How Long Do Canker Sores Last? – Different Healing Stages and Home Remedies

Also known as aphthous ulcers, canker sores are small, painful sores develop inside your mouth. They are usually oval-shaped with a red boundary and a white or yellow center. How long do canker sores last? Well, it depends on causative factors and your body’s response to different medications and remedies. But they usually last one to two weeks.

You may find eating, drinking, and talking very painful and uncomfortable, especially in the initial days. They mostly fade away in a couple of weeks, even without treatment. But some home remedies and OTC treatments can speed up the healing process.

In this article, we will discuss everything about canker sores, some causative factors, different healing stages, and some very good natural remedies. Let’s go through the content to know more.

What are the causes of canker sores?

It is hard to underline specific causes of canker sores, because one or more factors may be responsible at a time. Following are some possible causes:

• Simple sores may develop from injury to mouth due to different reasons including tooth brushing, braces, dental work, dentures, and sports accidents.

• Food sensitivities or allergies from certain foods like citrus fruits, junk foods, chocolates, and coffee, etc.

• Food items with low content of vitamin B12, folate, iron, or zinc.

• Toothpaste made with sodium lauryl sulphate.

• Hormonal imbalances.

• Emotional stress

• Allergy to certain foods or bacteria

• Smoking

• Diseases related to gastrointestinal tracts like Crohn’s disease or Celiac disease

• Chronic constipation

• Autoimmune disorders like Bechet’s disease or systemic lupus erythematosus

• Systemic conditions like nutritional deficiencies

• Oral Cancer

• Certain drugs, including:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Aspirin
• Beta-blockers
• Oral nicotine
• Chemotherapy medicines
• Phenytoin
• Platelet aggregation inhibitors
• Antibiotics
• Antihypertensives

Different Stages of Healing

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