These painful mouth ulcerations are contagious and occur most often in females. Poor dental hygiene or overzealous tooth brushing, food allergies, stress and/or fatigue may trigger their formation. They may be an abnormal immune response to normal bacteria in the mouth. Occasionally, canker sores are associated with Crohn’s disease, which affects the bowels. Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid have been linked to this disease in some people.
Cold sores (also known as “fever blisters”) occur on the outside of the mouth, on the lips, nose, cheeks or fingers. The virus, “herpes simplex,” is the primary cause of the virus. The blister may ooze and form a yellow crust. It can sting or itch and often lasts for a week to 10 days.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Avoid processed foods (e.g., white flour), refined foods (e.g., white sugar), and dairy products in your diet.
2. Reduce your use of socially accepted poisons such as coffee, alcohol, and smoking, which add to your body’s stress level. (See “Smoking Addiction.”)
3. In the case of canker sores, add onions to your diet. Onions contain sulfur and have healing properties. Include yogurt and soured foods such as kefir milk, cottage cheese, and buttermilk in the diet. Avoid citrus fruits but increase your consumption of foods high in folate (such as beans and lentils), iron (such as Black strap molasses, liver, and tofu) and B-vitamins (such as seafood). The herpes virus needs the amino acid “arginine” for its survival. Limit your intake of arginine-rich foods such as beer, chocolate, Cola drinks, gelatin, grains, nuts, peas, peanuts, and strawberries. Eliminate them altogether during an outbreak.
4. Avoid chewing gum, lozenges, mouthwashes, and foods that you know trigger these sores. Be cautious when eating food with sharp edges (such as potato chips), which can puncture the skin and cause canker sores. Salt and spicy foods will increase the pain of canker sores.
5. Gargle with three parts water and one part hydrogen peroxide to change the pH of your saliva and make a harsher environment for bacteria causing canker sores. Swish or gargle this solution around your mouth several times a day if you have a canker sore but don’t swallow it.
6. Apply ice to the sores to help reduce pain and swelling. Zinc oxide, an over-the-counter product may also be applied directly to cold sores.
7. Use sunscreen. Sunlight triggers one out of every four cases of cold sores. The higher the sun protection factor, the better.
8. Keep the cold sore clean and dry. It may help to dab the sore with alcohol or witch hazel.
9. Replace your toothbrush. A toothbrush can allow the herpes virus to continue growing, re-infecting you again and again. Discard your toothbrush as soon as you notice the beginning of a blister. Use a new toothbrush until the sore has healed completely then replace it again.
10. Get your food allergies checked. (See “Allergy—Foods.”) At the very least, you can begin eliminating some of the common food allergens (e.g., chocolate, corn, eggs, milk, sugar, and wheat) until a more definitive diagnosis can be made.
11. Increase your activity level. A brisk walk to increase the heart rate by approximately 10 beats will improve circulation to the body organs. Do this at least three times a week. Exercise is a great way to bolster your immune system and relax at the same time.
12. Reduce your stress level with meditation, stretching, auto-suggestion tapes, and breathing exercises (See “Stress”). You can stop and deep breathe anywhere. Close your eyes and slowly inhale for 10 to 20 seconds. Use your diaphragm by allowing your stomach to expand outward with each inhalation. Hold your breath for 10 to 20 seconds. Then, exhale by forcing your stomach inward for 10 to 20 seconds. With each breath, allow your shoulder to droop, you jaw to drop and your body to relax. Repeat this 3 times or whenever you begin to feel stress building.
13. Supplements found to be helpful include: acidophilus (to aid in maintaining healthy intestinal friendly bacteria), B-complex (deficiencies have been linked to sores in the mouth), vitamin B12 injectable or sublingual, vitamin C with Bioflavonoids (up to 8,000 mg daily in divided doses), the amino acid L-Lysine (1-3 grams daily), vitamin A and the mineral zinc to speed healing and enhance immune function. Vitamin E capsules can be squeezed directly on the lesion. If needed, garlic capsules three times daily can serve as a natural antibiotic.
14. Herbs known to be beneficial for canker sores are burdock, goldenseal, pau d’arco, red raspberry, and red clover. Drinking chamomile tea can help cool the canker sore and reduce skin irritation. Applying a wet black tea bag directly to the sore can help relieve the pain since the tea contains tannin which has powerful pain-relieving qualities.
15. The best homeopathic for this condition is Nitricum Acidum or Herpes Simplex, which has special action where the mucous membrane and skin meet. Other homeopathics to consider include: Borax (if ulcers bleed on touch or eating), Croton Tiglium (if pustules are present and itching is painful), Kali Muriaticum (if tongue is white-coated), Mezereum (if sore is sensitive to cold air), Natrum Muriaticum (if fever blisters are dry), Nux Vomica (if worse after eating), and Sulphur (if there is increased redness, burning, and throbbing).
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