A few months ago out of no where I started getting canker sores. It has become more and more frequent and now I have 2! Does anyone else get these? Is there something I can do to prevent them or make them go away?

I always get them when I am not eating right and/or skipping meals.
Maybe they're from a nutritional deficiency of some sort?
Do you take multi-vitamins?

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Actually my diet now is probably better than it's ever been (which isn't saying much). I don't take vitamins though, they have made me sick to my stomach in the past. Maybe I should try them again. I think my mom used to get them too, is it genetic maybe? They're so freakin painful!

What are canker sores?

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I think those are the ones inside the mouth...and then cold sores are the ones outside the mouth?

"canker sores" is a lay term that can be used to suggest ulcers of multiple possible etiologies (causes). There are many possible types of oral ulcers. If you'd like my input, I'd suggest you may want to do it over PM by starting with letting me know the PRECISE location of the ulcers, their duration, size, etc, and any other factors like recent illness, ulcers anywhere else..

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Duh- just when it's getting interesting! *sulks*

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LOL. I can discuss more generally later I think OP may prefer to consult in PM first though@

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'kay!

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i hate canker sores!! especially when braces rub against them! double ouch

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OK, we can discuss now. LOL.

The good news is that Dana's ulcers appear to be ulcers that most people call a 'canker sore' but is really called an Aphthous ulcer. These can present either as solitary isolated ulcers, or in clusters, appear suddenly and rupture into white ulcers with red 'halos'/borders. They appear on non-keratinized mucosa of the mouth, which is essentially the cheek lining and less often the floor of the mouth. They are believed to be viral in nature, though they are not really contagious, and some people just seem more susceptible to them. They tend to rear their ugly head during increased stress, in conjunction with other illness/lack of sleep, and in some people are triggered by certain foods, notably tomatoes and strawberries. These ulcers generally heal within a week unless there is some other underlying medical factor that the patient has (like in HIV/AIDs patients you may see what we call "Major Aphthous Ulcers" which are much larger and unhealing, as associated with the immunosupression of these patients)

The other thing that can be pretty much the same ulcer appearance to the lay eye, which is why I suggested she PM me, is herpes simplex. That virus causes ulcers in a different location (except on first exposure, which is usually as a kid, where the sores can be on absolutely any location in the mouth, and are generally quite numerous and painful, and also causes a flu like syndrome), in that they appear only on what we call keratinized tissue, which is the palate, the gum margins above where they meet with the cheek tissue, the gummy type areas behind your last molars, and less often the tongue. They do not appear on nonkeratinized surfaces like the cheek. An easy way to think of keratinized tissue is as 'unmovable' tissue in there, tissue firmly attached to bone.

Those are the 2 most common causes of oral sores. Other less likely ones would be Coxsackie virus, Crohn's disease, other rare diseases, etc., but you'd have other body symptoms.

You can get over the counter products to sort of cushion the soreness, the best is called Orabase, and I like the Soothe and Seal one best. It's almost like a glue that seals over the sore and takes the sting off. The gel/paste version is not as good in my experience. There is also a prescription called Aphthasol which has been shown to reduce the duration if this is a chronic issue. Aside from that, I suggest L-Lysine supplements you can get in the health food/vitamin store.

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I just gargle with salt water for awhile. It stings but it's worth it swelling down the next day.

Thank you, Pam! I found that interesting, as my bf gets them sometimes (Aphtous ulcers), and I wanted to know what you have to say on this.

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Yeah, some people are just really susceptible to these things!
Fiance gets them all the time and I rarely do. And his (and mine) are always on the lips, usually closer down to where the gums attach. Poor thing, he's always miserable for a week until they start going away.

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