Aphthae are damage to the oral mucosa and usually have harmless causes. But sometimes there are also diseases behind it that the layman would not associate with it. FITBOOK explains what to do with mouth ulcers and what to do if the painful problem keeps coming back.
Aphthae can develop in various parts of the gums and oral cavity, most commonly around the tip of the tongue and on the inside of the lips. They are usually quite uncomfortable to painful, which is due to the fact that the mucous membrane has burst under the whitish coatings and the nerve endings are exposed here. Those holes in the oral mucosa that create vesicles and are usually surrounded by a zone of inflammation can reach a diameter of up to three centimeters (the larger, the more uncomfortable). But sometimes they are also very small.
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Possible causes of aphthous ulcers
Aphthae can have various, mostly harmless causes. As a rule, they are stress-triggered, with hormone fluctuations and various diseases also causing stress for the body. People with immunodeficiency or nutritional deficiencies are particularly often affected. Sometimes, however, there are also intolerance reactions to food or care additives. Injuries in the oral cavity can also cause aphthae to form. Similar to herpes, the unpleasant mucous membrane reactions can accompany a bacterial or viral infection, and indeed a herpes disease as well.
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In rare cases, aphthae can also indicate more serious illnesses. If they occur extremely frequently or in large numbers, they can indicate a more serious finding. For example, various chronic intestinal diseases or an acute HIV infection. In addition, permanent mucosal defects can also be an indication of cancer in the mouth or a comparable malignant event. If you repeatedly struggle with aphthous ulcers or aphthous-like complaints, we recommend – depending on the suspicion – a blood or intestinal examination or the removal of a tissue sample (biopsy).
Are aphthous ulcers contagious?
Although they can result from a bacterial or viral infection, aphthae themselves are not contagious according to the current state of knowledge. For those affected, oral hygiene is particularly important so that no further germs can spread and hinder the healing process and / or cause new infections in the affected oral cavity.
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What can you do about aphthous ulcers?
Aphthae usually go away on their own within a few days. During this time, it is important not to provoke unnecessary pain and, as far as possible, to avoid very spicy or acidic foods.
If aphthae stay longer and are very painful, a dentist or dermatologist should examine the area and, if necessary, prescribe a cortisone cream for topical use or, in particularly severe cases, inject the active ingredient.
Home remedies for aphthae
Antibacterial measures are generally advisable. These include:
- Mouthwashes with tea tree oil: Put up to 10 drops in a glass of water and rinse with it
- Chilled black or green tea bags: Prepare tea as usual, allow the bag to cool and place it on the aphtha
- Sage or chamomile tea are anti-inflammatory: simply rinse your mouth with cooled tea
- Mouth rinse with 1 teaspoon of baking soda in half a glass of warm water
- Tinctures, such as clove
- Mouth rinses with the active ingredient chlorhexidine
- for severe complaints: pain relieving gel, for example a lydocaine-containing, superficial anesthetic preparation from the pharmacy
FITBOOK received technical advice from the Munich dermatologist Dr. with. Timm Golüke and the Berlin oral medicine specialist Dr. med. Andreas Schwitalla.
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