The medical name for these painful mouth ulcers is aphthous stomatitis. In Greek, aphthae mean ‘to set on fire’, and anyone who suffers from canker sores knows they got that absolutely right!
Ever since Hippocrates came up with the name around the year 400 B.C., Doctors have been trying to find the culprit that causes canker sores. Some say heredity is the cause, others lay the blame on allergies or believe they are a product of stress.
But so far, no one has come up with answers for either cause or cure. That’s the bad news. The good news is that most canker sores disappear by themselves within a week or two. (If they persist, see a Doctor.)
But while waiting for them to go away, you don’t have to sit around and suffer.
1 Yogurt
One of the easiest treatments is to eat a bit of yogurt – at least four tablespoons a day. Yogurt contains the good bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus, that fight the bad, infection-causing bacteria.
2 Acidophilus capsules
Some people take acidophilus capsules before each meal for relief.
3 Vitamin A Capsule
Some Doctors suggest squeezing the oil from a vitamin A capsule on the sore several times a day.
4 Alum
Apply a touch of alum, which is a highly effective antiseptic and pain reliever, to the first signs of a canker sore. Alum is the ingredient in styptic pencil that anyone who shaves with a wet razor should keep handy to staunch the blood flow from unexpected nicks and scratches.
5 Saltwater solution
A warm saltwater solution swished around in the mount cleans the sore and speeds the healing process. Many people have found that a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide diluted in a glass of water as a mouthwash works well.
6 Tea bag
Apply a cool, wet tea bag to the sore. But make sure it’s regular tea, which contains an astringent pain-reliever called tannin, and not herbal tea.
7 Milk
Before meals, rinse your mouth with milk, which seems to coat the sore and make eating easier. And while you are at it, stick to soft foods. avoid hot, spicy or acidic stuff, which tend to rekindle the fire you are trying to put out.
8 Over the counter solutions
There are several over the counter canker medications, but since they don’t stick to the sores, frequent applications are necessary.
9 Ear Wax (gross!)
And here’s one home remedy that sounds bizarre but that many people swear by: Use a bit of earwax! It seems to stick to the sore and promotes healing – but don’t ask anyone to explain how or why it works!
Myth and fact
Myth: An excess of acid in the body causes canker sores.
Fact: Canker sores stem from a variety of causes – but acid isn’t one of them. Actually, Vitamin-C may head off and help heal canker sores.