Is there a good, natural way to get rid of canker sores?
There really isn’t a good “natural” way to get RID of canker sores. There are natural ways to help soothe them though. The first thing to remember (which shouldn’t come as a surprise) is to eat foods and drink liquids with as low of an acid content as possible. Acid will only irritate the sores and make them feel worse. Secondly, and only try this if you have a strong stomach, is to take a bit of clove oil, preferably on a Q-Tip, and rub that on the sores. That will completely eliminate the pain for a few hours. I say “a strong stomach” because the flavor is extremely strong and well, yucky. On a side note, a not so natural treatment that is great for treating canker sores, and just about anything else that is inside your mouth (such as if you bite your tongue, or if you get a piercing, etc) is a liquid called Gly-Oxide. It comes in a little white bottle and is sold in the drugs/pharmacy section of most stores, including Wal-Mart. It also kills all the germs in your mouth, disinfects,
Wait Canker sores will normally go away by themselves in 7-10 days. The pain can be minimized through careful diet (eliminate spicy, acidic, or other foods that irritate them) or by the use of over the counter anesthetics. 2. Some Tried and True Folk Remedies * Acidophilus taken in either capsule form or as an ingredient in plain yogurt may stimulate the immune system. Taking 2-4 capsules four times a day with milk has proven to both reduce the pain, and speed up the healing process. * Aloe juice can be used as a mouth rinse several times a day. * Alum from the spice section of your grocery store will relieve pain and speed healing, but will burn like crazy for a few minutes once it is applied. Do this once or twice a day, but be prepared for the burning, and rinse your mouth out well afterwards. * Antacid formulas such as Mylanta and Milk of Magnesia have been reported to relieve pain and speed healing.
There are a number of treatments that reduce the pain and duration of canker sores for individuals whose outbreaks cannot be prevented. These treatments include numbing preparations, such as xylocaine, that are applied on the sores when a patient has only a few, and anti-inflammatory steroid mouthwashes or gels for patients with several sores. Cimetidine (Tagamet) – a medicine prescribed for heartburn and peptic ulcers – is sometimes useful for treating canker sores, although it is not specifically approved for canker sores. Some doctors recommend applying ice to the canker sore, avoiding food that is irritating, and rinsing your mouth with over-the-counter preparations such as diluted hydrogen peroxide or elixir of Benadryl. Some people find relief by rinsing the mouth with a solution of ½ teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water.
