Mouth ulcer: Encyclopedia II - Mouth ulcer - Causes

Mouth ulcer - Causes

The exact cause of mouth ulcers is unknown, but factors that appear to provoke them include stress, fatigue, illness, injury from accidental biting, hormonal changes, menstruation, food allergies and deficiencies in vitamin B12, iron and folic acid.

In 1982 a previously unknown bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, was discovered to be the cause of stomach ulcers. It is hypothesized that bacteria are at work in mouth ulcers, though the specific organism has not been isolated.

Dental braces can be a cause of mouth ulcers because the wires and hooks could break the mucous membrane inside the mouth. Dental wax can prevent and help heal the ulcers.

Consumption of particular foods, such as chocolate may also trigger mouth ulcers in some. A common cause of ulcers is gluten intolerance, in which case consumption of wheat, rye or barley can result in chronic mouth ulcers. If gluten intolerance is the cause, prevention means taking most breads, pastas, cakes, pies, cookies, scones, biscuits, beers etc. out of the diet and substituting gluten-free varieties where available. Artificial sugars, such as those found in diet cola and sugarless gum have been reported as causes of mouth ulcers as well.

Other disorders can cause mouth ulcers, including oral thrush, leukoplakia, gingivostomatitis and oral lichen planus. Mouth ulcers are also associated with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, coeliac disease (gluten sensitivity), bullous pemphigoid, and Behçet's disease. Chemotherapy is a common cause of mouth ulcers. The treatment depends on the cause.

A common urban myth is that mouth ulcers are directly connected to the onset of the herpes simplex virus, but in reality ulcers associated with herpes (or cold sores) are of an entirely different nature from mouth ulcers.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Causes", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki