Top 7 Home Remedies for Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are small, painful lesions that develop in your mouth and at the base of your gums. They can be extremely uncomfortable and sometimes severe conditions of mouth ulcer make it difficult to eat, drink and even brush your teeth. It basically affects the mucosal membrane in the mouth. Every person in their life once gets effective with mouth ulcer. In some cases, these are last for 2 weeks, but in severe cases, these are causing the worst conditions and you can’t even eat your food.

Some studies on the mouth ulcer show that they are more common in women. Most of the people are suffering from mouth ulcer occasionally, but some have a mouth ulcer on a frequent basis. About 5-10% of people are suffering from recurrent or frequent mouth ulcer. The mouth ulcer often appears on the lips, under your tongue, inside the cheeks and on the floor of the mouth.

Types of Mouth Ulcer

1. Herpetiform ulceration (HU): It is the type of ulcer which causes a cluster of a large number of small ulcers. Herpetiform ulceration is a subtype of aphthous stomatitis so named because the lesions resemble a primary infection with herpes simplex virus.
2. Minor ulcers: These are very common types of ulcer. These can range in size from 2 milli meters (mm) to 8 mm. This ulcer can take up to 2 weeks to get better. There is very minor pain during these ulcers.
3. Major ulcers: these are bigger in size than minor ulcer and may be raised, and penetrate deeper into the tissue. They can take more than 2 weeks to go.

Causes of Mouth Ulcer

1. Poor oral hygiene
2. Burns from eating hot food
3. Irritation from strong antiseptics, such as a mouthwash
4. Oral thrush infection
5. Accident is biting on the inside of your cheek
6. Oral cancer
7. Constant rubbing against braces
8. Injury while brushing your teeth
9. Vitamin B or folic acid deficiency
10. Food allergy
11. Stress
12. Hormonal changes

Symptoms of Mouth Ulcer

1. Cold sores.
2. One or more painful sores on the inner lining of mouth.
3. Swollen skin around the sores.
4. Loss appetite.
5. Difficulties with chewing or tooth brushing.
6. Irritation due to salty and spicy food.

Home Remedies for Mouth Ulcer

1. Coconut Milk

Coconut oil or milk has a very good soothing effect. The anti-inflammatory property of coconut milk reduces the pain and inflammation, which are caused by mouth ulcers. Most the people are confused between coconut water and milk. The coconut water is found naturally in immature green coconut and unlike coconut water, coconut milk does not occur naturally. It contains only 50% content of water. One of the studies shows that coconut milk is very effective to reduce the size of ulcer and provide relief from severe pain.

1. Take one tablespoon of coconut milk and add some drops of honey to it.
2. Apply gently on the affected area.
3. Do this 3-4 times in a day for better result.

2. Coriander Seeds

Coriander seeds are a very good source of vitamins such as vitamin A, Vitamin C, and beta-carotene. Mostly seeds and powder is used in Indian kitchen for cooking. It a very good Ayurvedic remedy for the treatment of mouth ulcer because it provides relief from inflammation and pain.

1. Take one cup of hot water and add one tablespoon of coriander seeds powder to it.
2. Rest it for 10 minutes, strain, and swish it around in your mouth.
3. Repeat 3-4 times in a day.

3. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has very good healing power. In case of mouth ulcer, you can directly apply aloe vera raw gel to affected areas or take it in juice form.  The anti-inflammatory property of aloe vera helps to reduce the inflammation around the mouth ulcer. It has also antioxidant property which helps to treat canker sores. It’s a natural antiseptic.

• You can simply use cotton balls, dip them in aloe vera gel and apply gently on your sores. Repeat this process 3-4 times in a day.

4. Holy Basil (Tulsi)

 

The leaves of holy basil have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties which are very good to tackle the problem of mouth ulcer, stress, anxiety, and inflammation. In Ayurveda, this herb has been used for many years due to its very effective medicinal properties. Holy basil is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and phytonutrients. The anti-bacterial property of tulsi leaves protect your mouth from plaque formation, and mouth ulcer.

•    Take 3-4 leaves of holy basil
•    Chew them and sip a half cup of water
•    Do this two time in a day.

5. Sea Salt and Hydrogen Peroxide

Both of them have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and disinfectant properties. The hydrogen peroxide promotes the healing of mouth ulcer by cleaning the sore. This will also help to reduce the growth of bacteria in your mouth. Sea salt has a major healing property which helps to cure mouth ulcer. Sea salt contains sodium, magnesium, calcium and other light metals.

1. Take one glass of warm water.
2. Add 2-3 teaspoon of sea salt and 3% hydrogen peroxide to it.
3. Rinse your mouth with this solution.
4. Repeat this 2-3 times in a day. This will helps to heal the mouth ulcers.

6. Honey

Honey is a blend of sugar, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that have antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant properties. Unprocessed honey can help to treat mouth sores or ulcer. It’s truly a remarkable substance. Due to its high viscosity, it provides a protective barrier to prevent infection. It can soothe ulcer by providing moisture and accelerating the healing process.

1. Dip the cotton swab in honey.
2. Dab it gently on the affected area.

7. Celery (Apium Graveolens)

It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which also provide relief from inflammation and pain due to mouth ulcer. Celery is a very good source of vitamin B1, B2, B6, vitamin C, and folic acid. It’s very effective when the reasons behind the mouth ulcer are iron deficiency.

1. You can simply chew the fresh stalk of celery.
2. Chew them 1-2 times in a day.