Aphthous Stomata

Without sharing too many intimate details, I have sore gums today and a few ulcers. Its highly likely I've been doing far too much kissing, so in light of this - perhaps this post could become a worthy bookmark in the event YOU get an ulcer.

Some common causes
Accidentally biting your tongue
Allergic reaction
Auto-immune system reacting to another persons saliva or bodily fluids (or in my case - too much kissing).

General ways to avoid ulcers
Check your diet first. If you're eating bad food, get some fruit and greens inya - but cook the food so its soft enough to eat without pain. Carrots, Pasta, Fish etc
No toasted breads, crispy bacon or any hard food that could pierce any sensitive gums.

Prevention
Most ulcers will vanish after a week or so, but check these:
• Swab the sores with sea-buckthorn fruit oil or hydrogen peroxide
• Rinse the mouth with Listerine. This can relieve pain for a few hours.
• Pouring salt directly on the ulcer can prove effective, however this can be extremely painful and can scar. Avoiding pressure on the ulcer after applying the salt minimizes the pain.
• Apply glyoxide directly to the sores and swish around mouth
• Rinse the mouth with salt water—1 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) of warm water (aka. a saline solution)
• Take Lysine-L supplements
• Rinse mouth and especially the affected area with sage tea 3 times a day. The improvement is said to be seen as early as within 24 hours.

*update 1/5/2006*
In the last week, I've learnt a lot about eating only soft foods for breakfast lunch and dinner, and moreso, what not to eat with ulcers. Tomato is definitely bad, and salt is for sea-shanty types.

Fish is good. Macaroni, or any cheese pasta, yoghurt, porridge, baked beans and creamy rice all receive ticks. Surprisingly, not bananas. Drinks: Water, Milk, Ribena, and if you want something fizzy, my only offering is Ch'i (the drink that knows its own name, but a dentist will refuse to do the same), as its herbal and quite yummy.

Also, toothpastes are bad at this time, instead wash with Savacol. Just like the Dentist spitting cup solution.

Dom Walton has been writing about this for a while. To suck the info from his page to this one, read up - otherwise go there to learn more.

Theory of Ulcers: Ulcers start as a result of physical damage like biting yourself, or by an allergic reaction or auto-immune system response to chemical or biological agents. A wound in the mouth is made by either of the events. In the mouth there are many good and bad micro-organisms and bacteria, which now have access to the wound surface. If too many bad bacteria get to colonise the wound, they take over, and produce toxins which in turn promote further cell death causing the ulcer to get larger (this is the stage it which it really hurts). Also at this stage the bacteria lining the ulcer surface can produce a fibrillous exudate which effectively makes a protective coating over their new home (this can often be seen as a whitish covering to the ulcer surface). This situation now continues until the causative agent is gone, and the body’s immune system comes up with the solution and the bad bacteria are quashed.

Anthony Smith has also been in touch. He's also asked to have the Ulcer Treatment & Information website mentioned here as well. He makes note that while there are a number of different ulcers there are some very common similarities between them. Check it out.

Also in fine fashion, a couple of appropriate songs to laugh it off ;)

Peter Gabriel - Kiss That Frog 1992

Debbie Harry - French Kissing In The USA 1986