Mouth ulcers

Story

Connected to · 1

regulates · 1

Celiac disease
Coeliac disease is a gluten-triggered immune disease of the gut that often impairs absorption of iron, folate and B12, all of which are linked to mouth ulcers. Pooling 22 observational studies, people with coeliac disease have about 2.45 times the usual risk of recurrent mouth ulcers. This is an association, not proof; and the mouth signs of coeliac disease can appear years before gut symptoms, so recurring ulcers are worth asking a doctor about testing for it even without diarrhea.

Read full story

Stop 1/6

What a mouth ulcer is

THE SHORT ANSWER

Recurring mouth ulcers are a local immune reaction in the lining of the mouth and are not contagious. Most are under 1 cm and heal in 7 to 10 days without a scar.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU

If an ulcer hasn't healed after 3 weeks, see a dentist or doctor.

EVIDENCEGUIDE 1 · REVIEW 4

READ THE ORIGINAL

The most common kind of recurring mouth ulcer is called recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a round or oval shallow crater in the lining of the mouth, with a yellow-white or grey floor and a red ring around it. It appears on the inside of the cheeks or lips or on the tongue, and it hurts when touched.

It is not an infection and not contagious, but it should be told apart from cold sores, which are caused by the herpes virus, appear on or around the lips, can also show up inside the mouth as a small group of pinhead-sized ulcers, and are contagious. Most people's ulcers are under 1 cm and heal on their own in 7 to 10 days without a scar; in about one in ten people, ulcers are over 1 cm, can last for weeks and can scar.

They keep coming back because the problem is not some germ in the mouth but the way the lining and the immune system get along: a small irritation, in someone prone to ulcers, is amplified into a local attack.

If an ulcer has not healed after 3 weeks, see a dentist or doctor: most mouth ulcers are harmless, but one that will not heal is occasionally a sign of mouth cancer.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.

Back

Mouth ulcers

Story

Connected to · 1

regulates · 1

Celiac disease
Coeliac disease is a gluten-triggered immune disease of the gut that often impairs absorption of iron, folate and B12, all of which are linked to mouth ulcers. Pooling 22 observational studies, people with coeliac disease have about 2.45 times the usual risk of recurrent mouth ulcers. This is an association, not proof; and the mouth signs of coeliac disease can appear years before gut symptoms, so recurring ulcers are worth asking a doctor about testing for it even without diarrhea.

Read full story

Stop 1/6

What a mouth ulcer is

THE SHORT ANSWER

Recurring mouth ulcers are a local immune reaction in the lining of the mouth and are not contagious. Most are under 1 cm and heal in 7 to 10 days without a scar.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOU

If an ulcer hasn't healed after 3 weeks, see a dentist or doctor.

EVIDENCEGUIDE 1 · REVIEW 4

READ THE ORIGINAL

The most common kind of recurring mouth ulcer is called recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a round or oval shallow crater in the lining of the mouth, with a yellow-white or grey floor and a red ring around it. It appears on the inside of the cheeks or lips or on the tongue, and it hurts when touched.

It is not an infection and not contagious, but it should be told apart from cold sores, which are caused by the herpes virus, appear on or around the lips, can also show up inside the mouth as a small group of pinhead-sized ulcers, and are contagious. Most people's ulcers are under 1 cm and heal on their own in 7 to 10 days without a scar; in about one in ten people, ulcers are over 1 cm, can last for weeks and can scar.

They keep coming back because the problem is not some germ in the mouth but the way the lining and the immune system get along: a small irritation, in someone prone to ulcers, is amplified into a local attack.

If an ulcer has not healed after 3 weeks, see a dentist or doctor: most mouth ulcers are harmless, but one that will not heal is occasionally a sign of mouth cancer.

Educational content, not medical advice — consult a clinician.