9 May 2012Do You Know About Canker Sores?
Canker sores are painful lesions in the mouth. They are also known as Aphthous ulcers and do not spread from person to person.
Canker sores are small, round or oval sores inside the mouth. They are yellow or white in the centre and have a red outer border. The common sites of canker sores are upper surface, tip of the tongue, floor of the mouth; inner surfaces of the cheeks and/or lips as well as gums.
What Are The Types?
- Minor canker sores:
Characterized by less pain, size less than half inch and complete healing within two weeks.
- Major canker sores:
Usually larger than half inch in size, are painful, have irregular margins, healing occurs in more than two weeks and leave a scar after healing.
- Herpetiform canker sores:
A group of small sores form a large lesion and they last from a week to a month.
Know the Symptoms
- Pain is a common symptom and is felt while the affected person is eating, drinking and talking.
- Irritation, burning and tingling sensation is experience. Later, the appearance of lesions starts becoming obvious.
- Fever may be present.