Anybody else get canker sores?

geepondy

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I get them all the time although I sometimes go a few months inbetween. Right now I got two of them going at once along with a cold. I wonder if it's a coincidence that I seem to get them more often when I have a cold.

Anybody have any advice on how to prevent them or cut them short? I think swooshing in Listerine seems to help me some if I do it at the beginning. The suckers last a good ten days.
 

BB

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I don't know about your specific question--but in general, sores in the mouth heal quicker if you brush them with your tooth brush while cleaning your teeth.

A nurse told me that once, and I always found it works well and speeds healing (hurts like heck the first time or too on a new sore).

-Bill
 

xochi

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Is this a vitamin deficiancy ? I've had them and I end up chewing them till they bleed, I just can't leave them alone. As frequent as your getting them it sounds like it could be a vitamin deficiency or maybe herpes.
 

paulr

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Canker sores are usually caused by a herpes virus that gets under the skin and stays there forever and periodically erupts. I'd be afraid of brushing it with a toothbrush since the last thing you want to do is spread it to more sites in the mouth. There's stuff you can get at the drugstore (Anbesol?) that numbs the canker sore so it doesn't bother you as much. When I use the stuff, the sore also seems to heal quickly, maybe because I don't poke at/chew on it as much when it's numb.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canker_sore
 

14C

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I think Paulr is correct about the virus. And that Anbesol works for the pain. I have had them off and on since I was a kid. I get them BAD if I get sunburned badly. (lost a chance with a girl becuse it once it screwed up my lip so bad) so I think it has to do with the immune system. They may be supressed normally by the immune system but can flare up when the immune system is compromised as in a vitamin defficiency, sunburn etc.

Stress will do it too.
 

Empath

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We don't want to confuse canker sores with fever blisters. Fever blisters are mostly outside the oral cavity on you lips, or even facial, but near the lips. Fever blisters are herpes simplex I. Canker sores occur within the oral cavity, usually with the "loose" flesh areas. They aren't caused by bacteria or viruses, although such can contribute to the development, as can physical damage such as a rough surface of the teeth, or even an injury from a sharp tortilla shell. They are actually a result of your bodies' immune system mistaking your own cells as foreign. The sores are a result of your immune system attacking the area.
 

14C

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Thanks for the input Empath...

Ahh,...OK..I have had both since I was a child...off and on. I guess I am correct in the assumption that the lip blisters were JUST herpes simplex then?

Since I started being serious about taking vitamin supplements, eating right and watching the sun..I still try to get some....I have had very minimal problems with the sores. The canker sores seem to have disappered altogether also in since then.
 

vcal

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I asked my periodontist if the Herpes virus was responsible for inside the mouth canker sores..-he laughed and said no.

Said it was immuno-system based.

Cure for me was 3% U.S.P. hydrogen peroxide held over the sore for 10 seconds. Always worked...-soreness disappeared after 3-4 hours, and the sore completely disappeares in 2 days.
It even worked when a peroxide soaked Q-tip was used.

-Even tho peroxide isn't the greatest thing for gum tissue, it does no real harm when used occasionally.
 

pedalinbob

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yes, i get canker sores occasionally--darn things hurt.

i have found two products and one home remedy that seem to help.

Rx: Peridex. wonderful stuff, usually used for treatment of gingivitis and other oral hygiene issues. i had a dentist friend give me a huge bottle.

over the counter: Peroxyl by Colgate, i think. worked pretty well.

home remedies: alum. just put a bit on the sore 2 or 3 times per day. has worked surprisingly well.

salt water rinse. seems to work, but i think the alum works better.

oops...remembered another, but i havent tried it. some peoppe swear by baking soda.

Bob
 

Saaby

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Listerine works good for me. Swish but also put some on a Q-Tip and hold against sore for 30-40 seconds.
 

kenny

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I just rub salt right into the wound -- no really! Salt water rinse and then salt right on it -- it works and it is CHEAP -- like me!
 

Kram

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Since I've suffered with these things for years, I'll add my input, as well. When I was young, silver nitrate was used to literally "burn" them away. I understand that that treatment has been out of vogue for quite some time. I've been told that a Lysine deficiency can increase your vulnerability to them, as well.

The only treatment I've found that actually works for me(reduces presence time of the sores from 2 weeks to 2-3 days) is an over-the-counter medication called Zilactin (I'm not certain I got the spelling correct). Unfortunately, it's a bit pricey, but the tiny tube lasts for a long time (if you can keep up with it).

The peroxide is about the only treatment listed here that I haven't tried.

Good luck!

Mark
 
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