Oral ulcers: All about them
Painful open sore, generally visible on the inside of the mouth or the upper throat area caused by the opening or breaking of the skin (mucous membrane) are known as Oral Ulcers. The most common form of a Oral Ulcer is the Apthous Ulcer, also known as the canker sore or recurrent aphthous stomatitis. 20-30% of the overall population is affected by “Apthous Ulcers”. A person with this form of oral ulcer experiences a recurrent, burning sensation at the site of the sore, the pain might increase whenever he tries to consumes something hot or spicy.
This form of ulcer is classified into 3 main parts: Minor (Apthae), Herpetiform (Aphthae) and Major (Aphthae).
Minor Apthae
They are generally small in size and are the most common form of ulcers. The size of such sores maybe 5-6 mm in diameter, with a crater like appearance. They (the sores) can number anywhere between 1-5 and heal in about a week.
Major Aphthae
The appearance of a Major Aphthae ulcer is quite similar to that of the Minor apthae ulcer, the size of a major aphthae could be around 10 mm. They are extremely painful and might take a month to heal, after which they leave a scar behind.A patient suffering for the Major Aphthae might experience severe pain, with burning sensation. A major apthae might develop after puberty with probably a few future recurrences.
Herpetiform (Aphthae)
In rare cases, this is the most severe form of ulcers and occur more frequently in females. A herpetiform aphthae is usually visible in the form of small but many, 1-3 mm sores, usually in clusters. In such cases, a palliative treatment is almost always prescribed by a doctor. Avoiding hot, spicy, sour diets, oral steroids helps in dealing with oral ulcers.