Adults and children often have small wounds (afta) in the mouth. They are quite painful and have many reasons for their occurrence.
In some cases, aphthae go away on their own. However, treatment is often required for the disappearance of wounds. In this case, the help of a doctor is necessary. Only a specialist can correctly diagnose, determine the cause of the anomaly and prescribe adequate treatment.
What is an aphtha?
The word aphta in Greek means "pimple". Its appearance on the oral mucosa begins with a slight burning sensation. There are three stages in the development of aphtha itself.
- Within a few days, a small bubble containing fluid appears at the site of the burning sensation.
- After it, an ulcer forms. It has a yellowish white color. In size, the wound can reach one centimeter, but more often it is within three to four millimeters. An inflammatory process develops around the aphtha, due to which a slight reddening of neighboring tissues occurs.
- A few days later over the ulcera protective network is formed. It consists of protein and fibrin. Appears as a gray and white patch.
Wounds can appear in groups of up to six. In this case, there is a high probability of developing aphthous stomatitis. With weak immunity and the presence of various diseases of a systemic nature, such an ailment can develop into a chronic form. In this case, during periods of exacerbation, recurrent aphthae of the oral cavity will appear and then disappear. The disease itself has a sluggish course and is accompanied by tissue edema.
Symptoms
The formation of aphthae on the oral mucosa can be quite uncomfortable. Early on, a person may experience:
- lack of appetite;
- increased body temperature;
- malaise and weakness;
- enlargement of cervical and occipital lymph nodes.
After the appearance of sores, pain occurs during eating and talking.
Classification
Aftas in the mouth are of different types. They differ in appearance and localization.
- Lower aphthae appear most often. They are observed in eighty percent of cases. Such wounds have a small diameter and affect the mucous membrane of the lower lip.
- Large aphthae are about one centimeter in diameter. They are located on the mucous membranes of the palate, cheeks, tongue, lips. They are deep, take a long time to heal, and often recur.
- Herpetic aphthae appear as a large number of bubbles that are very small. They can completely fall asleeptongue, palate, and even the whole mouth. This type of disease is especially common in women.
Reasons for appearance
Aftas in the mouth can develop as an independent pathology, as well as be complications in other diseases. The direct causative agent of the occurrence of wounds has not been established by scientists.
The causes of aphthae in the mouth are quite varied. The main ones are:
- injuries (bitten lip or cheek, damaged mucosa while eating or brushing teeth, dentist carelessness, scratching tissues with a broken tooth, interfering bracket or poor quality prosthesis);
- radiotherapy used to treat tumors in the head or neck;
- getting into the oral cavity of chemicals (drugs, gaseous irritants);
- stress;
- poor oral hygiene;
- herpes;
- genetic predisposition;
- disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
- ulcerative colitis;
- dysfunction of the endocrine system;
- decreased immunity;
- lichen planus;
- blood problems;
- thrush;
- allergy;
- vitamin and mineral deficiency.
Do I need to see a doctor?
Aftas are not contagious. They can develop without consequences and disappear on their own. In this case, the sores are observed for no more than two weeks, heal spontaneously, leave no traces.
In complicated cases, as well as with the development of painful and large wounds, you should consult a doctor. The specialist will determine how to treat aphthae in the mouth.
In the absence of proper medical care, complicated ulcers can cause various disorders, leave scars, develop into a chronic form.
Some people choose to self-medicate and do it quite successfully. However, such a tactic is acceptable only if the aphthae are solitary, occur very rarely and do not give complications.
If there are a lot of wounds, they are painful and do not go away for a long time, you need to contact the dentist. This will help to avoid the occurrence of relapses after self-treatment, the appearance of allergic reactions, complications.
Features of treatment
If the sore has not gone away by itself two weeks after the appearance, then you need to help it heal. This is easily done at home. Treatment of aphthae in the mouth is to reduce discomfort and stimulate wound healing.
The main ways to help get rid of pathology are:
- mouth rinse;
- lubrication of the localization of wounds;
- chewing.
Smokers should give up cigarettes during treatment. Nicotine smoke is very irritating to the mucous membranes, and this slows down the healing of tissues.
If two weeks after the start of treatment, aphthae have not disappeared or even begun to increase, you should consult your doctor again. The specialist must prescribe a complete examination of the body and supplement local methods of influencing the affected areas with complex methods of dealing withpathology.
Drug therapy
Treatment of aphthae in the mouth begins with determining the cause of their occurrence. If the sores are the result of a systemic disease, then drugs are prescribed in parallel to combat it. Depending on this, the necessary medicines are selected: antiviral, antibacterial, antimycotic.
Topical preparations are used for symptomatic treatment of aft:
- painkillers (to facilitate the process of eating, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with them immediately before eating);
- antiseptic solutions and ointments (to speed up the healing of sores and exclude the possibility of bacterial infection, the wounds are treated two to three times a day for a week);
- anti-inflammatory (applied directly to the sore spot, helps relieve redness and swelling);
- wiping the affected areas with vitamin A.
All drugs are inexpensive and available in pharmacies without a prescription.
Folk remedies
In addition to the use of medications in the treatment of aphthae in the mouth, it is recommended to follow the advice of alternative medicine:
- rinse your mouth with a solution of table s alt or soda, tea leaves, tincture of calendula or sage, decoction of medicinal herbs - linden, chamomile, St. John's wort;
- chewing honeycombs;
- lubricate wounds with essential oils of rosemary, geranium, tea tree.
Wrongthe use of folk remedies can make their use completely ineffective. Therefore, before treating with any alternative medicine prescription, it is best to consult a doctor.
Diet
If aphthae in the mouth occur quite often and for no reason, then first of all you should reconsider your diet. The diet should include foods:
- disinfecting the mucous membrane of the gums and palate (garlic, onion);
- rich in flavones (turnips, blueberries, persimmons, oranges);
- having a high percentage of zinc (walnuts, mushrooms, peas, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, bran from rice and rye, chicken heart, beef);
- rich in vitamin B (pork and beef offal, yeast, broccoli, milk, oats, bananas);
- containing vitamin C (citrus, blackcurrant, rosehip, kiwi).
Prevention
In addition to proper nutrition, compliance with additional measures will help to avoid the appearance of aphthae and the occurrence of their recurrence. For this you need:
- monitor the condition of the teeth (treat dental diseases in time, correct malocclusion, build up or remove a chipped tooth, install only high-quality braces and orthopedic constructions);
- for brushing your teeth, choose a brush with soft bristles that will not injure your mouth;
- to strengthen the immune system, visit the sauna, do massage, exercise, spend a lot of time in the air.
Aphthae in the mouth in children: treatment and prevention
There is a separate type of sores in the mouth, characteristic only for babies. The wounds are called "Bednar's aphthae". They appear as a result of traumatic erosion of the oral mucosa.
Pathology is most often observed in newborns. Aphthae occur due to violation of feeding rules, selection of the wrong nipple, rough skin of the mother's nipple, improper oral hygiene, lack of bottle sterilization, thumb sucking.
In older children and adolescents, such sores appear due to the habit of taking various objects in the mouth.
Bednar's afts have characteristic features:
- are localized on the border of the soft and hard palate;
- have clear contours;
- arranged symmetrically;
- covered with a grey-yellow coating that is very difficult to remove.
Sores cause severe pain. In a neglected state, aphthae merge. A large erosion forms on the surface of the mucous membranes of the mouth, which causes great anxiety when feeding.
So that the newborn does not begin to refuse food and lose weight, when wounds appear, it is urgent to contact a pediatrician and begin measures to remove aphthae in the mouth. The causes of their appearance and treatment are closely interrelated, so only a doctor can collect the entire history and, based on it, make the correct diagnosis. Bednar's aphthae are differentiated with diseases such as:
- syphilis;
- tuberculosis;
- diphtheria pharynx;
- anginaherpetic type.
After confirming the diagnosis and identifying the cause of the wounds, treatment is prescribed. It includes:
- eliminate the factor that caused the injury;
- cleansing of mucous membranes from plaque;
- medical treatment of the oral cavity;
- use of anesthetics.
Healing of aphthae in children lasts from several weeks to two months. During this period, constant monitoring by a pediatrician is necessary.
In order to prevent the occurrence of aphtha in babies, it is necessary to follow simple rules:
- pick up a good pacifier;
- follow the rules of artificial and breastfeeding;
- monitor the condition of mother's nipples;
- keep baby's oral hygiene;
- in older children to eradicate the habit of putting foreign objects in their mouths.
Despite preventive measures, aphthae can still appear in children. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor. The same should be done if the wound appeared in an adult and does not go away within two weeks.
