size, and redness. It may also help prevent secondary infection. Make sure to use organic raw honey, and to apply it directly onto the Canker Sore four times a day until it disappears.
Hydrogen peroxide can promote the healing of a Canker Sore by cleaning the sore and reducing bacteria in your mouth. You can use it by diluting a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide with equal parts filtered water. Dip a cotton ball or swab into the mixture and apply directly to the sore a few times daily until the sore goes away.
A chamomile compress is used as a natural remedy to heal wounds and ease pain. As such, a chamomile tea bag can serve as a compress to soothe Canker Sores. Simply apply a wet chamomile tea bag to the sore and leave it on for a few minutes. You can also rinse your mouth with freshly brewed chamomile tea, which is a tolerable temperature to swish around comfortably and without irritation to the teeth or gums.

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