What Is a Mouth Wound?
Perioral wounds are wounds seen in any soft tissue of the mouth, including the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, floor and roof of the mouth.
Perioral wounds are wounds seen in any soft tissue of the mouth, including the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, floor and roof of the mouth. In some patients, it is possible to see mouth sores even in the esophagus that goes to the stomach.
Unlike herpes, thrush does not occur in mouth sores on the lips and is not contagious. However, like herpes, they can be painful and make it difficult to eat. Most mouth sores are expected to heal on their own within a few days. Otherwise, it would be beneficial to consult a doctor or dentist.
Mouth sores are not always caused by an illness. Damage to the inner surface of the mouth and palate while consuming food triggers the formation of wounds in these parts. In young children and infants, there is a possibility of mouth sores due to reasons such as poor immunity due to malnutrition, insufficient oral care yet.
Again, mouth sores may occur in young children as a result of uncontrolled consumption of hard foods. The question of what is good for mouth sores in 2-year-old babies comes to mind of all parents who have this problem. Any additional medication or ointment is not recommended for infants of this age. This is because babies may inadvertently swallow these ointments. In such cases, it is necessary to wait for the mouth sores in babies to heal on their own. If the mouth sore does not heal for a long time in babies, it is useful to consult a specialist.
What Are the Symptoms of Mouth Sore?
• Mouth sores in most cases cause redness and pain, especially when eating and drinking.
• It may also cause a burning or tingling sensation around the painful wound.
• Depending on the severity of the mouth sores, the sores may interfere with eating, drinking, speaking, swallowing and breathing. Blisters may also occur around these wounds.
• Wounds are usually small, appearing with a red border and oval shape.
• The healing period of thrush and deep wounds can take up to 6 weeks and there is a possibility of leaving scars.
• Shortly before the wounds appear, burning, tingling and pain may occur in the area where the wound will emerge.
• Mostly swelling, tenderness and pain occur in the area of the wound.
• Bleeding, soreness or even soreness of the wounds during oral and dental care is also seen in most patients.
• Loss of appetite may occur because the wounds cause discomfort to the patients.
• Wounds near the throat make swallowing difficult and cause irritation of the throat.
• Fever is also among the common symptoms as the wounds become inflamed.
• Some symptoms other than common symptoms may be caused by a different underlying disease.
• Therefore, it is very important for patients with more severe symptoms to be examined without delay.
What are the Causes of Mouth Sore?
Although there is no definite answer to the question of what causes mouth sores, mouth sores can be observed due to any disease, starting from the smallest causes in daily life. But among the most common causes:
• People biting their tongue, lips or cheeks while eating or talking,
• Mouth burns caused by the consumption of extremely hot foods or the sudden uncontrolled drinking of hot beverages such as tea, coffee,
• Brushing the teeth too hard during oral care, irritating the gums while flossing, or using toothpastes containing sodium lauryl sulfate,
• Food sensitivities to chocolate, coffee, strawberries, eggs, nuts, cheese or spicy foods,
• Nutritional habits that cause vitamin B12, zinc, folate (folic acid) or iron deficiency,
• Allergic reaction of the mouth tissue against some bacteria,
• Stress and mood disorders arising from daily life,
• Hormone changes during menstruation for women,
• Celiac disease, which occurs due to sensitivity to gluten, which is found in most grains,
• Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis,
• Behçet's disease, which can cause inflammation in the whole body, including the mouth,
• There are HIV and AIDS diseases that suppress the immune system.
Not every mouth sore will indicate a serious illness. This may be the case for mouth sores that are constantly recurring and take too long to heal. For this reason, it is not correct to approach every mouth sore as a symptom of a serious disease.
How is Mouth Wound Diagnosed?
Types of mouth sores are mostly similar in all patients. In patients, redness and swelling occur as a characteristic feature of the wound. There is generally no difficulty in making the diagnosis.
Since there are visible wounds, patients can self-diagnose. Symptoms such as burning, pain, soreness and swelling indicate mouth sores. However, the situation may develop differently in those with chronic diseases and cancer patients. In such cases, it is beneficial for patients to consult a specialist. The doctor or dentist can diagnose with a physical examination, as well as apply blood tests if conditions such as inflammation or pus in the wounds are observed.
The purpose of this blood test is to learn whether there is another disease in the body that can cause these wounds. Early diagnosis of a disease underlying the mouth sore can prevent more serious diseases.
What are Mouth Sore Treatment Methods?
The most common mouth sores treatments are:
• The treatment of mouth sores is a matter of curiosity for all patients who are looking for how to cure mouth sores. Most mouth sores are expected to heal within 1-2 weeks.
• It may be possible to overcome this process more easily and quickly with medicinal plants. Especially sage tea is one of the most effective herbal treatments. Consuming sage tea warm after brewing helps wounds heal faster. In fact, drinking the tea by keeping it in the mouth for a while increases the effect even more.
• In addition, mouth sores can also be treated with sumac. When sumac is boiled, cooled and gargled, the healing process will accelerate.
• Among the things that are good for mouth sores, there are creams recommended by the doctor. These creams help relieve pain and heal redness.
• If the wounds are inflamed, the use of steroid gel may also be recommended.