Today we are going to learn some information regarding one of the very common diseases we suffer from. I think there is hardly any person who hasn't suffered from it once in his/her life. The disease is called Aphthous ulcer. In another term Canker sore.
You might not familiar with the term. Look at the picture below. Yes! It is the aphthous ulcer we are going to learn today.
image source Two ulcers showing in the inner aspect of lower lip
So, What is an Aphthous ulcer?
It is a small shallow lesion which affects the soft tissues in our oral cavity. It may be formed in any place inside our mouth but mostly seen in the inner side of cheeks or lips, at the base of the gums, on, side or under of the tongue or on the soft palate.
There is another almost similar lesion affect the lips and it is called cold sore. But both are not same. Here are few differences:
| Aphthous ulcer | Cold sore |
|---|---|
| Always inside of the oral cavity, not on the outer surface of lips | It occurs on the outer surface of the lips |
| Not contagious | Highly contagious |
image source A picture of cold sore on lower lip
Aphthous ulcers are very much painful. Tingling or burning sensation is present too. When start, it will persist at least 1 week. Our teachers or seniors in medical college used to tell us in such way "If you treat an aphthous ulcer it will take 1 week. If you don't, it will be resolved in 7 days spontaneously."
Yes. In most instances, the ulcers heal in 7 to 10 days, with or without treatment. But during this time, it gives too much pain and makes eating, drinking and talking difficult.
So, why this happens?
The exact cause is yet to be discovered but researchers have found out some causative factors which contribute to the development of aphthous ulcers. Those are:
- Any sort of injury to the inner mucous membrane: e.g. during dental work, vigorous and overzealous brushing, teeth bite, very hot food or drink etc.
- Failure to keep proper oral hygiene
- Lack of some vitamins notably vitamin B complex or folic acid
- Emotional stress or hormonal imbalance
- Sensitivities to some food items like spicy or acidic foods, chocolates, coffee, nuts, cheese ( person-specific)
- Toothpaste and mouth rinses which contain some specific chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate
- Helicobacter pylori may be behind this in the similar fashion of its role in developing peptic ulcer in stomach
- As a manifestation of some other illness in gastrointestinal tracts such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases
As mentioned above, in most of the time, the ulcers heal spontaneously without the necessity of any medicines. Taking the preventive measures are more appropriate. Read the risk factors again and prevent them who are preventable.
