What causes mouth ulcers?
Source: NHS
In many cases, the reason for mouth ulcers is unclear. Most single mouth ulcers are caused by damage to the lining inside of themouth. For example:
- accidentally biting the inside of your cheek or a sharp tooth
- poorly fitting dentures
- hard food
- a defective filling
Its not always clear what causes mouth ulcers that keep returning, but triggers are thought to include:
- stress and anxiety
- hormonal changes some women develop mouth ulcers during their monthly period
- eating certain foods such as chocolate, spicy foods, coffee, peanuts, almonds, strawberries, cheese, tomatoes and wheat flour
- toothpaste containing sodium lauryl sulphate
- stopping smoking when you first stop smoking, you may develop mouth ulcers
Your genes are also thought to have a rolearound 40% of people who keep gettingmouth ulcers report that it runs in their family.
Medical conditions
Mouth ulcers can sometimes be caused by certain medical conditions, such as:
- viral infections including the cold sore virus , chickenpox , and hand, foot and mouth disease
- vitamin B12 or iron deficiency
- Crohn's disease a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system
- coeliac disease a common digestive condition where a person has an adverse reaction to gluten
- reactive arthritis a condition that causes inflammation in various places in the body, usually as a reaction to an infection
- weakened immune system for example, due to HIV or lupus
- Behets disease a rare and poorly understood condition that alsocauses swelling of the blood vessels
Medications and treatments
Mouth ulcers can sometimes be caused by certain medications or treatments, such as:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen
- nicorandil a medication sometimes used to treat angina
- beta-blockers used to treat conditions such as angina, high blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms
- a side effect of chemotherapy or radiotherapy this is known as mucositis