What causes Ulcers in the mouth?
Mouth Ulcers also go by the name of Canker sores or aphthous stomata. Mouth ulcers can occur in any age group but is mainly prevalent in the younger generation. It is an outbreak in the mouth that is about 3-5 mm in diameter. It is not infectious, but at the same time is very painful and irritating while eating or drinking. This could last for at least a 10-day period. Various reasons are attributable for the cause of such ulcers in the mouth.
Going by the surveys done on the causes, the major causes of mouth ulcers could be ranked in the following order:
- Cheek biting - Many of us tend to bite the cheek or lip or tongue unknowingly while chewing food carelessly. Sometimes, this exacerbates and leads to formation of ulcer. Ulcers can be avoided if care is taken while chewing food.
- Stress - Stress is a major, major reason for triggering many reactions in the human body. One of the occurences of ulcer is caused by stress. Stress has to be avoided at all times to have a healthy body.
- Weak Immune System - As we all are aware, the weaker our immunity, the more we are prone to various kinds of ailments. An adverse result of this is the mouth ulcer. To combat this, boost up your immunity with green and leafy vegetable in the diet and make exercise a part of your daily activities.
- Anxiety - Many a time, the result of anxiety could be the formation of a mouth ulcer. Try to relax and not be anxious for the prevention of these ulcers. Practice measures like yoga or anxiety reduction medicines help to a large extent.
- Food allergies - Some foods might not go with everyone. Find out what kind of foods trigger this problem and try to avoid those foods or take preventive measures during intake of those foods. Alternately, have the doctor run allergy tests on you to find the cause of your problem.
- Deficiency of B complex - Nutritional imbalance could be a factor that leads to this cause. Proper supplementation of these nutrients could result in non-occurence of these ulcers.
- Menstrual cycle changes - In cases of women, menstrual cycle can be an instigator of mouth ulcers. A change in dietary habits during this time might help in prevention.
- Acidity/Indigestion - It is said that when your stomach goes wrong, everything goes wrong. Going with the saying, keep your digestive system healthy by eating the right kind of food at the right time. Change your eating habits, if need be, to prevent indigestion. More intake of water relieves indigestion. Eating in proper intervals and trying to avoid spicy food will reduce acidity. All these, in turn, will aid in prevention of ulcers in the mouth.
- Underlying Diseases - When a ulcer breaks out, try to check with the doctor if you have any underlying disease. Many times, it is an indication of some disease lying dormant in the body.
- Medications - While taking medicines for a particular condition, such medicines might trigger the breaks in the mouth leaving painful ulcers behind, which refuse to heal. Coolants should be taken to suppress or prevent the breakout of these.
On the whole, it can be said that these are just a few of the reasons that cause mouth ulcers. While a specific mouth ulcer cannot be pinpointed with a certain cause, a wholesome diet and a stress-free life can just be as effective in the prevention of these.