Canker Sores and Cold Sores

By:

Jessica Joy

A canker sore also known as an aphthous ulcer, is an open and painful mouth ulcer. It is one of the common types of mouth sores. They may be seen inside lips and cheeks.

Canker sores appear as small, white, or yellow and are surrounded by redness and inflamed soft tissue. These may occur due to some injury in your mouth and vitamin deficiencies. They occur only inside your mouth and can be found in the areas like gums, inside your cheeks or lips, below your tongue. These are round or oval.

Here are some symptoms of canker sores:

· Small white or yellow oval-shaped ulcer inside the mouth.

· Pain and redness in your mouth.

· Tingling sensation.

Canker sores can occur due to the following reasons: -

Due to injury inside the mouth.

Due to deficiency of vitamin B-12, iron, and folate.

Due to high usage of toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulfate.

Due to high stress.

Hormonal imbalance during menstruation and pregnancy.

A cold sore is red, fluid-filled blisters that form near the mouth. They may rarely be seen on fingers, nose, or inside the mouth. They may persist for two weeks or longer. Cold sores are induced by the virus known as herpes simplex. They are contagious and can spread from one person to another through close contact.

Symptoms of cold sores are: -

Tingling or burning sensation nearby the lips.
Pain in the affected areas.
Sore throat.
Fever.
Body pain.
Headache.
Nausea and vomiting.
Swollen lymph nodes.

Cold sore can be typically gone away on their own within a few weeks. There are some OTC creams and gels that can ease the pain. As cold sores are caused by virus infection antiviral drugs like acyclovir and famciclovir.