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Canker
Sores
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| These small but
painful ulcers occur in the mouth. They can develop on the gums, the
tongue, inside the cheek or on the lips. Canker sores have a white
center and a red border, they are contagious and occur most often in
females. They vary in size from as small as a pinhead to the size of a
quarter, and tend to appear quickly lasting for 4 - 21 days. |
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Canker sores can be triggered
by a number of things including food allergies, stress, fatigue or poor
dental hygiene. It is also suspected that people who are deficient of
iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 are more prone to canker sores.
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| What
Can Help |
| A Chamomile mouth
wash can soothe these painful ulcers. Place powdered chamomile into warm
water and mix. Rinsing mouth 3 or 4 times daily is suggested. (see
Chamomile in Herb Section for information on safety and allergic
reactions) |
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| How
to Help Avoid Canker Sores |
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Try to reduce stress
- stress is often a major factor to recurrent canker sores |
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Avoid eating those
thing that can trigger attacks - chewing gum, sucking
lozenges, chocolate, coffee and smoking are common culprits |
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Eat plenty of salads
& onions |
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Avoid sugar and
processed or refined foods |
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| Supplements
Worth Considering |
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Vitamin B complex,
50mg daily - Improves immune system and aids healing |
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Acidophilus - helps
maintain healthy balance of friendly bacteria |
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Garlic - natural
antibiotic, stimulates immune system |
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Zinc lozenges, do
not exceed 50mgs daily - improves immune function |
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