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#BlogchatterA2Z- “M”- Mouth ulcer: causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment!

Mouth ulcer: causes, symptoms and homeopathic treatment
Mouth ulcer: causes, symptoms and homeopathic treatment

This is day 13 of #BlogchatterA2Z and as alphabet “M”, I am talking about “Mouth ulcer”.  

 What is mouth ulcer? What are their types? What are the different causes and symptoms of mouth ulcers? And how can we treat it with help of homeopathic medicine? Read the post to know more.  

What is mouth ulcer? 

 A mouth ulcer is an ulcer on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, usually appears as a small, painful lesion, white or pink in color. Mouth ulcers are very common occurring in association with different diseases and by many different mechanisms.  They may form individually or multiple ulcers may appear at the same time.  

Mouth ulcers often cause pain and discomfort and may make eating, drinking and talking uncomfortable. Women, adolescents and people with a family history of mouth ulcers are at higher risk of developing mouth ulcers. 

 though they are uncomfortable, but usually they are harmless and go within 1-2 weeks. Rarely there is any serious underlying cause detected. However, if these ulcers are large, painful or last for a long time without healing then you should seek professional medical advice for further treatment. 

Types of mouth ulcers 

There are mainly 3 types of mouth ulcers.    

  •  Major Aphthous ulcer  
  • Minor aphthous ulcer 
  • Herpetiform ulcer 

Minor aphthous ulcer– these are small, round or oval and most common type of mouth ulcer. They are less than 10 mm in size and heal within one to two weeks with no scarring. They are not very painful. 

Major Aphthous ulcer – they are larger in size (usually 10mm or larger) and deeper than minor ones. Usually, 1or 2 appear at a time. They are very painful and can take up to six weeks to heal.  They leave scar while healing. 

Herpetiform ulcer– multiple ulcers occur at the same time but some ulcers may join together and form irregular shapes. They appear in the clusters of 10 to 100.  Each ulcer lasts 1 week to 2 months. 

Symptoms of mouth ulcer 

These are:     

  • Redness, soreness, pain and burning inside the mouth.        
  • Swollen skin around the sore      
  •  Tenderness     
  •  Difficulty in chewing, talking 
  • Loss of appetite 

 Causes of Mouth ulcers 

causes of mouth ulcers
Causes of mouth ulcer

Image source: sabkadentist.com.

There are no fixed causative factors that cause mouth ulcers. But still, there are few factors that may act as a trigger. These factors may be classified into following categories: 

General Causes 

  • Poor oral hygiene. 
  •  Higher level of stress, anxiety and lack of sleep 
  • Hormonal changes during menstruation 
  • Food allergies and food sensitivities to certain acidic foods such as strawberries, pineapples or eating certain foods such as spicy food, almonds, cheese, and white flour may trigger the onset of mouth ulcers. 
  •  Genetic factor plays a vital role in developing mouth ulcers. People with the strong family history of mouth ulcers often suffer from the mouth ulcers 
  • Iron or deficiency of vitamin B12 or folic acid may be a factor in some cases. 
  • Toothpaste containing sodium lauryl Sulpha 

 Mechanical causes 

Apart from general causes, mechanical factors are main responsible factors that cause mouth ulcers. This includes: 

  •  Accidently biting the inside of your cheek while eating 
  • Poorly fitting dentures 
  • Hard or hot food 
  •  Injury from a toothbrush (improper brushing) 
  • Sharp tooth or any other teeth related issues 
  • A defective feeling 

 Systemic Causes 

 Mouth ulcers may be associated with certain disease conditions.  Such as: 

  • Microbial diseases– herpetic stomatitis, chicken pox, syphilis, tuberculosis, fungal infections, herpes zoster, hand mouth and foot disease, human immunodeficiency virus infection, infectious mononucleosis, acute necrotizing gingivitis, herpangina 
  • Gastrointestinal diseases– celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis 
  • Malignant neoplasms blood disorder– anemia, leukemia, and neutropenia 
  • Rheumatoid diseases– lupus erythematosus, Reiter’s disease, Bechet’s disease 
  • Cutaneous diseases– pemphigus, chronic ulcerative stomatitis, lichen planus, erythema multiformis 

Drugs and medication 

Mouth ulcers can be caused by certain medications or treatment. Such as 

  •  Cytotoxic agent 
  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibrufen 
  • Nicorandil- a medication that is used for treating angina.  
  • Beta blockers- used to treat high blood pressure, angina and abnormal heart rhythm 
  •  A side effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy 

  Self-care for mouth ulcers 

 Usually, mouth ulcers are the self-limiting condition. they tend to clear up by themselves within a week or two.  However, self-care and home remedies may ease pain and discomfort.  These are:      

  •  Maintain good oral hygiene  
  •  Use a soft toothbrush for brushing your teeth       
  • Apply honey or glycerin on affected area.  
  • You make take multivitamin and zinc supplements ( it works, when cause of ulcer formation is nutritional deficiency) 
  •  Avoid  eating hot, spicy, hard or acidic food until the ulcers heal   
  •   Use a straw to drink 
  •  Avoid using toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulphate  
  • You may use lozenges, mouthwashes to ease the pain and for quick healing       
  • Stop the medication if you suspect the medication is causing the ulcer. Talk to your doctor about other alternative medication. 
  • Consuming a balanced diet rich in vitamins ( specially A, B12, C and E).  
  • Go for regular dental check  

 Homeopathic Treatment 

 Homeopathic medicines are very effective in treatment of mouth ulcers and works wonderfully when symptoms match perfectly. You can use it as “at home treatment option”, when the infection is not severe, but for recurrent and severe infections professional advice is recommended.  

Here are some good homeopathic medicines that works great in treating mouth ulcers. 

Borax 

borax 30
Borax 30

Image source: distacart.com 

Borax is first and top-grade homeopathic remedy for treating mouth ulcers. It is suitable for recurrent and painful cancer sore. When there is dryness of mouth present with rapid formation of mouth ulcers, Borax works great.  the ulcer also presents in tongue and inside the cheeck with pain and burning. 

 Borax is also a great remedy for treating mouth ulcers in babies. When baby’s mouth is so sore that he loses its hold of the nipple or bottle, borax is the remedy to prescribe.  

Dose: 30 c or 3X potency, 5-6 globules, 2-3 times a day 

Mer. sol 

Mer.sol 30
Mercurius sol 30

Image source: distacart.com 

Mercurius solubillis is second important remedy for treating mouth ulcers. It has exact opposite symptom of borx. Along with ulcers, when  there is increased salivation present with bleeding gum, mer. Sol. Is the remedy to use. Also, there is metalic taste in mouth with coated tongue and offensive smell from mouth present. Worsening of symptoms at night is another indication of using Merc. Sol.  

Dose: 30 c potecy, 5-6 globules, 2-3 times a day 

Nux vomica 

Nux vomica 30
Nux vomica 30

Image source: distacart.com 

Nux vomica is another great remedy for treating mouth ulcers that is assciated with gastric symptoms. When patient has a history of overindulgence of rich food ( sweets, spicy and junk food), and alcohal consumption, and taking excessive allopathic medication, nux vomica is the best remedy to try.  

Dose: 30 potecy, 5-6 globules ( once in a day, take one dose at night) 

Nitric acid 

Acid nitricum 30

Image source: distacart.com 

Nitric acid or acid nitricum is next important homeopathic remedy for treating mouth ulcers. When there is splincter like pain is present along with mouth ulcers, nitric acid works best. The ulcers are so sensitive to touch and bleed easily. They have an irregular zig-zag shape.  

Dose: 30 c potecy, 5-6 globules, 2-3 times a day 

Local application 

Calendula Q & Echinacea Q 

calendula Q

Image source: distacart.com 

Echinacea Q

Image source: distacart.com 

These two Q have excellent anti-septic properties and work great in reliving mouth ulcers and related symptoms.  

How to use it: take ½ cup luke warm water and add 10-10 drops of both Q. gargle with this solution, 2-3 times a day.  

So, these were some good homeopathic remedies and local application options for treating mouth ulcers.  

What are your thoughts? Please share with me.  

This is all for now.  

As “N”, I will talk about “Nosebleed and homeopathic treatment”. Stay tuned to know more.  

Read the previous posts of the series here: 

A: Acidity: causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment  

B: baby colic : causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment 

C: Common childhood injuires: causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment! 

D: Diarrhea: causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment! 

E: Ear pain, causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment 

F: “Fever”- causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment! 

 G: “Gingivitis”: causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment! 

H: “Hair loss”: common causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment!  

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge

Disclaimer: the post is written for educational purpose only. did not intend to cure, treat or diagnose any disease condition. always consult your doctor before making any significant changes to your medication or starting any new medication.

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