Why Do I Get Mouth Ulcers

What Is A Canker Sore

A canker sore is a small, shallow open wound in your mouth that can make eating and talking uncomfortable. Theyâre also known as aphthous ulcers. There are a few types of canker sores:

• Minor canker sores. These may show up three or four times a year. They typically happen in people ages 10 to 20. Theyâre less than 1 centimeter across and heal in about a week with no scarring.
• Major canker sores. These are less common. The ulcers are bigger and can last more than 2 weeks. They often heal with scarring.
• Herpetiform canker sores. These are rare and show up as clusters of tiny ulcers. They usually heal in about a week.

Who Gets Canker Sores

Canker sores usually begin showing up between the ages of 10 and 20, although they can happen at any time in a person’s life. They’re fairly common: About 1 in 5 people get them on a regular basis.

About twice as many women as men get them. Doctors think that may be due to the differences in male and female hormones, especially because women often get them during certain times in their menstrual cycle.

Folate Deficiency And Anemia

A folate deficiency is caused by not having enough folate, also known as vitamin B9. Folate is an important B vitamin used to make and repair DNA. Its critical to proper development in embryos. Being deficient in folate can also lead to folate deficiency anemia.

Anemia occurs when your supply of red blood cells is too low. When your red blood cells are reduced, damaged, or impaired, you may have problems transporting enough oxygen throughout your body. It can have an impact on different organ systems in your body.

Both folate deficiency and anemia can cause mouth sores. While folate deficiency can cause anemia, other types of anemia, like iron deficiency anemia, can cause mouth sores as well. These sores may look like small mouth ulcers or canker sores and be white, gray, yellow, or red in color.

• gastrointestinal conditions such as ulcers, IBS, and cancer

Chronic anemia may be related to autoimmune diseases, inherited genetic conditions, overexposure to lead, and other conditions.

You May Like: What Happens When You Have A Bleeding Ulcer

What Can I Expect If I Have Oral Cancer

Oral cancer includes cancer in your mouth. Like most forms of cancer, early diagnosis and treatment improve the chance that oral cancer will spread. Approximately 1/3 of people treated for oral cancer develop new a cancer. If youve been treated for oral cancer, talk to your healthcare provider about follow-up examinations.

What Does It Mean If I Get Recurring Mouth Ulcers

• What Does it Mean if I Get Recurring Mouth Ulcers?

Thats what dental clinics like ours at Crescent Heights are here for: to assess and diagnose any oral health problems. Plus, regular dentist visits keep your mouth fresh and healthy and teach you about oral hygiene, so that you can go about your day with a clean and painless smile. Book an appointment with us today if youre concerned about mouth ulcers, and keep reading to learn why you might get them.

In this post, well explain how to diagnose and understand recurring mouth ulcers, assess why they keep coming back and offer tips on how to get rid of them quickly and potentially stop them from reoccurring.

Don’t Miss: List Of Foods To Avoid With Ulcerative Colitis

Triggers For Cold Sores

In some people the HSV infection causes cold sores, which erupt following a trigger event such as a cold. This explains the term cold sore. Other triggers that may cause an attack of cold sores include:

• feverish illnesses, like influenza, or chest infections
• hormonal changes, such as the menstrual period
• emotional or physical stress.

It is important to remember that cold sores are a symptom of ongoing infection rather than a new infection. The sores usually recur in the same place.

What Causes Mouth Ulcers And How To Treat Them

Dr. Cirenia Aparicio |

What causes mouth ulcers? Mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, are small and uncomfortable lesions that appear in your mouth and on your gums. Mouth ulcers can make drinking, eating, chewing, and talking a very painful experience.

Although mouth ulcers arent contagious and usually disappear within one to two weeks, you need to see your dentist.

It is necessary to mention that every time you notice something different in your teeth and mouth, you should always visit your dentist for a regular check-up and a diagnosis to avoid complications at a later point. Going to your dentist can help you prevent many dental problems that germs and bacterias can cause.

Ulcers may appear on the tongue and the inner tissues of your mouth, such as inner cheeks, on your lips, and even your throat. These wounds are usually gray, white, or yellow, with a red border surrendering them.

Also Check: How To Gain Weight With Ulcerative Colitis

Crohns Disease And Ulcerative Colitis And Digesting Food

Your mouth and stomach break down food by mechanical and chemical means. When the food has reached a pulp-like consistency, it is slowly released into the first part of the small intestine . The food is then massaged along the length of the small intestine. Organs like the pancreas and the gall bladder make digestive enzymes to further break down the food into its simpler components.

• Crohns disease an inflamed ileum impairs absorption of vitamin B12 and bile salts. Inflammation along the length of the small intestine impairs absorption of all food nutrients. Inflammation of the large bowel impairs water absorption, causing diarrhoea.
• Ulcerative colitis digestion and absorption are generally not affected. Inflammation of the large bowel impairs water absorption, causing diarrhoea.

Other factors that may affect your nutritional status include:

• Medication some medication used to treat IBD may lessen your appetite and interfere with the absorption of certain nutrients, such as folic acid.
• Inflammation your body needs greater amounts of nutrients in order to cope with inflammation and fever.
• Surgery some people with IBD need surgery to remove parts of their small intestine. This lessens nutrient absorption.

Can Canker Sores Be Prevented

Although there is no cure for canker sores and they often recur, you may be able to reduce their frequency by:

• Avoiding foods that irritate your mouth, including acidic, hot or spicy foods.
• Avoiding irritation from gum chewing.
• Brushing with a soft-bristled brush after meals and flossing daily. This will keep your mouth free of foods that might trigger a sore.
• Avoiding oral hygiene products containing sodium lauryl sulfate.

You should call your doctor or dentist if you have:

• Unusually large sores.

Read Also: Crohns Versus Ulcerative Colitis Pathology

Don’t Miss: What Is Moderate Ulcerative Colitis

Why Do I Keep Getting Mouth Ulcers And How Can I Prevent Them

Mouth ulcers are painful round or oval sores that appear in the mouth, on the inner cheeks, lips, or on the tongue. Although the problem is usually non-threatening and resolves without intervention, mouth ulcers are a source of considerable discomfort, making it difficult to brush your teeth, eat food, or even drink fluids.

While traumatic ulcers that appear in isolation are obviously caused by trauma to the mouth, there is still little understanding about the underlying causes of mouth ulcers in most other cases.

Nevertheless, there are certain possible triggers and conditions that experts believe could cause recurrent mouth ulcers.

Pharmacy First Scotland: Mouth Ulcer Treatment From Your Pharmacy

If you have a mouth ulcer you can get advice and treatment directly from a pharmacy. Find your local pharmacy on Scotland’s Service Directory.

Mouth ulcers can be painful, which can make it uncomfortable to eat, drink or brush your teeth.

It’s usually safe to treat mouth ulcers at home, although your pharmacist may advise that yousee your GP or dentist if:

• your mouth ulcer has lasted three weeks
• you keep getting mouth ulcers
• your mouth ulcer becomes more painful or red this could be a sign of a bacterial infection, which may need treatment with antibiotics

Mouth ulcers are also a possible symptom of a viral infection that mainly affects young children, called hand, foot and mouth disease. Speak to your GP or call the NHS 24 service if you’re unsure.

Read about the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Recommended Reading: What Not To Eat With An Ulcer

Get Organised With Food Planning

Planning ahead can make changing your dietary habits a whole lot easier:

• Make a shopping list before you shop and plan what meals youre going to eat and when.
• Keep a filled fruit bowl at home for fast, low-kilojoule snacks.
• Vary your meals. You may get bored and lose motivation if you dont try different ingredients and recipes.
• Search the internet to find interesting and easy recipes and cooking tips have a read of these tasty recipes.
• Cook in bulk to save time for example, soups, stews, casseroles and bolognese sauce are all easy to cook a lot of, and then freeze in portions for later use.
• Eat breakfast every day so youre less likely to snack on occasional foods at morning tea. A wholemeal or wholegrain breakfast cereal that is low in sugar, served with low-fat milk, can provide plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Other fast and healthy options include yoghurt or wholemeal toast.

Effects Of Crohns Disease And Ulcerative Colitis

Every person responds differently to IBD. The severity of symptoms will vary from time to time and from person to person. IBD is not a progressive disease . Rather, flare-ups can range from mild to severe and back to mild again. Some people will experience periods of relief from symptoms in between flare-ups.We cannot predict how long a person will stay free from symptoms, or when their next flare-up will occur. Some flare-ups settle down quite quickly with treatment. Other times, it may take months for a persons symptoms to respond to treatment.IBD interferes with a persons normal body functions. Signs and symptoms can include:

• pain in the abdomen
• delayed or impaired growth in children.

Also Check: What Are The Symptoms Of An Ulcer In The Esophagus

Sign Of Another Infection

If you or your child have several mouth ulcers, this can be a symptom of:

• hand, foot and mouth disease – a contagious illness that also causes a rash on the hands and feet
• oral lichen planus – a condition that causes a white, lacy pattern inside the cheeks
• thrush infection – a fungal infection that can cause white curd-like blisters

Inflammation In Other Areas

Some people with IBD have painful inflammation in other areas of the body, including:

• joints of the fingers, hands, feet, ankles and knees
• joints of the spine, including vertebrae and sacroiliac joints

Two specific skin problems that can occur as a result of IBD are:

• pyoderma gangrenosum small, sunken ulcers on the skin
• erythema nodosum painful, small, reddened nodules on the skin .

You May Like: Is Ulcerative Colitis And Colitis The Same Thing

Restaurant Meals And Takeaway Foods

Restaurant meals and takeaway foods are often high in saturated fat, added salt, added sugars, and kilojoules.

Think about how often you consume food and drinks prepared outside the home. If youre doing this regularly, consider cutting back and focusing more on the 5 major food groups. That doesnt mean you have to stop completely.

Suggestions for reducing saturated fat in takeaway food options include:

• Try ordering a takeaway meal without the fries.
• Choose bread-based options like wraps, kebabs, souvlaki or hamburgers.
• Avoid deep fried and pastry options.
• Include extra vegetables and salad.
• Choose smaller portions or share with someone else and add a green salad to reduce the kilojoules of the meal.
• Limit high fat, high salt sauces and toppings like cheese, fatty meats and mayonnaise remember, you can ask for less.
• Choose tomato-based pasta sauces, rather than cream-based sauces.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Dont upsize unless its with a side salad.

Fast foods that have relatively low levels of saturated fat and added salt include:

• pizzas with less cheese and meat
• grilled chicken burgers or wraps
• grilled, lean meat hamburgers, with no cheese or bacon additions
• grilled fish burgers.

Healthy Eating On A Budget

Healthy doesnt mean expensive. Here are some ways to save money on food:

• Cook extra for the evening meal so you can use the leftovers for a quick meal the following night or for lunch.
• Cook double the amount then freeze what is left over in meal-size portions.
• Shop at the local markets close to closing time for discounted fruit, vegetable and meat bargains.
• Buy in bulk and freeze in smaller portion sizes to use as required.
• Use cheaper cuts of meat for curries and casseroles for long slow cooking, then add extra vegetables and beans to make the meal go further.
• One-pot dishes where you throw everything in together save energy, time, money and washing up.
• Watch out for supermarket specials of staples and stock up on them when they are cheap. Bread can be frozen for at least two months, and items such as pasta and rice have a long shelf life.
• Limit takeaway foods they can be expensive, high in fat, high in salt, low in nutrition, and leave you hungry again a few hours after you eat them.
• Buy fresh produce in season its often cheaper as its grown locally and fresher.

Don’t Miss: How To Cure Colon Ulcers

Food’s A Factor But Not The Cause

It may seem like you get mouth ulcers after you eat certain foods, but it’s more likely that eating and drinking just makes you more aware of the ulcers thanks to that stinging and burning sensation.

“This can lead people to correlating eating a particular food with getting mouth ulcers, but the food isn’t the cause,” Professor McCullough said.

“If you’ve got an ulcer and you have something spicy, citrus, anything acidic, then you’ll definitely notice the ulcers.

“But poor nutrition is an extra factor on top of the underlying immune response linked to mouth ulcers.”

There is some evidence of a link between recurrent ulcers and deficiencies in micronutrients, such as vitamin B12, folic acid and iron, but Professor McCullough said it’s not yet conclusive.

A very small number of people with aphthous ulcers about 2 to 3 per cent will get them after eating certain foods, but this could also be due to a contact allergy.

“Sometimes it can be things within foods like preservatives, but it’s very hard to pinpoint,” Professor McCullough said, adding that he was not aware of any link between mouth ulcers and sugar consumption.

Milk Yoghurt Cheese And/or Alternatives

Milk, yoghurt and cheese should mostly be reduced fat.

One standard serve is:

• 1 cup fresh, UHT long-life, reconstituted powdered milk or buttermilk
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 2 slices or one 4 x 3 x 2 cm cube of hard cheese, such as cheddar
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ¾ cup yoghurt
• 1 cup soy, rice or other cereal drink with at least 100 mg of added calcium per 100 ml.

If you do not eat any foods from this group, the following foods contain about the same amount of calcium as a serve of milk, yoghurt, cheese or alternatives:

• 100 g almonds with skin
• 60 g sardines, canned, in water
• ½ cup canned pink salmon with bones
• 100 g firm tofu .

Be mindful that some of these contain more kilojoules , especially the nuts.

Read Also: Venous Leg Ulcer Dressing Treatment

Canker Sore Causes And Risk Factors

Doctors donât know what exactly causes most canker sores.

Things that might cause minor sores include:

• Tissue injury, like from a sharp tooth or a dental appliance
• Certain foods, including citrus or acidic fruits and vegetables
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen
• An allergy to something in your food or in your toothpaste or mouthwash
• Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that can cause peptic ulcers

Things that might cause complex canker sores include:

• An underlying health condition like a weakened immune system, HIV/AIDS, lupus, or Behcetâs disease
• Nutritional problems like too little vitamin B12, zinc, folic acid, or iron
• Gastrointestinal diseases like celiac or Crohnâs

About 1 in 5 people gets canker sores regularly. Theyâre more common in women, possibly because of hormonal differences. They may also run in families.

How Do Healthcare Providers Treat Oral Cancer

The three main treatment options for oral are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Talk to your doctor about the purpose, side effects and ways to manage side effects for all of your options.

Your healthcare provider considers several factors before recommending treatment. Those factors include:

• The kind of oral cancer that you have.
• If the oral cancer you have has spread from the original site to other parts of your mouth and throat or other parts of your body.
• Your general health.

Recommended Reading: Eye Drops For Eye Ulcer

What Is Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is the broad term for cancer that affects the inside of your mouth. Oral cancer can look like a common problem with your lips or in your mouth, like white patches or sores that bleed. The difference between a common problem and potential cancer is these changes dont go away. Left untreated, oral cancer can spread throughout your mouth and throat to other areas of your head and neck. Approximately 63% of people with oral cavity cancer are alive five years after diagnosis.