Have you experienced having pain and discomfort in your mouth and when you check in the mirror you find out that you have an open sore that is whitish in color and is bordered by a red swollen area? This is called canker sore, or Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis, a type of mouth ulcer that may be due to viruses that evade the mouth, especially when the mouth experiences some form of injury that allowed these microorganisms to invade the membrane that protects the mouth.

There are many reasons why a person develops canker sores, but the main reason is still unknown. The most common is the opening of the mucous membrane from aggressive tooth cleaning perhaps that allows the introduction of bacteria. But some people do not have that type of mechanism of injury, some people experience canker sore when they are stressed emotionally, some get them because the required vitamins and minerals in their body are depleted, some get them because of specific allergies to food, and some women have them during their menstrual period or changes in the levels of the hormones.

Canker sores may just be ignored if not for the pain that you usually experience when food or fluid touches that injured area. This is when you look for the best treatment. There are a lot of treatment options available, but below are some of the natural remedies to help diminish the symptoms brought about by the sore.

• L-Lysine

  Lysine is an essential amino acid. Meaning, it is an amino acid that is not processed in the human body and therefore should be received from foods. Some people have low amounts of lysine in their body due to their limited diet. When there is a low supply of lysine, arginine, another type of essential amino acid, is increased. Take note that arginine is being used by viruses to reproduce. So with less lysine and more arginine, viruses increase. Theories have it that canker sores are due to the viruses that invade the injured mucus membrane.  To prevent such occurrence therefore, a person must have an increased ingestion of foods that are rich in lysine, such as meats, cheese, fish, eggs, nuts, and soybeans. Several dental practitioners are also recommending L-lysine in capsule, tablet, cream and liquid forms to prevent canker sores or hasten the healing process.

• Vitamin B complex

  Vitamin B-complex means all types of Vitamin B are present in one food or food supplement. B vitamins have specific functions. But over-all, the eight kinds of Vitamin B can facilitate in the enhancement of the immune system, it can promote the growth of the cell as well as its division, and it can support the metabolism of the body. Vitamin B complex also helps in the synthesis of proteins. So if a certain protein is useful for preventing canker sore, then it follows that vitamin B has also helped in the prevention of such condition.

  Vitamin B complex is found mostly in meat products and increasing your intake of these foods will give you healthy hair and skin, including the mucous membrane that covers your mouth.A certain study singled out Vitamin B12 as an effective solution to decrease the recurrence of canker sores. With a nightly dose of Vitamin B12, the number of canker sores of patients has diminished within five to six months of therapy.

• Vitamin C

  Vitamin C is almost always the suggested solution when one has canker sores. In fact, when you present a canker sore to a non-medical person, their suggestion will always be to increase Vitamin C intake. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin; it is not synthesized by the human body, therefore it should be taken from foods. Food sources that are rich in vitamin C are oranges, limes, red pepper, broccoli and parsley. You can also receive vitamin C from supplementations through tablet or capsule form. Vitamin C is an important nutrient in the formation of connective tissues and bone. It is also an antioxidant, and it is largely helpful in healing wounds since it assists the body in the formation of collagen, the protein the acts like glue between two cell structures.

• Garlic

  Allium sativum, or garlic, is known as a natural antibiotic and can help in the stimulation of the immune system of the human body. Aside from that, garlic has the capability to decrease inflammation and antagonize the process of oxidation. Garlic also has high levels of selenium. Several studies have shown that those who have low levels of this particular element are more prone to getting canker sores than those who have enough in their blood.

• Herbs

  There are several kinds of herbs that are beneficial in the prevention and healing of canker sores. Echinacea when diluted with water and gargled in the mouth can help in the numbing down of the pain caused by the canker sore. Goldenseal, which can also be used as a mouthwash, is perfect as an astringent and antiseptic; thereby preventing the occurrence of the sore. Licorice is high in tannin, which can be useful in faster healing as it functions as an antiseptic. Myrrh also has tannins that are good for the sore. There are still more, and most of them can help in alleviating the pain and in the prevention of formation of a canker sore.

• Onions

  Some people are using onions to help in hastening the healing of canker sores. They slice a raw onion and apply it to the inflamed region of the mouth. There is no clear study made as to the rationale behind the treatment, but several people claimed that, despite the pungent odor coming from the mouth, onion is an effective remedy for faster healing of the sore.

• Red Raspberry Tea

  The tannic acid contained in the tea bag is implicated in the faster healing of canker sores as well as in reducing the pain felt during the course of the disease. In particular, the leaf of the red raspberry plant is rich in vitamins, minerals and tannins. So for centuries, the tea leaves are being used in several natural remedies including the faster healing of the canker sore. Aside from the vitamins, minerals and tannins, raspberry tea also contains calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin B complex, flavonoids and ellagic acid which serves as an antioxidant.

Sources
naturalhealthontheweb.com
cankerfree.com
umm.edu
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
sciencedaily.com
acankersorecure.com
livestrong.com
disabled-world.com
herbalremediesworld.com