Mouth ulcer warning from professor with '3-week rule'

Anyone who has mouth ulcers has been given a warning - because it could be more serious than just having bitten your cheek. A pharmaceutical expert has said that often mouth ulcers, which can be painful and make it difficult to eat,

However, writing on The Conversation website , Dipa Kamdar, Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University explained how some could actually be indicative of serious deficiencies which could actually have health implicationsd -as nd that in cases people should contact their GP - especially if they last more than three weeks.

Prof Kamdar said: “If you’ve ever had a mouth ulcer, you’ll know how much a tiny sore can take over your day. These small, painful patches that suddenly appear inside your mouth make eating, drinking and even talking surprisingly uncomfortable.

“The good news is that most heal on their own within a week or two. But understanding why they appear and what you can do to prevent them can make a big difference.

“Mouth ulcers are incredibly common. Up to a quarter of the population will experience them at some point in their lives, and they’re especially frequent in teenagers and young adults. Some people get one or two a year; others find they pop up every month. They’re not contagious and they’re usually harmless, but they can still be miserable.”

She explained that most happen due to trauma to the mouth - for example by accidentally biting the cheek, scraping your gums with a toothbrush, or irritation from braces or dentures. She added that certain foods, especially spicy, salty or acidic ones, can also irritate the lining of they mouth. Stress, tiredness and hormonal changes play a role too, and some people notice ulcers appear around their monthly period or during times of pressure at work or home.

However she added: “Sometimes the cause is less obvious. Ulcers may be linked to low levels of iron, zinc, folate, B vitamins or vitamin D, or to underlying conditions such as coeliac disease, Crohn’s disease or a suppressed immune system. If a deficiency seems likely, it’s worth asking your GP for a blood test so that you can get the correct supplements.

“Medications, including some anti-inflammatories, heart medicines like beta blockers, and lung medicines like bronchodilators, can also trigger them. And for a few people, recurrent ulcers are simply part of their genetic makeup as they tend to run in families.”

She added that people who get them regularly might be dealing with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, a pattern of repeated ulcers which are thought to involve an overactive immune response in the mouth, which makes the lining more vulnerable to everyday triggers.

To get rid of them she Prof Kamdar suggested rinsing with warm saltwater to soothe discomfort and reduce inflammation. She added: “Over-the-counter topical treatments can help ease the pain of mouth ulcers and sometimes shorten how long they last.