How To Handle Sores On Your Mouth Or Tongue

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Do You Have Recurring Sores In You Mouth Or Tip Of Your Tongue That Gets Tender & Sore?

The most common cause of recurrent sores on the tongue is aphthous stomatitis, or canker sores. These sores usually occur one or two at a time, last seven to 10 days, and are quite painful, especially when eating acidic foods. They may recur several times a year or even every month or two. The cause is unknown but they are otherwise harmless and are not clearly associated with any single nutritional deficiency or illness.

There are some research studies suggesting that up to 20 percent of canker sores are due to lack of folic acid, iron or vitamin B12, but other researchers have been unable to confirm this. A general medical evaluation to identify one of these problems should be able to determine whether your tongue sores are related to a nutritional deficiency. In addition, it might be wise to take a multivitamin (as is often recommended routinely, even for people without canker sores).

Otherwise, treatment of canker sores includes topical pain relievers (such as benzocaine found in many over-the-counter preparations), warm water rinses and avoiding foods that aggravate the pain. For severe cases, prescription medications, including rinses with corticosteroids, can provide relief.

See your doctor to sort out the cause of and best treatment for your tongue sores; there are simple and readily available tests to determine whether you have a deficiency in folic acid, iron or vitamin B12. In addition, your doctor can review any other symptoms you have and perform a physical examination that could suggest one of the conditions above that can cause oral ulcers.

However, if you have the most common form of canker sores, a vitamin or mineral deficiency is unlikely to explain them and they will not improve by taking vitamins. If that's the case, the best treatment of all may be the passage of time.