Canker Sore – Pictures, Causes and Symptoms

Are you having problems while eating food due to painful sores in your mouth? You may be suffering from Canker Sores. Read on to know what are Canker Sores, their causes, symptoms, treatment and remedies.

What is a Canker Sore?

Picture 1 – Canker Sore Image
Source – ehow

Canker Sores are tiny ulcers in the mouth that causes a lot of pain. These ulcers, though painful, are non-cancerous. These benign eruptions are a common type of mouth ulcer. They are more common in women than men. Though Canker Sores can appear at anytime, they are usually seen in people in the 10-40 age group.

Canker Sores generally arise on the inside of cheeks, lips, soft palate, base of gums and tongue. There may only be a single lump or many lumps.

In medical terms, Canker sores are also known as Aphthous Ulcers.

What Does a Canker Sore Look Like?

Picture 2 – Canker Sore Picture
Source – ulcerspictures

Canker Sores are yellow or white in color with a bright red border. These ulcers are generally smaller than 1 cm but are also larger in some cases.

Canker Sore Symptoms

Some of the major symptoms of Canker Sores are :

Tingling

People with this syndrome normally experience a burning or tingling sensation in their mouth which precedes all other symptoms.

Pain

Canker Sores are mostly painful. Patients with Canker Sores suffer from a burning pain in their mouth which worsens during eating. In Canker Sore pain is generally the main symptom.

Round Sores

Canker Sores are usually round in shape. These are initially white or yellow in color with a red border. But they turn grayish as they begin to heal.

Fever

In rare cases of Canker Sores fever can arise. Higher temperatures in the body can be a reason for serious discomfort and may also affect normal activities in some people.

Malaise

Canker Sores may also give rise to bodily discomforts in the affected person.

Lymph Node Inflammation

Canker Sores can also lead to swelling of lymph nodes in some people.

What causes Canker Sores ?

Read on to know Canker Sore causes in people.

Heredity

Genetic factors are highly responsible for Canker Sores in people as the condition is seen to run from generation to generation in families. Heredity is a main cause of Canker Sore.

Low Immunity

People suffering immunity deficiency disorders can also suffer from this condition.

Dental Damage

Improper dental cleaning such as forceful tooth cleaning can also result in this syndrome.

Viral Infections

Infections resulting from a viral attack can also lead to Canker Sores in the mouth. In many people with Canker Sores virus is responsible.

Faulty Diet

Canker Sores can also arise from an incorrect diet that skips essential elements like Vitamin B-12, Folic acid and Iron.

Food Allergies

Certain foods can act as allergens to the body. A Canker sore can occur as a food allergy symptom.

Mental Stress

Canker Sores may also develop from emotional stress in affected people. In examinees suffering from Canker Sores stress is usually the main cause.

Canker Sores and Pregnancy

Some women develop Canker Sores while pregnant. Canker Sores during pregnancy arise mainly due to hormonal changes in the patient. In Canker Sores pregnancy is not affected and suffering women can have normal deliveries. But Canker Sores during period can be quite discomforting and doctors need to carry out a proper treatment to provide faster relief to sufferers.

Canker Sores and HIV

In Canker Sores HIV is often a causative condition. As aforesaid, people with low immunity develop this disease. HIV is an infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV virus can act as a major trigger for Canker Sores.

Canker Sores and Herpes Virus

No direct relation has been found between Canker Sores and Herpes Virus. But in many patients of c is found to be responsible. Herpes Virus is the reason behind cold sores and fever blisters.

Canker Sores and Sore Throat

Canker Sores in throat can be very painful. It can result in soreness of the throat. Canker Sores sore throat may arise due to viral infections such as chicken pox, measles and whopping cough. Canker Sore in throat can also develop due to bacterial infections.

Are Canker Sores Contagious?

Contrary to popular belief, Canker Sores are not contagious unlike many other kinds of mouth sores. Healthcare professionals, however, advise against kissing or sharing foods with a person with Canker Sores. There may be a transmission of Canker Sores from kissing due to passing of Herpes Simplex virus from the mouth of one person to another. That is why in people with Canker Sores kissing should not be done.

Canker Sores on Tongue

Picture 3 – Picture of Canker Sore on Tongue
Source – cankersorepictures

Many people also suffer from Canker Sore on tongue. One can have Canker Sores under tongue or over it due to factors like heredity, viral infections or trauma (injury) to the tongue surface. Canker Sore under tongue can be treated by topical application of analgesic creams.

Food allergy can also give rise to Canker Sores under the tongue.

Canker Sores on Lips

Picture 4 – Canker Sore on Lips
Source – medicalpictures

Canker Sores on lips arise due to a number of reasons like food allergies, nutrient deficiency, HIV infection and Crohn’s disease.

Canker Sores on Gums

Picture 5 – Canker Sore on Gums
Source – picturesonboils

Canker Sores can also arise on gums. Canker Sores on Gums can arise due to hormonal imbalance during menstruation, vitamin deficiency or sports related injuries.

Canker Sore Diagnosis

Canker Sores are similar to cold sores in appearance. But an expert healthcare provider is usually able to tell a difference between the two by simple observation. The patient may be asked about her lifestyle. The medical history of the patient may be taken into account. In some cases, a skin biopsy may be needed to distinguish Canker Sores from other mouth ulcers.

In case of recurring Canker Sores, tests should be conducted to determine if drug allergies, Erythema Multiforme or Herpes infection is behind this disorder.

Are Canker Sores Recurrent?

Canker Sores keep coming back if there is a deficiency of some essential elements in the body. In cases of recurrence of Canker Sores vitamin, iron and zinc deficiency is often responsible. Adding these elements into your diet can help prevent the recurrence of these ulcers.

Canker Sores Prognosis

These ulcers normally heal by themselves and subside in a week. The pain goes away in a few days. The symptoms usually take a maximum period of two weeks to disappear. Canker Sores duration is a maximum of 12-14 days.

Canker Sore Complications

Canker Sore is a benign condition. It does not lead to cancerous conditions. But if the mouth ulcer shows no improvement even after 2 weeks, it may be a sign of cancer. In such cases the mouth ulcers may not be Canker Sores at all.

The condition can however, lead to other complications. Antibiotic Canker Sores medicines may give rise to mouth infections like Oral Thrush or Candida infections. In rare cases, patients may suffer from bacterial infections like Ludwig’s Angina or Cellulitis.

Canker Sores Pictures

Want to know how Canker Sores look like? Here are some useful Canker Sores photos. Check out these Canker Sore pictures and get an idea about the appearance of the disease. If you are suffering from mouth ulcers yourself, these Canker Sore pics will help you make sure if you are really having this disease.

Picture 6 – Canker Sore Photo
Source – blogspot

Picture 7 – Photo of Canker Sore
Source – dxal

If you are suffering from Canker Sore in mouth, it is best to use home remedies for treatment. Monitor the progress for a week. If the symptoms show no sign of improvement it is best to go for a medical treatment. An experienced doctor will make a proper diagnosis and carry out an effective treatment to help you make a faster recovery. It will also help find out whether you have some other complicated disease. An early treatment is beneficial in all cases and will help you get back to good health much quicker.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthous_ulcer

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/canker-sores

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000998.htm

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/canker.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/canker-sore/DS00354

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-canker-sores.htm

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/613.printerview.html