Ouch! Mouth Sores...

Canker sores, fever blisters, cold sores... whatever they are, they are painful when they erupt on you gums!

One showed up a couple of weeks ago and I pretty much ignored it. (I tend to ignore pain unless it is pretty horrible.) Then a few days ago, another one erupted. That was a wake-up call that I need to do something different.

I found some Gly-oxide in the bathroom cabinet but it was out of date. So I went to the web. Since I wanted a non-commercial site, I first looked at a page from the National Institute of Dental Research (NIH). They have some tips for avoiding the sores:

• Use a lip-sunscreen. (I knew that sun bathing can set off these sores but haven't tried this tip. It makes sense.)
• Some investigators have suggested adding lysine to the diet or eliminating foods such as nuts, chocolate, seeds or gelatin. This is not thoroughly tested but I recently ate walnuts and remember that they set off cold sores before. Guess I will put the rest of them out for the squirrels!
• British studies show that, in about 20 percent of patients, canker sores are due partly to nutritional deficiencies, especially lack of vitamin B12, folic acid and iron.
• In a small percentage of patients, canker sores occur with gastrointestinal problems, such as an inability to digest certain cereals. Patients with food allergies can reduce the frequency of canker sores by avoiding those foods.
• If you have sores, avoid abrasive foods, acidic and spicy foods.

Sores due to herpes are contagious, but canker sores are not. Get a diagnosis if you haven't already.

Read the report here. For another site that includes home remedies, click here.