Causes and Home Remedies for Canker Sores

Canker sores are medically known as pathos ulcers or, quite simply, oral ulcers. These ulcers are shallow painful sores in the mouth, which appear red and might have a red or white coating over them. The most prominent places where these sores occur are inside the lips or cheeks, base of the gums or under the tongue. Canker sores should not be confused with blisters which are most commonly found outside the lips or the corners of the mouth.

Cause of Canker Sores

Recurrent canker sores have been associated with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. In these cases, the development of canker sores may signal a flare-up of the bowel disease.

Canker sores can run in families. They may also be linked to problems with the body's immune (defense) system. The sores may occur after a mouth injury due to dental work, aggressive tooth cleaning, or biting the tongue or cheek

Certain strains of the herpes virus cause cold sores. Herpes simplex virus type 1 usually causes cold sores. Herpes simplex virus type 2 is usually responsible for genital herpes. However, either type of the virus can cause sores in the facial area or on the genitals. You get the first episode of herpes infection from another person who has an active lesion. Shared eating utensils, razors and towels may spread this infection.

Female sex hormones also apparently play a role in causing canker sores. Many women experience bouts of the sores only during certain phases of their menstrual cycles. Additionally, most women experience improvement or remission of their canker sores during pregnancy.

Canker sores are thought to form when, for unexplained reasons, a person's immune system identifies the presence of chemical molecules that it does not recognize.

Home Remedies for Canker Sores

Canker sores are not very serious conditions, and they will go away just as naturally as they have appeared. However, there are some remedies that can be done at the household level to get the canker sores treated as soon as possible. The following are some interesting and effective home remedies:-

There are several over-the-counter medications available for the treatment of canker sores. The following are some names of effective brands, which are available at any chemists' shop: Zilactin B, Anbesol, Oragel and Orabase. These medications are effective and their application will keep you away from the terrible irritation that is caused during eating, drinking or even brushing. Lysine is also good for the treatment of canker sores. This is one of the useful canker sores home remedies.

This is another medical home remedy for canker sores that works in a great way at allaying the painful symptoms of canker sores. Mix equal amounts of Milk of Magnesia and the liquid version of Benadryl. Then put a teaspoonful of this solution in your moth. Keep swirling the solution in the mouth for about one minute and then spit it out. Repeat this for about four to six hours on a daily basis. You will be relieved of all the sharp pains, and also your canker sore will heal much faster.

Natural remedy for canker sores - Some medical professionals say that putting wet black tea bags on sores will help them to heal faster. Black tea contains tannin, which is an alkaloid substance that relieves pain.

Prepare a solution with two ounces of hydrogen peroxide and two ounces of water. Put five teaspoonfuls of salt in it, and one teaspoonful of baking soda. Take this mixture in the mouth and swish it repeatedly. Carry this on for about one minute and then spit the liquid out. Doing this four to five times each day will definitely remove your canker sores within a few days. This is one of the useful home remedies for canker sores.