Canker sore is common ulcerous growth on the tongue in which small lesions are found on the oral cavity. It may grow inside the lips or on the cheek portion. The bumps will have defined red border that surrounds the white particle. Canker sores are painful and it may cause difficulty in eating and talking. Often, group of lesions or sores are formed on the tongue. However it is not contagious. Canker sores are common among people of any age, since it can grow in children, men and women.
Causes :
It is believed to be hereditary and you have more chance of getting canker sore if your parents had it. Some people may develop sores on the tongue when they become emotional or stressed. Women get these bumps during the onset of monthly periods.
Individuals who have teeth braces are likely to get canker sores. Some people may hurt their mouth during fall or accidents and are prone to develop sores.
Food allergy is also another reason for canker sore. Acidity can damage the soft tissues of oral cavity causing lesions or sores. If you are lacking vitamins it can affect your tissues causing canker sore.
Symptoms :
It starts as a tiny yellowish ulcer like growth on the tongue or inside the lips. The size of the sore may differ from small to large. They have a clear border with white center part and often they grow on clusters.
Initially it starts as tingling sensation in the mouth and there may be pain while swallowing. Some people may have discomfort in eating and drinking due to intense pain caused by canker sore. The sores may last for a week or 10 days but for some people it may take 3-4 weeks for complete healing. Canker sore does not leave any scar on the affected area.
Diagnoses :
Mere physical examination is enough to identify canker sores. Your doctor or dentist will make right diagnoses on seeing the sores in the affected area.
Prevention :
You can prevent getting canker sores by maintaining healthy diet. Avoid taking too much of acidic diet like orange juice or lemon. Be careful while brushing your teeth since the bristles may hurt the gums or cheek causing painful sores. Reduce the intake of potato chips since fine particles of it can stick on the gums causing sores. Exposure to hot climate and working in hot environment increases the risk of getting canker sores.
Pictures of Canker Sore on Tongue :
Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Canker Sore on Tongue
Treatment :
Often, canker sores do not require any treatment and it will heal on their own after some days. Take plenty of soft foods that are easy to swallow. Use yogurt in your daily meal plan. Avoid eating salty or spicy foods since it may aggravate the sore causing more pain.
Instead of eating full food, you can break them into small pieces which become easy to swallow. Avoid having cool drinks, coffee or tea for few days. Drink plenty of water and take popsicles.
Some fluids like coffee or hot tea can cause stinging pain on the sore when it touches the sore. Hence avoid having such drinks until it heals completely.
You can use lukewarm salt water for rinsing the mouth since salt has the potential to heal the wound. You can apply over the counter crams that contain anbesol or orabase. You can dip the cotton swab in the medicine and apply it on the sore and leave for few minutes.
In case of severe pain, you can take aspirin or ibuprofen for getting relief from pain.
If you did not get relief with these home remedies you can consult your doctor. He would suggest medicines that can be gargled or swished inside the mouth for reducing the pain. Steroid ointments like fluocinonide or almexanox is prescribed for canker sore along with gentle mouthwash. He may prescribe hydrogen peroxide gel that is effective in killing the germs and healing canker sores. Anesthetic mouth gels like benzocaine can also be used.
You need to monitor the health condition to identify what exactly causes canker sores, so that you can avoid them in future. Take plenty of vitamins in your diet and in particular take required quantities of iron and zinc.