Do You Have Mouth Sores?

The first think to know is that there are two kinds of more common mouth sores. The first are cold sores and the second are known as canker sores.

Cold sores result from the herpes virus that can lie dormant in the body for years only flaring up at time when the sufferer is stressed out or feeling ill. Cold sores are highly contagious.

Canker sores are not contagious but can be more severe and painful. There are lots of factors that will contribute to the potential onset of this type of mouth sore.

Firstly they can simply be caused by biting down on your tongue, lip or cheek. Any action that is abrasive against the skin and can cause lesions in the mouth can lead to mouth sores.

For the same reason, if you wear dentures, have orthodontic braces or jagged teeth it’s possible to cause a tear in the skin. If that tear or lesion gets infected, the result is mouth sores.

The early signs of mouth sores are redness or swelling in the mouth, which can transform into a puss filled blister if it gets infected.

There are certain factors that will make you more susceptible to mouth sores.

For example, if you are female you will have a higher likelihood of getting them. That’s because hormonal changes in the body are a cause of mouth sores and month to month women experience greater variety in hormone levels.

Lifestyle is also important. Those that live high stress lives with little time for sleep or eating properly are more likely to have weakened immune systems making them more open to the infections and viruses that cause mouth sores.

Mouth sores can be a sign of another underlying illness such as lupus, cancer or AIDS. Generally this is not the case, but if you have mouth sores that last longer than ten days, it is advisable to visit the doctor.

If caught in the early stages, treating mouth sores can be relatively easy. Gargle with salt water or add sodium bicarbonate to this mix to create a paste which can then be applied to the infected area.

If the mouth sore is causing a lot of pain, it is possible to take standard pain killers. Milk of magnesia, which most households have, is also good for soothing the pain of mouth sores.