Mouth ulcers are very common. They are painful open sores that appear on the inside of the cheeks, lips and floor of the mouth under the tongue.
Depending on the specific location of the ulcer in the mouth, they interfere with your ability to speak and eat. Opening of your mouth can become very difficult.
Most of these mouth ulcers indicate deficiency of vital nutrients in the body. Other ulcers can be caused by constipation, acidity, stress, hormonal changes and accidental cheek bites. Some of these ulcers can be hereditary.
Mouth ulcers usually heal themselves within a week to 10 days of time, but the following home remedies can reduce pain and heal fast.
The first step you must take is to improve your nutrition. You may not be eating a balanced diet. Take vitamin supplements to improve your immunity from mouth ulcers. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause mouth ulcers and even slow down the healing process.
1. Sea Salt Gargle
Sea salt water gargling is usually very useful in most of the conditions inside the mouth as the salt possesses both anti inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
Add a teaspoon of sea salt in a glass of warm water. It is better to make the water warm before adding the salt. Stir and mix it well until the salt is dissolved. Let it cool down a bit to be at comfortable warmness.
Take a sip, but don't gulp it down the throat. Squish the salt water in your mouth for 10 seconds and spit it out. Keep repeating the process of gargling until the entire glass is consumed.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera Gel helps in soothing the pain. Take fresh Aloe Vera fillet and apply on the mouth ulcer. Aloe Vera is a natural antiseptic and antifungal agent. It will not only reduce the pain but will also heal the sores fast.
3. Coconut Milk and Honey
Grate coconut flesh (The white part) and soak it in hot water. The coconut cream will rise to the top. Skim it at keep it separately for other uses. Squeeze the remaining liquid through a cheesecloth and extract. The extracted white liquid is called coconut water.
Mix half teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of coconut water. Apply a small quantity of the mixture on your mouth ulcer. Keep the rest for further use later. Apply 3-4 times a day to get the best results.
The coconut milk and honey mixture will soothe your pain and heal the ulcer fast.
4. Ghee
Ghee is a first cousin of butter, both are made from milk fat. Butter can be converted to ghee in a simple heating process.
While butter is most commonly used in the western world in the breakfast table and occasionally in some cooking, people in south Asia and the Middle East use ghee for cooking.
Ghee possess anti inflammatory properties. Apply a pinch of ghee on your mouth ulcer 3-4 times a day to alleviate pain and heal the mouth ulcer.
5. Ice
Apply Ice cubes on the sores. It may be easy to apply ice particularly if the mouth ulcer is on the lips. However, even under the tongue and inside the cheeks ulcers ice can be applied by just keeping the ice inside the mouth touching the ulcer. Let the ice melt inside the mouth. Spit out the ice cube and the melted water when you can not keep the ice inside the mouth. Ice will freeze your skin inside the mouth and you may not be able to keep it longer.
If any of these remedies do not produce the desired result, then you must visit your doctor. The mouth ulcer may be due to some other underlying condition which may require medical attention.