Curing Mouth Sores

Mouth sores generally vary widely in their level of severity. They can range from mild lesions on the inside of the mouth and on the gum to painful infected sores. The severity of the mouth sore will ultimately determine its treatment.

The first thing to know is that mild mouth sores can be treated at home and don’t usually last for more than two weeks. Gargling a glass of salt water can be a simple and effective way to get rid of them or at least ease the discomfort.

It is also possible to find a range of brands in a local pharmacy that will both eliminate mouth sores or reduce the possibility of infection.

The severity of the mouth sore can often depend on whether or not an underlying illness exists. When the mouth sore becomes more severe it is known as a canker sore and statistics show that women are more susceptible to this type of sore than men.

This type of mouth sore can be related to a variety of causes. For example, they might be a side-effect of another virus. They could be the result of a temporary weakness in the immune system. Other common causes for this type of mouth sore are hormonal changes, stress and low level of vitamin B12.

Other causes for more severe cases of mouth sores include infections such as foot and mouth disease, autoimmune disorders such as lupus, bleeding disorders, cancer and AIDS. In these cases it will be necessary to see a doctor and subscribe to a course of antibiotics.

The presence of any of these factors will ultimately determine the course of action to treat the mouth sore. That said there are a number of standard treatments in place.

To relieve the pain a topical anaesthetic can be applied to the infected area however this option cannot be used on children. If the mouth sore is a result of oral thrush which is a yeast infection, an antifungal medication can be used.

If the mouth sore takes the form of herpes lesions, then an antiviral medication can be used while anti-inflammatory medications work well on persistent canker sores and more severe mouth sores. They not reduce pain but calm swelling.

Whether or not you do have an underlying illness, if you feel the mouth sore is lasting too long or causing an unreasonable amount of pain, the first thing to do is to go the doctor as soon as possible as early treatment is the most effective cure for mouth sores.