Aphthous Ulcers-Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

An aphthous ulcer is a type of mouth ulcer, caused by a break in the mucous membrane. Aphthous stomatitis is a condition which is characterized by recurrent discrete areas of ulceration which are almost always painful. They can occur one at a time or as a group of sores. It has been used for many years to describe areas of ulceration on mucous membranes.

An aphthous ulcer is a type of mouth ulcer, caused by a break in the mucous membrane. Aphthous stomatitis is a condition which is characterized by recurrent discrete areas of ulceration which are almost always painful. They can occur one at a time or as a group of sores. It has been used for many years to describe areas of ulceration on mucous membranes. Although these sores are not serious, other mouth sores may be. Unlike herpes, however, aphthous ulcers cannot spread from one person to another. Rather, they are thought to result from a reaction of the immune system.

Canker sores are also known as aphthous ulcers but shouldn''t be confused with cancer. These small painful ulcers can cause bad breath and typically cause craters in the lining of the mouth. Canker sores occur in about one fifth of people. Typically they occur on the inside lining of the lips and cheeks or under the tongue. They will often take two weeks to heal and rarely leave permanent scars, during this time they have a red top and are yellow or white in color.

Symptoms of Aphthous Ulcers:
Some important symptoms of aphthous ulcer includes:
The burning or Tingling sensation are the early symptoms of aphthous ulcer.
General discomfort or uneasiness.
Round, white sores with a red edge can also be seen in the patient of aphthous ulcer.
Listlessness.

Causes
Doctors don''t know exactly what causes canker sores. They may be hereditary, but doctors have not figured out exactly how people inherit the tendency to get them. Researchers think they may be an overreaction to the Streptococcus bacteria, because the bacteria are often found in the canker sore. People with canker sores often have small injuries from dental injections and toothbrushes in the lining of the mouth. Allergies, such as hay fever, are also associated with an increased risk for canker sores.

Other causes of canker sores are injury to the gums from brushing and illnesses in which the immune system causes swelling or inflammation of the body tissues (autoimmune disorders). Examples of autoimmune disorders are systemic lupus erythematosus, Crohn''s disease, and Bechet''s syndrome. Smoking and dentures can also contribute to the problem.
Treatment

The treatment depends on the cause. If the cause is another illness, such as lupus, treating the underlying illness often results in healing the ulcers. In some cases, something as simple as changing toothpastes may get rid of recurrent canker sores. A toothpaste free of sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients that are irritating to the tissues inside the mouth can be helpful, as can a toothpaste that inhibits the growth of irritating plaque.
Treatment is usually not necessary. In most cases, the canker sores go away by themselves.

Severe mouth ulcers (larger than 1 cm or lasting longer than 2 weeks) may need to be treated with an antibiotic called tetracycline. (Tetracycline is usually not given to children until after all the permanent teeth have fully developed, because it can discolor still-forming teeth.)
Multiple, painful mouth ulcers may treated with an anti-viral medicine such as acyclovir.

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