Home Remedies for Canker Sore
Home remedies for canker sore include intake of garlic, harir, buttermilk, fenugreek, coconut milk, cactus juice, yogurt, tea bag, apple cider vinegar, alum, plum juice, aloe, baking powder, grape juice, papaya, turmeric powder, tea tree oil, onion in different forms as mentioned in the article. Canker sore refers to a small white colored ulcer that occurs in mouth parts as tongue, lips, inside of cheeks. These sores cause pain and difficulty while eating, drinking and even speaking. These arise due to several reasons like consumption of oily and spicy food, trauma, hereditary factors, food allergy, hormonal disorders and deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals. Several easy and simple to follow home remedies for canker sores are available.
Home remedies for canker sore that is also known as Aphthous Stomatits, are available for treating ulcers appearing on tongue, inside of cheek or lining of lip. As per the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, recurrence of canker sore affects more then 20 percent of the general population. It appears as a small spot which is white or yellowish in colour and may have a grey centre. It is well defined by a red boundary and is 3 to 5 mm in diameter. They are non contagious implying that they are not transmitted from person to person as is the case with cold sore. It completes its course in 8-10 days, out of which 3-4 days are crucial as it pains badly while eating, drinking or speaking when on tongue. Some times these sores recur frequently and affect people of all age groups.
Causes for Canker Sores
Canker sores are caused by eating ample of food products that are either acidic or spicy. It can also appear due to biting of inner portion of cheek or eating rough food like chips or sugarcane that wounds the soft tissues. Deficiency of vitamin B12, folic acid, minerals like iron and zinc are responsible for the condition too. Individuals taking medicines for rheumatoid arthritis are prone to development of cankers. Hereditary factors, trauma, hormonal disorders and allergy to certain food items also play major roles in their occurrence. Few females tend to suffer from cankers during their menstrual cycles.
Though curable by simple home remedies, if the sores persist for long and are painful, the doctor should be consulted without fail. Following home remedies for canker sore are considered useful and are mentioned below:
• Garlic: Take a clove of garlic each day or consume it in the form of paste. Consumption of the same, early in the morning gets you rid of canker sores.
• Harir and Buttermilk: Prepare a decoction of the harir, a known herb, by mixing a paste of the same in same volume of buttermilk. Gargle with this preparation to obtain relief soon.
• Fenugreek: Fenugreek leaves are used for making an infusion and this is used for gargling purposes. Using the same twice is an effective canker sore treatment.
• Coconut Milk: Grate some amount of coconut and extract its milk by tightly squeezing it. The milk obtained is to be used for gargle purposes. It gives soothing effect and heals the sores soon.
• Cactus Juice: Juice obtained from cactus helps in reducing canker sore. This juice must be kept in mouth for some 20 seconds. It exerts a drying effect on the ulcers by dehydrating them and shrinking them. Application of cactus juice on canker sores for 2-3 days aids in removing them.
• Yogurt: One should include yogurt in daily food chart. It is good for treatment of canker sore.
• Tea Bag: As per the Doctors Book of Home Remedies, sores can be treated with black coloured tea bag that is wet with warm water. The tea contains a compound named tannin, which helps in relieving pain.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Make a solution of apple cider vinegar in warm water, taking equal volumes of both. This should be used to gargle and is helpful in curing canker sore.
• Alum: Apply alum twice over the sores. This heals the sore quickly and helps you to get rid of pain.
• Plum Juice: Gargle with plum juice should be done in order to obtain relief from sores. Else dip a cotton ball in plum juice and apply over the sores inside mouth if they are in bad condition.
• Aloe: Squeeze aloe leaf to get its viscous juice. This is to be applied over the cankers to obtain relief.
• Baking Powder: Take some powdered baking soda or make a paste of it. This is applied over the sores and is known to reduce the number of bacteria in mouth. Otherwise, a mouthwash can be made by mixing a spoon of baking soda in a cup of lukewarm water and rinsed several times.
• Grape Juice: Collect seeds of grapes and crush them. Extract these in some amount of water. Put 6 to 7 drops of the same in a glass of water and use it as mouthwash.
• Papaya: One should eat freshly cut papaya fruits regularly in this condition. Even papaya leaves are effective in obtaining early relief from canker sores.
• Turmeric Powder: Make a solution by mixing one fourth spoon of turmeric powder in a cup of lukewarm water. This is used for rinsing and gargling purposes and heals the sores quickly.
• Tea Tree Oil: Application of tea tree oil to the sores is an excellent home remedy for the treatment of canker sore.
• Onion: Onions are the simplest home remedies known for curing canker sore. Raw onions can be applied over the sore region.
• Beneficial Diet: Diets rich in vitamin B12, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and soft food items should be consumed, as these are good for mouth parts and internal body metabolism while the body is coping up with sore conditions.
• Harmful Diet: One should avoid acidic food materials like coffee, chocolate, oranges, lemons and sour fruits. These aggravate the soreness further. Sugarcane, chips, nuts and wafer are harsh for the soft mouth parts and these should not be consumed during the sore conditions. Animal proteins, strawberries, milk products, oily and spicy food items must be avoided as far as possible.
This article is contributed by Seema Adnani
References: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and Doctors Book of Home Remedies
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