mouth ulcers

i seem to get mouth ulcers every couple of months. i think the big one i have at the moment might be through biting my lip a few days ago. but sometimes they seem to just appear.

does any body have any tips on avoiding them and/or getting rid of them. 

i have used bonjela but that just makes them fuggin really sore for a wee while then back to normal.

I used to get them a lot, but not so often these days.

I was told that one of the common deficiencies is iron

Also told that stress can make you more vulnerable 

There used to be a steroid based paste available, but  it may be prescription only or evenwithdrawn nowadays. (worked wellat making them go away, but they came back .  possibly bad for you - I read somewhere repeated steroid(whatever it was) use makes skin thinner/more vulnerable ?)

I often got them on my tonsils - hard to reach  - I got relief by using one of those sore throat sprays with lindocaine in it - numbed the pain!

Assuming there's no obvious cause, like accidental or behavioural lip or cheek biting/chewing, sports injuries, eating hot pizza and burning the gums or playing a brass/woodwind musical instrument (with embouchoure problems causing pressure ulcers), then stress +/- virus infections are likely causes and the usual general medical advice of avoiding stress, avoiding (.../reducing...) alcohol/smoking, eating well and possibly taking vitaminC/iron/multivitamin supplements may help.

If it's a recurrent thing without obvious causes then using Corsodyl (or other chlorhexidine mouthwash) in addition to general dental hygeine (brushing/flossing) may help in prevention.

Once an ulcer is there it's usually just a matter of waiting for it to heal - bonjela or local anaesthetic ('chloraseptic') type treatments may or may not help relieve pain but probably won't speed healing.  

I rinse with salt water, which helps a little, but mostly it's just a case of waiting them out for me. I get them when I'm training hard and on the verge of overtraining. For me it's a red flag that my immune system is on the brink of popping, so it's a sign that I need to back off. I guess stress would have a similar sort of effect.

As I found out when I accidentally landed jaw first on a solid wooden bed-post the other week - ouch - and put a deep cut into the inside of my lower lip, the inside of your mouth actually heals pretty fast when things are otherwise right with you.

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

My experience is that a regular regime helps. By which I mean regular mealtimes, less late nights and missed sleep, generally not over indulging too often. Avoiding junk food in favour of fresh food.

This needn't be as Puritan as is sounds, and will happen naturally as you get old. Basically, ulcers are a sign of youth and having too much fun. If I remember correctly.

"This needn't be as Puritan as is sounds, and will happen naturally as you get old."

Great quote. Sad but true....

Just don't confuse that with Anusol!