{"id":21292,"date":"2015-08-08T09:13:11","date_gmt":"2015-08-08T08:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/cold-sores-symptoms-treatments-and-prevention\/"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:57:44","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:57:44","slug":"cold-sores-symptoms-treatments-and-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/cold-sores-symptoms-treatments-and-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Cold sores: Symptoms, treatments and prevention."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Created 8\/8\/2015<\/p>\n<p>Updated 12\/15\/2023<\/p>\n<p>Canker <strong>sores, or mouth ulcers <\/strong>as they are also called<strong>,<\/strong> are ulcers that appear in the mouth, especially in the jugal mucosa (cheeks), but can also appear in the rest of the mouth, sometimes being very annoying and aggravated by the ingestion of food and beverages due to friction. In this article we will explain canker sores, symptoms, treatments and how to prevent canker sores.<\/p>\n<p>These occasional <strong>ulcers<\/strong> are generally harmless and disappear on their own within a couple of weeks. After 3 weeks, it is necessary to visit a specialist, because sometimes they can become over-infected and\/or cause more complicated lesions.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Canker sores are not transmissible, and 1 in 5 people suffer from them frequently. That is why it is best to have regular check-ups at your IMOI dental clinic in Barcelona and at IMOI Ibiza dental clinic.<\/p>\n<p>Mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, can have several causes, although the exact origin of most ulcers is unknown. While stress, tissue injury and consumption of acidic foods have been associated with the development or exacerbation of ulcers, there are also other factors to consider.<\/p>\n<p>For people with orthodontic appliances or dentures, such as fixed or removable dental appliances, ulcers can occur due to the presence of archwires or clasps that can loosen, causing them to protrude and damage the delicate tissues of the mouth. This is particularly common among those who wear metal, lingual or sapphire brackets. To alleviate discomfort, the application of dental wax may be advantageous in these cases.<\/p>\n<p>Accidental bites to the tongue or inner cheek while eating can also lead to mouth ulcers. Therefore, caution should be exercised and habits such as continually biting objects like pens should be avoided, as repetitive friction can lead to the development of these painful sores.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, certain deficiencies and underlying health conditions may contribute to recurrent or larger ulcers. A compromised immune system, nutritional imbalances such as vitamin B12, zinc, acid or iron deficiencies, and gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease or Crohn&#8217;s disease may play a role in the manifestation of these episodes. In addition, stopping smoking may initially trigger more frequent outbreaks in susceptible individuals, although this effect is usually temporary. It is worth noting that certain medications, including certain analgesics, beta-blockers and anti-anginal drugs, can also induce a reaction resulting in the development of mouth ulcers.<\/p>\n<p>While the exact causes of most mouth ulcers remain difficult to determine, it is important to be aware of these various factors and take the necessary precautions to minimize their occurrence. Seeking the advice of a health care professional can provide further guidance on how to control and prevent these painful sores.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>How many types of canker sores do we have?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Smaller: 2 to 8 mm in diameter. They last from 10 days to 2 weeks.<\/li>\n<li>Larger: more than 8 mm in diameter and deeper. They usually have a raised or irregular edge. It may take longer to heal and leave a scar.<\/li>\n<li>Herpetiform: they occur in groups of small sores of the size.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why do mouth sores appear?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dolor-en-la-boca.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-5694 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dolor-en-la-boca.jpg\" alt=\"Pain-in-the-mouth\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dolor-en-la-boca.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/Dolor-en-la-boca-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mouth ulcers, also known as canker sores, can have several causes, although <strong>the exact origin of most<\/strong> ulcers is <strong>unknown.<\/strong>  While <strong>stress<\/strong>,<strong> tissue injury<\/strong> and <strong>consumption of acidic foods<\/strong> have been associated with the development or exacerbation of ulcers, there are also other factors to consider.<\/p>\n<p>For people with <strong>orthodontic appliances or dentures<\/strong>, such as fixed or removable dental appliances, ulcers can occur due to the presence of archwires or clasps that can loosen, causing them to protrude and damage the delicate tissues of the mouth. This is particularly common among those who wear <strong>metal, lingual or sapphire brackets<\/strong>. To alleviate discomfort, the application of dental wax may be advantageous in these cases.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accidental bites<\/strong> to the tongue or inner cheek while eating can also lead to mouth ulcers. Therefore, caution should be exercised and habits such as <strong>continually biting objects<\/strong> like pens should be avoided, as repetitive friction can lead to the development of these painful sores.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, certain <strong>deficiencies and underlying health conditions<\/strong> may contribute to recurrent or larger ulcers. A <strong>compromised immune system, nutritional imbalances such as vitamin B12, zinc, acid or iron deficiencies, and gastrointestinal disorders<\/strong> such as <strong>celiac disease<\/strong> or <strong>Crohn&#8217;s disease<\/strong> may play a role in the manifestation of these episodes. In addition, <strong>stopping smoking<\/strong> may initially trigger more frequent outbreaks in susceptible individuals, although this effect is usually temporary. It is worth noting that certain medications, including certain analgesics, beta-blockers and anti-anginal drugs, can also induce a reaction resulting in the development of mouth ulcers.<\/p>\n<p>While the exact causes of most mouth ulcers remain difficult to determine, it is important to be aware of these various factors and take the necessary precautions to minimize their occurrence. Seeking the advice of a health care professional can provide further guidance on how to control and prevent these painful sores.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the symptoms of canker sores?<\/h2>\n<p>Some of the symptoms that we have been able to see in our clinics for developing some type of thrush are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A rounded, raised lesion with reddish borders and a whitish or gray interior. They are painful and may appear on the tongue, soft palate (tissue behind the roof of the mouth that goes into the throat), or on the inside of your cheeks.<\/li>\n<li>Several can appear simultaneously and their size is usually less than 1 cm in diameter.<\/li>\n<li>When a severe outbreak appears, you may also experience fever, physical sluggishness, swollen lymph nodes&#8230; You should be seen by a specialist.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How are these ulcers treated?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/aftasbucales1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" size-full wp-image-5692 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/aftasbucales1.jpg\" alt=\"canker sores\" width=\"298\" height=\"169\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/a>They usually disappear in 2 weeks without requiring any treatment other than good hygiene. If they are large, very painful or persistent, your IMOI dentist will prescribe some treatments to prevent them from becoming superinfected and to relieve the pain.<\/p>\n<p>What should never be done is to treat them with liquors, even though this has always been done. What alcohol does is disinfect but it also irritates the mucosa and makes it take longer to close.<\/p>\n<p>In the pharmacy we can find many products aimed at reducing discomfort and avoiding over-infection. Generally, these are hyaluronic acid-based gels that incorporate a topical antibiotic in their formulation. There are also mouthwashes, and it is important to avoid those that contain alcohol in their composition.<\/p>\n<p>If the discomfort and inflammation persist, the specialist may prescribe a corticosteroid if deemed necessary.<\/p>\n<h2>Can canker sores be prevented?<\/h2>\n<p>Although there is no definitive cure for canker sores, we can reduce their frequency with good dental hygiene, and in people who are prone to them:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid irritating, acidic or spicy foods.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid irritation from chewing gum.<\/li>\n<li>Use soft brushes and floss every day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3>See an IMOI specialist if present:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Unusually large sores.<\/li>\n<li>Sores that spread.<\/li>\n<li>Sores that persist for more than 3 weeks.<\/li>\n<li>Intolerable pain despite avoidance of irritating foods and use of regular analgesics.<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty or impossibility to drink liquids.<\/li>\n<li>High fever.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Prevention and dental hygiene care is the best medication. Have regular check-ups at our dental clinics.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza, we follow editorial principles that guarantee the authenticity of all the information we disseminate. If you are interested in learning more about how we ensure that our content is always up-to-date and accurately supported, we invite you to review our editorial commitment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article has been supervised by Dr. Ferran Novell Costa and Dra. Erjona Demiraj, specialists in Dental Health and Dental Aesthetics treatments. Responsible for the treatments provided at IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza and for the supervision and\/or updating of the contents of this blog entry. (7\/11\/2023). The recommendations described are not generic and do not replace the diagnosis and evaluation of a professional in a dental office. If you want us to clarify any aspect or you want a personalized diagnosis and advice we recommend you to come to our dental clinics.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reproduction in whole or in part in any medium without written permission is prohibited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Created 8\/8\/2015 Updated 12\/15\/2023 Canker sores, or mouth ulcers as they are also called, are ulcers that appear in the mouth, especially in the jugal mucosa (cheeks), but can also appear in the rest of the mouth, sometimes being very annoying and aggravated by the ingestion of food and beverages due to friction. In this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":21176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dental-health","category-dentistry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21292"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25702,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21292\/revisions\/25702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.imoi.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}