New Ways to Prevent (or Fast Heal) Canker Sores

Those painful canker sores! These recurring ulcerated sores inside the mouth appear on the tongue, soft palate, or inside the checks. Eating isn't a pleasant experience when you have an outbreak.

There seems to be a controversy on the cause of canker sores, and even exactly what they are - a bacterial or viral infection? An allergic reaction to certain food, or a vitamin deficiency?

It appears the answer is this - the cause is different from person to person. To find an effective treatment, it's important to be mindful when you get a canker sore of what food you ate, if something painful occurred in the mouth, such as dental work or biting the inside of your cheek, if you are under a lot of emotional stress, or not getting adequate sleep.

IS A VIRAL INFECTION CAUSING YOUR CANKER SORES? The herpes simplex I virus can be triggered by stress, fatigue, pain or irritation occurring inside or outside of the mouth. When triggered, a sore can erupt on the outside of the lips in the form of cold sore. It can also cause a canker sore inside the mouth. Chemo therapy or radiation treatments can also trigger a canker sore.

Remedies with Anti-viral Properties:

Propolis - Produced by bees, propolis is used as a construction material in bee hives, comprised of a complex of chemicals (especially flavonoids), which play a role as an antiviral agent. Some individuals have allergic reactions to Propolis, and for them, this would not be a good choice.

Slippery Elm - Mix this herbal powder with water to create a paste, and smear it directly on the canker sore a few times a day. In some people, this mixture completely heals the canker sore.

Canker Sores Begone - You might want to try this superb, topical herbal product in a pocket-size bottle that you can take with you throughout the day. Feedback from clients, many of my readers, and that of my own personal experience is that it does work as promised.

FOOD ALLERGIES. When you eat acidic food such as a tomato, citrus fruit, strawberries, grapes, chocolate, certain nuts, spicy or salty food, sugar or coffee, do you get a canker sore? If the answer is yes, or I think so, try one or both (but not at the same time) of the following suggestions:

Eliminate the suspected foods for a few weeks, and then reintroduce them one at a time to see which one triggers a canker. This may take a little self-discipline, but it's well worth the experiment.

Another approach is nutritional supplementation. Take 1,000-1,200 milligrams of buffered vitamin C daily to help reduce the level of histamines in your body. You can enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C by taking 1,000 milligrams of quercetin daily as a preventive which will inhibit histamine release, reduce inflammation, and allow for quicker healing for an existing canker sore.

A THIAMIN DEFICIENCY? Research shows that a deficiency of thiamin can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. Take 100 milligrams of thiamin daily as a preventative.

A High-Potency Multivitamin - If purchased at a health food store, it should give you the nutrients necessary to prevent canker sores. Take 800 micrograms of folic acid, 500-1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of iron, and 20 milligrams of zinc. If your multivitamin doesn't include all you need, add what's needed to make up the difference.

If you don't find that the causes above apply to your situation, don't despair. Here are two remedies that just may provide the relief you're looking for:

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) - This is a form of the herb known as licorice. It has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds the healing process, and soothes the discomfort of canker sores. Take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. Use until the sore heals.

Tea Bag - You may have heard this before, but if you haven't tried it, you should. Tea contains the ingredient Tannin, which may relieve the pain almost instantly. Hold a used tea bag against the sore for a few minutes. Repeat a few times daily until healed.

Be persistant and patient as you experiment to find the best solution for your canker sore eruptions. It will be an effort that pays off for the rest of your life.