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Battling Canker Sores - Prevent or Heal Them in a Day (Really!)

If you suffer from canker sores, then you know how painful and irritating these recurring ulcerated mouth sores can be. They appear on the inside of your mouth - on the tongue, soft palate (the back portion of the roof of your mouth), or inside your cheeks, and are round, white, or gray in color, with a red edge or border.
If you search the cause of canker sores, you'll find different answers, and even that the cause is unknown. It's frustrating, because if you knew what really caused them, it would be easier to search for a solution.
It appears that different causes may be the trigger for different people. To find an effective treatment, it's helpful if you can determine what seems to cause them by paying attention to patterns of occurrence.
VIRAL CLUES. If your canker sores occur after a dental procedure or other painful experience in the mouth area, or when you are over-tired, experiencing stress or receiving chemo therapy or radiation treatments, consider that the same virus that causes a cold sore, herpes simplex I, may be the culprit.
Anti-viral Treatments:
Propolis - Produced by bees, propolis is used as a construction material in bee hives, comprised of a complex of chemicals which play a role as an antiviral agent. This is not a good choice for those who are allergic to propolis.
Slippery Elm - Make a paste by mixing this herbal powder and water. Smear the paste directly on your canker sores as often as you feel you need to. This mixture has been found to completely heal canker sores in some people.
Canker Sores Begone - My clients, readers, and others I've recommended it to rave about this topical, multi-herb product, which is packaged in a small pocket-sized bottle, convenient for throwing in your purse, backpack or gear for application wherever you happen to be.
ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO CERTAIN ACIDIC FOODS? Acidic food is a common trigger for many people. You are probably aware that citrus fruit and tomatoes are acidic, but so are grapes, chocolate, salty or spicey foods, sugar, certain nuts, strawberries, and coffee. If this seems to apply more than a virus, try one the following suggestions:
The first approach if you suspect a food allergy, is food elimination. Eliminate the suspected foods for a few weeks, and then reintroduce them one at a time to see which one triggers a canker.
If you prefer an approach that doesn't involve food elimination, try nutritional supplementation. On a daily basis, take 1,000-1,200 milligrams of buffered vitamin C. This will help reduce the level of histamines in your body. You can enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C by taking 1,000 milligrams of quercetin which by inhibiting histamine release, will reduce inflammation, allowing for a quicker healing of an existing canker sore.
A THIAMIN DEFICIENCY? Research shows that a deficiency of thiamin can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. Take 100 milligrams of thiamin daily as a preventative.
A High-Potency Multivitamin - Not all vitamins are created equally. To assure you're taking a high quality vitamin, buy from a health food store or online health food retailer. The high-potency vitamin should include nutrients required to help prevent canker sores. Look at the label and make sure it contains 800 micrograms of folic acid, 20 milligrams of zinc, 500-1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, and 10 milligrams of iron. Buy additional supplements to make up the difference of what your vitamin is low on.
If nothing has worked from the previous recommendations, don't worry. Here are two additional methods from which many people have found success:
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) - This is a form of the herb known as licorice. It has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds the healing process, and soothes the discomfort of canker sores. Take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. Use until the sore heals.
Tea Bag - Tannin from tea may relieve the pain almost instantly. Hold a used tea bag against the sore for a few minutes. Repeat a few times daily until healed.
Be persistant and patient as you experiment to find the best solution for your canker sore eruptions. It will be an effort that pays off for the rest of your life.

Article Source: http://www.articleadventure.com

The herbs and vitamins are available in health food stores. Canker Sores Begone is available online at www.csbegone.com, (888) 877-6315. Author: Janet Malley is a natural healing consultant and writer living and working in a suburb of Los Angeles. Contact her at janetmalley@gmail.com.

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