Pain sprouts in singles and clusters
Mouth ulcers are painful sores inside the mouth that can appear on the tongue and gums or inside the cheeks and lips. The ulcer, which is usually circular with a yellow or white centre and a raised red rim, is an area where the surface of the mouth’s lining has been removed. This means that nerve cells are exposed, causing pain and discomfort, particularly when eating certain foods. They are solitary or multiple and they normally heal within 7 to 10 days. [break]
Mouth ulcers may be caused due to injuries by minor burns from hot food or drinks, biting the inside of your mouth, or rubbing from a toothbrush, brace, denture, or a rough tooth. Some also cite airline foods and drinks over long-distance hauls and unfamiliar cuisines for causing mouth ulcers. But it generally goes away when the source of the problem is rectified.
Recurrent mouth ulcers are different. They keep appearing and disappearing, sometimes every few weeks. Most of these ulcers are round, about the size of the top of a pencil. They sometimes appear in clusters of up to half a dozen or so.
Kritishma Amatya, 24, is someone who has been always troubled by such mouth ulcers. Ever since high school, she’s been applying mouth gels and using mouthwash. But these painful ulcers have always been a recurrent visitor, albeit unwanted. Currently a student in Texas, she reasons: “Perhaps it’s the climate or the water. Ever since I came to the US, I haven’t had any problems with mouth ulcers.”
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However, Dr Bhoj Raj Adhikari, dentist at Samaj Dental Clinic, doesn’t agree with her statement. “Mouth ulcers have nothing to do with climate or water,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how warm or chilly the weather is. It also doesn’t happen due to heredity.”
Mouth ulcers, he claims, happen mainly due to physical and mental stress. These ulcers are mainly seen in students appearing for exams and athletes who exert a lot of pressure on their bodies. Deficiency of certain vitamins may cause ulcers at times. Youngsters are usually the victims of mouth ulcers.
So the best thing to do about ulcers is to stay away from the stuffs that cause stress. Prevention is better than cure. But if the ulcers do appear, either you let them go away on their own or if they get really painful, pain relievers, mouth gels and steroids can be used.
Do tobacco chewing and cigarette smoking cause ulcer?
Dr Adhikari says that they don’t actually cause ulcer. But if the ulcer is already present, it does delay the healing process. He also emphasizes that though it may not always be the case, mouth ulcers may be due to something more serious.
“If a mouth ulcer doesn’t go away for more than two weeks, it’s wise to perform a biopsy test on the tissues of that part,” he opines.
Other than these methods, oral hygiene is a must. Sometimes, some kind of irritation and allergy to some kind of food or mouthwash also results in ulcers. Immunological reasons may also be behind ulcers. Syphilis, hand-foot-mouth syndrome, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease may be some of the other rare but possible reasons for mouth ulcers.
Mouth ulcer isn’t a big issue; nonetheless, it’s painful and problematic if it appears constantly. One can’t eat, drink, talk or even smile properly when one’s mouth is full of ulcers. Therefore, it’s better to prevent it or use some kind of relief alternative and take cautious measures if the pain or the duration gets out of hand.