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</noscript></div><div class="main"><div id="ency_summary"><p>A canker sore is a painful, open sore in the mouth. Canker sores are white or yellow and surrounded by a bright red area. They are not cancerous.</p><p>A canker sore is not the same as a <a test="test" href="./000606.htm">fever blister</a> (cold sore).</p></div><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Causes</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-1" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-1"><p>Canker sores are a common form of <a test="test" href="./001448.htm">mouth ulcer</a>. They may occur with viral infections. In some cases, the cause is unknown.</p><p>Canker sores may also be linked to problems with the body's immune system. The sores may also be brought on by: </p><ul><li>Mouth injury from dental work</li><li>Cleaning the teeth too roughly</li><li>Biting the tongue or cheek </li></ul><p>Other things that can trigger canker sores include:</p><ul><li>Emotional stress</li><li>Lack of certain vitamins and minerals in the diet (especially iron, <a test="test" href="./002408.htm">folic acid</a>, or <a test="test" href="./002403.htm">vitamin B-12</a>)</li><li>Hormonal changes</li><li><a test="test" href="./000817.htm">Food allergies</a></li></ul><p>Anyone can develop a canker sore. Women are more likely to get them than men. Canker sores may run in families.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Symptoms</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-2" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-2"><p>Canker sores most often appear on the inner surface of the cheeks and lips, tongue, upper surface of the mouth, and the base of the gums.</p><p>Symptoms include:</p><ul><li>One or more painful, red spots or bumps that develops into an open ulcer</li><li>White or yellow center</li><li>Small size (most often under one third inch or 1 centimeter across)</li><li>Gray color as healing starts</li></ul><p>Less common symptoms include:</p><ul><li>Fever</li><li>General discomfort or uneasiness (malaise)</li><li><a test="test" href="./003097.htm">Swollen lymph nodes</a></li></ul><p>Pain often goes away in 7 to 10 days. It can take 1 to 3 weeks for a canker sore to completely heal. Large ulcers can take longer to heal.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Exams and Tests</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-3" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-3"><p>Your health care provider can often make the diagnosis by looking at the sore.</p><p>If canker sores persist or continue to return, tests should be done to look for other causes, such as <a test="test" href="./000851.htm">erythema multiforme</a>, <a test="test" href="./000819.htm">drug allergies</a>, herpes infection, and bullous <a test="test" href="./000867.htm">lichen planus</a>.</p><p>You may need further testing or a <a test="test" href="./003840.htm">biopsy</a> to look for other causes of mouth ulcers. Canker sores are not cancer and do not cause cancer. There are types of cancer, however, that may first appear as a mouth ulcer that does not heal. </p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Treatment</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-4" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-4"><p>In most cases, the canker sores go away without treatment.</p><p>Try not to eat hot or spicy foods, which can cause pain.</p><p>Use over-the-counter medicines that ease pain in the area.</p><ul><li>Rinse your mouth with salt water or mild, over-the-counter mouthwashes. (DO NOT use mouthwashes that contain alcohol which can irritate the area more.)</li><li>Apply a mixture of half hydrogen peroxide and half water directly to the sore using a cotton swab. Follow by dabbing a small amount of Milk of Magnesia on the canker sore afterward. Repeat these steps 3 to 4 times a day.</li><li>Rinse your mouth with a mixture of half Milk of Magnesia and half Benadryl liquid allergy medicine. Swish mixture in the mouth for about 1 minute and then spit out.</li><li>Over the counter numbing mouth rinses or drops can provide short term pain relief.</li></ul><p>Medicines prescribed by your provider may be needed for severe cases. These may include:</p><ul><li>Chlorhexidine mouthwash</li><li>Stronger medicines called corticosteroids that are placed on the sore or are taken in pill form</li></ul><p>Brush your teeth twice a day and floss your teeth every day. Also, get routine dental check-ups.</p><p>In some cases, gastric acid-reducing medicines can decrease the discomfort.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Outlook (Prognosis)</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-5" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-5"><p>Canker sores almost always heal on their own. The pain should decrease in a few days. Other symptoms disappear in 10 to 14 days.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>When to Contact a Medical Professional</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-6" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-6"><p>Contact your provider if:</p><ul><li>A canker sore or mouth ulcer does not go away after 2 weeks of home care or gets worse.</li><li>You get canker sores more than 2 or 3 times a year.</li><li>You have symptoms with the canker sore such as fever, diarrhea, headache, or skin rash. </li></ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Alternative Names</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-Alt" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-Alt"><p>Aphthous ulcer; Ulcer - aphthous</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section sec-mb"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Images</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-tnails" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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<li><img src="//medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/tnails/19652t.jpg" alt="Canker sore" title="Canker sore" class="side-img"/><a href="../imagepages/19652.htm">Canker sore</a></li>
<li><img src="//medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/tnails/8880t.jpg" alt="Mouth anatomy" title="Mouth anatomy" class="side-img"/><a href="../imagepages/8880.htm">Mouth anatomy</a></li>
<li><img src="//medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/tnails/2333t.jpg" alt="Canker sore (aphthous ulcer)" title="Canker sore (aphthous ulcer)" class="side-img"/><a href="../imagepages/2333.htm">Canker sore (aphthous ulcer)</a></li>
<li><img src="//medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/tnails/9325t.jpg" alt="Fever blister" title="Fever blister" class="side-img"/><a href="../imagepages/9325.htm">Fever blister</a></li>
</ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>References</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-Ref" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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</div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-Ref"><p>Daniels TE, Jordan RC. Diseases of the mouth and salivary glands. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. <em>Goldman-Cecil Medicine</em>. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 397.</p><p>Dhar V. Common lesions of the oral soft tissues. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. <em>Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics</em>. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 341.</p><p>Klatt EC. Head and neck. In: Klatt EC, ed. <em>Robbins and Cotran Atlas of Pathology</em>. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 6.</p></div></div></section>
<section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Review Date 6/4/2023</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-version" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action">
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<div id="section-version" class="section-body"><p>Updated by: Josef Shargorodsky, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. </p>
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