Home
Rodale Bookshelf
The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Canker Sores

Chapter List

Special Limited Time Offer!
Order today and
Save an Extra 15%!
Use coupon code: LSAVE15

Canker Sores

Canker Sores

Wipe Out Pinpoints of Pain

Perhaps second only to unidentified vaginal discharges, canker sores are truly among the most vexing maladies known to women. Tiny as they may be to the eye, the crater-shaped sores inside your cheeks or along your gums or tongue can send you reeling with pain and make eating and talking difficult. Kissing, of course, is out of the question.

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL TACTICS

Women doctors offer some surprising but effective tactics against vexing canker sores.

Apply an antihistamine. When canker sore pain gets too much to bear, duck into your local drugstore and buy a bottle of Benadryl liquid, an antihistamine commonly taken for allergies or colds, suggests Lenore S. Kakita, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and an adviser to the American Academy of Dermatology. Pull apart a clean cotton ball and soak a canker sore-size wad in one-half to one teaspoon of Benadryl. Place the drenched cotton directly on your sore for five to ten minutes. "Apply the Benadryl three or four times a day, making sure that you don't swallow more than the precautions on the bottle advise. It tends to numb the area, so you can eat."

When To See A Doctor

If your canker sores are severe, if you get them often or if they last for more than two weeks, women doctors say that you should call your doctor, dermatologist or dentist. Also, alert your doctor if you also develop a high fever or swollen glands, signaling an infection.

For canker sores that are beyond self-help, prescription corticosteroids recommended by your doctor or triamcinolone dental paste (Kenalog in Orabase) can help.

What Women Doctors Do

Saltwater Rinse Helps

Mahvash Navazesh, D.M.D.

Scientists aren't convinced that chocolate causes canker sores. But Mahvash Navazesh, D.M.D., associate professor and vice-chair in the Department of Dental Medicine and Public Health at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in Los Angeles, thinks that it's more than a coincidence that when she indulges in the joys of chocolate, she pays a hefty price. Before long, a fiery, red-rimmed canker sore shows up inside her mouth. Here's what she does to relieve the pain.

"When I get a canker sore, I rinse my mouth often with salt and water," says Dr. Navazesh. "Or I make a mixture of half hydrogen peroxide and half water and rinse with that.

"If the sore really burns a lot, anything cool like ice has a soothing effect."

One caution: If you've applied a numbing agent, eat carefully, says Mahvash Navazesh, D.M.D., associate professor and vice-chair in the Department of Dental Medicine and Public Health at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. If you inadvertently bite your numbed mouth while chewing, the resulting injury can make your canker sore worse.

Apply canker sore salve. Over-the-counter products such as Zilactin or Orabase-B coat the canker sore with a sticky substance that acts as a protective shield, to help you talk and eat. Both are recommended by women doctors. Geraldine Morrow, D.M.D., past president of the American Dental Association, a member of a American Association of Women Dentists and a dentist in Anchorage, Alaska, also gives a thumbs-up to Kank-A, an over-the-counter medicine made by Blistex.

Eliminate acidic foods. Cutting down on acid fruits and vegetables and certain nuts, like walnuts, can help prevent canker sores, says Dr. Morrow.

(For practical ways to manage cold sores, which are caused by a virus and affect the lips only, see page 131.)

Shop with Us: Brands A-Z; Products A-Z; Autoship; Ways to Shop; Member Discounts

Customer Service: Contact Us; Help Desk; Shipping Policy; Return Policy; Ask a question; Track Your Order

My Account: My Account; My Order History; My Shopping Cart

Health Library: Vitamin Guide; Guide to Herbs; Health Concerns; Home Remedies; Seniors Health; Women's Health

About Us: Our Blog; Our Philosophy; Corporate Discounts; Affliliate Program; Terms of Use

Featured Partners

Email Sign up: Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!

Call us M-F 9am-5pm: 1-800-439-5506

Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Information about each product is taken from the labels of the products or from the manufacturer's advertising material. MotherNature is not responsible for any statements or claims that various manufacturers make about their products. We cannot be held responsible for typographical errors or product formulation changes. You should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.All discounts are taken from suggested retail prices. Prices are subject to change.