Mouth sores can be described as little cuts or ulcers in the mouth. They can originate in and around the mouth. However, they have a tendency to heal on their own within a week or two. The sores may have a colour of dark red or may have small white particles in the middle side.
Sores can become infected and cause bleeding. There are different types of causes responsible for mouth sores. They can happen by infections of bacteria, radiation treatments to the neck and head area, dehydration, oxygen therapy, poor mouth care, irritation of a loose orthodontic wire: a denture that has a sharp edge from a broken tooth or filling or the one that doesn’t fit.
Those who pursue items related to tobacco or alcohol, who have a lack of proteins and vitamin are also prone towards mouth sores. As we said that the healing process might not take a long time, but it can prove to be very painful and lead towards dehydration, weight loss or poor eating. Mouth sores are divided into two parts, i.e., canker sores and cold sores. Both of them have been mentioned below.
When the weather comes into its colder state, a person is more likely to get canker or cold sores. However, they are different from each other but contain almost similar trigger like facial trauma, stress, hormonal changes and can be painful. Their treatments are also the same, but it is necessary to distinguish between both of them to ensure that a person gets the best treatment available.
If we break them down, we will see that both of them are different conditions with similar causes. Our mouth is an outstanding measure of the health of our body’s immune system. We will tell you about both the sores in a detailed manner so that you will get to know about their causes and treatments.
Cold sores are captured at the outside part of the mouth. It is sometimes known as a fever blister. It mainly develops as one or different red, blistered areas on the lips. Despite their name, they are not caused by common cold. They typically result from a viral infection named herpes simplex virus (HSV). They will appear clearly in the initial time then become cloudy.
Cold sores contain mainly three types of development in which the first one will be itching, tingling, and burning. Often, people may realize this type of sore coming on one or two days before it actually takes place.
The second development will be blisters. A breakout appears and small clusters of blisters will take place on different areas of the face. In the end, there comes crusting, scabbing and oozing. These types of sores may merge and burst, that leaves shallow open sores which crust over. There are some other symptoms like headache, muscle aches, sore throat, and lymph nodes.
One of the major causes of cold sores is the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Unfortunately, the sores are infectious when they are open. It means that the virus can spread when sharing drinks, utensils, towels or by kissing. This type of virus stays in our body and is often triggered by things like extreme pressure, weakened the immune system, stress or exhaustion. It can cause cold sore outbreaks at any time.
However, there is no cure for cold sores, but you can try out some home remedies to speed up the healing time. Don’t try to touch the affected part as it can dry it out and there become the chances of a bacterial infection. You can go for aloe vera as it soothes the inflammation while also moisturizing the cold sore. Take things which are rich in vitamins. You also need to take small bites at the time of eating to keep away from any aggressive movements that can become responsible to open the cold sore.
Another variety of mouth sores that makes their way inside the mouth are canker sores. They are twice as common in women and usually appear firstly at the age of ten to twenty. However, they may appear as early as age two. Their targeted points are lips, cheeks, and tongue. They are a type of small ulcers and have been classified into three different categories.
The most common of them are minor canker sores, the rest two that proves to be rare are major canker sores and herpetiform canker sores.
These types of sores have a shape or oval or circle and have a yellow or white colour that is surrounded by a red border. It can cause pain at the time of talking, drinking or eating. The pain of these types of sores is rarely intolerable but is often extremely annoying. They can make their shelter inside the tongue, at the base of the gum line, anywhere in the soft tissue palate or inside the cheek or lip.
Canker sores can be caused by stress, some medicines, irritation caused by orthodontic braces, mouth injury like biting the tongue or cheek, bacteria, viruses, a weakened immune system, food allergies, etc.
Unless the sores become too large, there is no need to visit the doctor. You can try an oral pain reliever as ointments are difficult to place inside the mouth. Try to keep the mouth clean by brushing, but don’t irritate the sore. Avoid spicy or salty food when the sores are healing. There are some gels available in the market that can be used to numb the sore and ease the pain.
As we have explained about both the sores in a detailed way, let’s remind you about the differences of both these sores in quick succession. Canker sores appear in the soft tissues inside the mouth, while cold sores usually happen outside the mouth. Canker sores are ulcers while cold sores are blisters. Canker sores aren’t infectious. On the other hand, cold sores are very infectious. Both of them are two different conditions which indicate that your immune system is low.
