While you can’t “cure mouth blisters” you can use several over-the-counter medicines to help get over these mouth sores quickly.

WHAT ARE CANKER SORES?

Canker Sores, also called mouth blisters, are small sores that appear on the inside of the mouth. Sometimes referred to as mouth ulcers, these sores can show up on the tongue, roof of the mouth, cheek and inside of the lip.

Here’s the kicker too, no one knows what causes mouth blisters.

Canker sores are not like cold sores, which only occur on the outside of the mouth and sometimes in the nose.

But like cold sores, mouth blisters are incredibly painful and very irritating. They typically last 1-2 weeks. You can choose from several medicines to help speed up the healing process.

BEST OTC CANKER SORES TREATMENT

The following medicines will help you heal blisters in the mouth:

Anbesol – A topical ointment that comes in a tube and can be applied for relieving pain from toothaches, canker sores, cold sores and even teething in babies.

Orajel – This medicine works on mouth blisters but is also heavily geared toward toothaches.

Orabase – Produced by Colgate, Orabase contains Benzocaine, which inhibits pain from recurring canker sores.

Zilactin-B - Mouth sore gel that works to form a bioadhesive barrier that covers the lip blister. It’s formulated to last as many as 6 hours with re-applying.

Have you used any of these medicines? Which one works best for you?

MY MOUTH SORE MAKES IT HURT WHEN I EAT

If you have a canker sore, avoid foods that are either very spicy or very salty.  Bland tasting foods are usually the best in general.  Also avoid foods which have citric acid in them (like orange juice) as they can irritate your canker sore.  A good way to dull the pain is to eat cold foods like ice cream or popsicles.

WHAT DIET CHANGES CAN I MAKE TO PREVENT MOUTH SORES

Foods high in the B vitamins can have a positive effect in reducing the occurrence of canker sores. If you notice that you your canker sores  usually occur after you eat or drink a lot of a certain type of food  (again, such as juices high in citric acid or extra salty or spicy food), you’ll want to make a mental note of this and avoid those foods in the future.

One last thing to keep in minds is that certain kinds of toothpastes and mouthwashes contain an ingredient known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This ingredient has been associated with causing an increase in mouth sores breakouts for some people. So check to make sure that your toothpaste isn’t the reason for your canker sores.

Here’s to a healthy and pain-free smile!

Cold sores, also called fever blisters, are caused by the Herpes Simplex 1 Virus (HSV-1). They usually appear as small, red, painful bumps on and around the lip area and sometimes nostrils. They rarely appear inside the mouth.

What Are Canker Sores?

Canker sores are small, painful sores inside the mouth that can either be red or have a white coating.

Canker sores most commonly appear on the soft tissue of the inside of your lips and cheeks and sometimes under your tongue. They can appear as a single mouth sore or as a small cluster of sores inside the mouth.

People in their 20s are most susceptible to canker sores, although anyone can experience them.

Are Canker Sores Contagious?

NO! Isn’t that great? Unlike cold sores, canker sores are mouth ulcers that do not spread from person to person.

It’s still a good idea to not share food and drinks while you are experiencing a canker sore, but you won’t infect another person if you do.

What Causes Canker Sores?

No one knows for sure what causes these mouth sores. Doctors have found that canker sores tend to run in families, but that they won’t spread from person to person.

Other experts suspect canker sores are linked to stress, nutrition deficiencies, hormones, menstruation and possibly the foaming agent found in some toothpastes and mouthwashes.

How To Treat Canker Sores

• Over-the-counter medicines are able to numb and reduce swelling of canker sores
• Use toothpaste and/or mouthwash that does not contain SLS
• Apply tea bags to the sores. Appropriate teas include green and black teas.

What To Avoid During Canker Sore Outbreaks

Spicy and acidic foods can irritate canker sores and make them last longer than you’d hope. Try to avoid those as well as any sharp foods that may aggravate and poke the mouth sores. Avoid anything that may irritate the canker sore, including brushing it with your toothbrush.

People rarely get the Herpes Simplex 1 virus inside their mouth.  It usually attacks the outside mouth region like the lips or the nose and chin area.  However, there have been occassions that cold sores have developed inside your mouth.  More likely though, if you have a sore inside your lip you have either bitten your lip and it is now infected or you have a canker sore.

Canker sores aren’t contagious.  Science doesn’t have an answer as to why we get sores inside our mouth like canker sores.

If you have a canker sore they can sting and make your whole mouth feel swollen.  Here are some things you can try to treat the sore inside your lip:

Don’t eat any acidic or spicy food. Once that type of food hits the open, white wound of your canker sore you are going to jump up in pain!  It will sting terribly so don’t eat oranges, pineapple, barbeque sauces or lemonade, etc. until the sore inside your lip has gone away.

It usually takes about 7-12 days for them to completely disappear.

Biting your cheek with your teeth or cutting it with a sharp piece of food like a tortilla chip can cause a canker sore to appear. Try not to bite the inside of your cheeks if you have a habit of doing that when you are nervous.  The abrasion is enough to bring on a canker sore.

Fatigue, stress and allergies all have a tendency to cause you to get canker sores.  It’s difficult to never be stressed, tired or allergic to something but if you pay attention to your body and you are prone to getting sores on the inside of your lip you will be able to tell why you are getting them.  If they erupt when you have been working hard and not sleeping well you will know that if you want to stop getting canker sores you will need to rest more often!

Most mouth sores will come and go within about 1-2 weeks. If you have mouth blisters that last longer than that, you should consider consulting a medical professional.

You may require a minor surgery to remove damaged cells that produce sores on tongue, cheeks and the roof of your mouth.

In the meantime, there are some things you can do to help ease the pain associated with canker sores, such as avoiding certain foods.

FOODS THAT IRRITATE MOUTH BLISTERS

Foods with Sharp Edges: That means lay off the nachos and chips when you have a canker sores. These foods tend to poke sores which can further irritate them and cause the mouth sores to grow.

Spicy Foods: Spicy and hot foods can aggravate your mouth sore and cause you more short-term pain.

Highly acidic foods or beverages: Stay away from drinks like lemonade and orange juice. Foods that create a slight stinging sensation are best left alone while you are experiencing a mouth blister.

Chewing Gum: This isn’t a harmless candy. Once false move and you could chomp down on a canker sore and inflame it worse than before. Avoid chewing gum, which also can cause your tongue, cheek, lips  and teeth to rub against the mouth blister.

Although doctors have not pinned down an exact cause for canker sores, some speculate that trauma to your saliva ducts actually causes these types of mouth sores.

For example, some experts believe that when saliva ducts are damaged through contact with a sharp object or are bitten, they can cause the mouth to produce saliva that gets trapped under the traumatized tissue. If this occurs, saliva builds up, creating a mouth blister.

Luckily, canker sores are not contagious and you can take steps to get rid of mouth blisters.

EASY HOME REMEDIES FOR CANKER SORES

Try the following methods for getting rid of mouth sores quickly and easily.

Rinse Mouth with Salt Water: Salt tends to sanitize the mouth and draw out impurities from the sores. Try rinsing with warm salt water several times a day.

Rinse Mouth with Hydrogen Peroxide: This method is effective, but may sting a little. Be careful not to swallow the chemicals!

Rise Mouth with an Antimicrobial Mouthwash: A good mouthwash can also clean up the sores in your mouth. Try Listerine or a similar product.

Apply Ice to Sores: Mouth blisters can get temporary relief from having ice pressed on them for several minutes. This is not a long-term solution.

Canker sores are mouth sores that are inside the mouth. These can be difficult to treat and often people let them run their course.

But what about Carmex? Does it really preform great as a cure for canker sores? Should you consider an all natural canker sore cure?

How Carmex Works on Canker Sores

Carmex contains a antiseptic, analgesic and anti-itch formula not featured in most lip balms.

Here’s a list of Carmex ingredients:
Menthol (anti-itch)
Camphor (pain reliever)
Phenol (anesthetic)
Natural lanolin
Salicylic acid
Cocoa butter
Wax base.

Carmex has been ranked by pharmacists as among the top lip balms.

The Salicylic Acid works to dry up cold sores and get them moving out of your mouth as fast as possible. However, some comsumer reports (consumerist.com) suggest avoiding lip sore balms that contain salicylic acid, claiming that it can actually eat through skin layers.

For those concerned about the Salicylic acid, Carmex suggests:

Some people with highly sensitive lips can experience a reaction to the salicylic acid in Carmex. In these cases we recommend that the person switch to some unmedicated product such as petroleum jelly.

So Does Carmex Work on Cold Sores?

Short answer: Yes

Many people suggest that Carmex works more by helping dry up cold sores and apply a pain reliever than actually providing a cure for cold sores.

If you are concerned about the chemicals contained in Carmex, there are a number of alternatives you can use.

What are Carmex Alternatives

To help get rid of cold sores faster, try rinsing your mouth out several times per day with warm salt water. Applying a natural balm may help as well.

Here’s a link to five natural ways to cure cold sores

If you’re interested in a full action natural home remedy for cold sores, take a look at the popular Cold Sore Freedom program.

Coldsores are generally found around the outside of the mouth (though they can occur on the roof of the mouth or along the gums) and are caused by the herpes simplex virus I and breakout occurrences can be increased by the presence of a weakened immune system (resulting from a variety of factors including stress).  Coldsores are extremely contagious. Treatments include over-the-counter and prescription creams as well as oral medications such as Valtrex.  Using a lip covering gel such as Carmex can provide some relief from commonly associated itching and burning.

Canker sores are generally found inside the mouth. They are caused by a variety of factors including bacterial infections, food allergies, stress, nutrition deficiencies, and ultraviolet light. Unlike coldsores, they aren’t contagious.  Treatment can include using a liquid ointment to numb the mouth in order to relieve pain. With moderate to severe canker sores, steroids can be prescribed as a treatment.

For both coldsores and canker sores, sometimes the best remedies for mouth blisters is to prevent their occurrences all together. Both types of mouth blisters can be caused by stress, trauma, and / or ultraviolet light, so seeking to minimize these as much as possible can go a long way towards prevention.

Most Americans will experience a mouth herpes episode before they reach adulthood. After contracting the virus, humans are set with it for life, but it lies dormant for the most part until it is triggered out of remission.

Mouth Herpes (cold sores) are different then canker sores, which are sores that form on your tongue, roof of your mouth, inside of your cheek and inside of your lips, and fever blisters, which are lip sores on the outside of your mouth. Neither canker sores nor fever blisters are caused by the Herpes Simplex I Virus.

Mouth sores tend to last 3-14 days, often bursting with a white liquid after a few days and then forming an itchy crust. Those with mouth sores should avoid touching open sores.

Sounds nasty, doesn’t it?

What Causes Canker Sores

Canker sores and fever blisters are sparked by a number of factors. Here are some possible triggers:

• Weakened Immune System: Mouth sores tend to erupt in batches at times when our immune systems are at their weakest points.
• Irritation: Repeated rubbing of the gums, tongue, cheek or lips against a sharp object, such as a tooth or dental device can cause an outbreak of mouth sores.
• Deficient Nutrition: If you repeatedly suffer from mouth sores, you should consult your doctor. You doctor may recommend blood tests to scan you for nutritional deficiencies, such a lack of B Vitamins and Iron in your diet.
• Tiredness: Fatigue contributes to weakening your immune system.
• Stress: Emotional turmoil and stress can spark mouth sores.
• Exposure to Sunlight: Avoid extended exposure to direct sunlight.

Symptoms of Mouth Herpes
The Herpes Simplex 1 Virus affects not only affect the mouth, but can bey felt far throughout the body. Here are a few of the mouth herpes symptoms you should be aware of:

• Body Symptoms: Fever, tiredness, muscle aches, irritability
• Face Symptoms: Pain, burning and tingling in mouth area
• Mouth Symptoms: Appearance of oral sores
• Upper Body: Neck lymph node swelling and pain, swollen gums

Mouth Sores Treatment
Drug stores offer a number of creams and over-the-counter medicines that can help you combat the onset of mouth sores. If you are concerned, you should consider visiting a doctor who can give you a diagnosis of your sores. Your doctor may recommend blood tests to gauge how healthy of a diet you keep.

If you are considering treatment for you cold sores, give some thought to natural home remedy methods of cold sore treatment.