What cause the mouth ulcer and how to treat?

There are many processes which can lead to ulceration of the oral tissues. In some cases they are caused by an overreaction by the body's own immune system. Factors that appear to provoke them include stress, fatigue, illness, injury from accidental biting, hormonal changes, menstruation, sudden weight loss, food allergies and deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron and folic acid. Some drugs, such as nicorandil, have also been linked with oral ulcers. Some recreational drugs cause mouth ulcers. They may also be caused by eating too much sour food. Trauma Minor physical injuries Trauma to the mouth is a common cause of oral ulcers. A sharp edge of a tooth, accidental biting (this can be particularly common with sharp canine teeth), sharp or abrasive food (particularly if left overnight), poorly fitting dentures, dental braces or trauma from a tooth brush may injure the mucosal lining of the mouth resulting in an ulcer. These ulcers usually heal at a moderate speed if the source of the injury is removed (for example, if poorly fitting dentures are removed or replaced). Chemical injuries Chemicals such as Aspirin or alcohol that are held or that come in contact with the oral mucosa may cause tissues to become necrotic and slough off creating an ulcerated surface. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), one of the main ingredients in most toothpastes, has been implicated in increased incidence of oral ulcers. Infection Viral, fungal and bacterial processes can lead to oral ulceration. Viral The most common is Herpes simplex virus which causes recurrent herpetiform ulcerations preceded by usually painful multiple vesicles which burst. Herpes Zoster (shingles), Varicella Zoster (chicken pox), Coxsackie A virus and its associated subtype presentations, are some of the other viral processes that can lead to oral ulceration. HIV creates immunodeficiencies which allow opportunistic infections or neoplasms to proliferate. Bacterial Bacterial processes leading to ulceration can be caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis) and Treponema pallidum (syphilis). Opportunistic activity by combinations of otherwise normal bacterial fauna, such as aerobic streptococci, Neisseria, Actinomyces, spirochetes, and Bacteroides species can prolong the ulcerative process. Fungal Coccidioides immitis (valley fever), Cryptococcus neoformans (cryptococcosis), Blastomyces dermatitidis ("North American Blastomycosis") are some of the fungal processes causing oral ulceration. Immune system Many researchers view the causes of aphthous ulcers as a common end product of many different disease processes, each of which is mediated by the immune system. Aphthous ulcers are thought to form when the body becomes aware of and attacks chemicals which it does not recognize. The presence of the unrecognized molecules garners a reaction by the lymphocytes, which trigger a reaction that causes the damage of an oral ulcer. Immunodeficiency Repeat episodes of mouth ulcers can be indicative of an immunodeficiency, signaling low levels of immunoglobulin in the oral mucous membranes. Chemotherapy and HIV are both causes of immunodeficiency with which oral ulcers become a common manifestation. Autoimmunity Autoimmunity is also a cause of oral ulceration. Mucous membrane pemphigoid, an autoimmune reaction to the epithelial basement membrane, causes desquamation/ulceration of the oral mucosa. Allergy Contact with allergens can lead to ulcerations of the mucosa. Dietary Vitamin C deficiencies may lead to scurvy which impairs wound healing, which can contribute to ulcer formation.[2] Similarly deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron[citation needed], zinc[4] and folic acid[citation needed] have been linked to oral ulceration. A common cause of ulcers is Coeliac disease, in which case consumption of wheat, rye, or barley can result in chronic oral ulcers. If gluten intolerance is the cause, prevention means taking most breads, pastas, cakes, pies, cookies, scones, biscuits, beers etc. out of the diet and substituting gluten-free varieties where available. Artificial sugars, such as those found in diet cola and sugarless gum, have been reported as causes of oral ulcers as well. Cancer Oral cancers can lead to ulceration as the center of the lesion loses blood supply and necroses. Squamous cell carcinoma is just one of these. The majority of the types of ulceration require treatment of the underlying cause of the oral ulceration for successful prevention; controlling imbalances in vitamins and minerals related to ulceration, managing or restricting the disease processes has shown to reduce the ulcerative process. For trauma related cases, avoiding the offending source will prevent ulceration, but since such trauma is usually accidental, this type of prevention is not usually practical. Individuals who have a high incidence of opportunistic bacterial infections subsequent to an accidental oral injury (biting etc.) can prevent the injury from becoming infected by directly bathing the wound with an anti-bacterial mouthwash for one minute every 12 hours for 2 days; it is important to use a small vessel to contain the solution as most antibacterial mouth washes that remain in the mouth for a full minute will have detrimental effects such as a prolonged impairment to the sense of taste and the potential loss of otherwise desirable flora. Quantities around 1ml are more than sufficient. Ideally, the first treatment should occur within 3 hours.

I'm afraid I don't know what causes them - I only know they're pretty damn uncomfortable! Bonjela kind of works, but it stings. The very, very best treatment is 'Adcortyl in Orabase', this is really excellent stuff, and doesn't sting. You can buy it at any chemist in a tiny tube (fairly expensive but well worth it!). Best used at night, it covers the ulcer with a healing, gummy layer. Do get him some right away, I'm sure this will help your grandson. All the very best.

hi, some people are just very prone to getting mouth ulcers. It can be due to a vitamin B deficiency..Taking vitamine b always helped me. You mentioned that he's 16, most teens and kids don't eat right, so maybe he needs to take some vitamines. Anyway, I'm not a doctor, so maybe you should consult one just in case it's a virus of some sort.

I used an old remedy you can probably stil get from a private chemist. Honey and Borax - works like a charm!

Buy a tube of Bonjela from your pharmacy. I've always found it very helpful. An instruction leaflet for its use will be in the box.

My daughter suffers quite bad with them she finds bonjela about the best

I also used to suffer with them and they really hurt, Try using Forever Living Aloe Gelly it is absoloutley brilliant and also has many other uses I even used it on my son when he was teething and the best thing is it's natural, I firmly believe that nature has a way of curing all illness's it's just a case of finding it. You can buy it at www.foreverbeealoe.com it's in the skincare section of the online store and they offer a 60 day money back guarantee use sparingly though you only need a little bit it's also great for burns, scapes, anything to do with the skin really. Good luck hope this helps

I had them for years, and I've finally got rid of them through becoming attuned to reiki. It's a bit of a drastic solution, so try a couple of the usual remedies first. Go to your chemist, get Rinstead pastilles, Bonjela, Anbesol, Corsodyl, TCP, Adcortyl and Corlan pellets (if you're in the UK). Learn how to use each of them properly, and alternate. If he's anything like me he'll become immune to each one very quickly. He might find that some of them don't work very well (I'll never forget what happened when I tried Corsodyl - worked beautifully for my boyfriend though). Make sure he always washes his hands before putting them into his mouth, as an ulcer is essentially an open wound and will be made worse the more bacteria get in. He could also try taking B-complex or Brewer's Yeast supplements. They can be quite effective if that's what your body needs. Does he have braces? I know lots of people who had their mouths shredded by braces. If this is the cause, take him back to his orthodontist and request that wax is put over the braces to limit the shredding. I really do sympathise, I remember how horrible frequent multiple ulcers are, and I feel really sorry for him.

i had a really bad one last week and i used colgate peroxyl mouthwash it works really well.