Mouth ulcers
Although most mouth ulcers should technically be classed as a minor irritation, anyone who has suffered from one (and most of us will at some point in our lives*) will tell you that they can be really quite painful.
What is a mouth ulcer?
The chances are you will feel a mouth ulcer before you spot one. Perhaps you've experienced pain or discomfort when eating, drinking or brushing your teeth? If you look inside your mouth, you might see a tell-tale round/oval lesion (it could be anywhere in the mouth - inside the lips, cheeks, on the floor of the mouth or under the tongue) that can look white, yellow or grey in colour and is surrounded by reddish-pink inflammation.
There are three types of mouth ulcer, or aphthous ulcer, as they are otherwise known.
- A minor ulcer is the most common (accounting for about 80% of cases). These are small (just 2-8mm in diameter) and will normally heal within 10 - 14 days*.
- Major ulcers - as you would expect - are deeper and larger. They may be 1cm or more in diameter and usually have a raised or irregular border. These can take weeks to heal and may leave a scar.
- Finally herpetiform ulcers are clusters of up to 100 pinhead sized sores. These tiny ulcers often fuse together to form larger, irregular shaped sores which are extremely painful. Approximately 5-10% of mouth ulcers are herpetiform*.
I seem to get them so often!
Around 20% of the population suffers from recurrent ulcers - often as a response to our busy, stressful lifestyles. But there may be other reasons too including hormonal changes (women tend to suffer from more ulcers when they have their period), allergies, nutritional deficiencies, medicines and certain diseases that affect our immune system.
Unfortunately recurrent ulcers also seem to run in families - around 40% of people who have recurrent mouth ulcers have a family history of the condition. If both your parents have recurrent mouth ulcers, there is a 90% chance that you will suffer too*.
*NHS Direct - http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/languages/Download.aspx?id=12331
Top foods to avoid!
Do your best to avoid aggravating an ulcer and making it sting by steering clear of the following foods:
- Salt
- Curry
- Hot drinks
- Tangy sweets
- Anything with a rough texture, such as crispy toast
