The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Fenugreek
Posted by T.S.Rajah (Wimledon, UK) on 12/07/2007
★★★★★
Fenugreek's leafy form belongs to the spinach family. However, its seeds are useful when cooking to combat the flatulence caused by certain foods, such as lentils and cauliflower. Its anti-viral properties mean it also helps against sore throat and mouth ulcers. Historically, fenugreek has been used to treat diabetes and is now thought to reduce blood pressure
Avoid Milk
Posted by Chris (Clifton Park, Ny, 12065) on 12/06/2007
★★★★★
For most of my life I was a regular (and during my younger years) heavy drinker of cow's milk. I suffered from horrible canker sores (3-4 at a time, each a half inch or longer) my whole life, right up until approximately 6 years ago when I eliminated milk from my diet. For me, it seems to only be related to the liquid form: I don't seem to have problems with cheese or even ice cream. However, a couple of times I've tried introducing milk again by having it on my cereal in the morning -- after about three days, I got a canker sore. Upon again stopping ingestion of milk -- no more canker sores. I was diagnosed when younger with an allergy to milk, and I wonder if this is related. I'm convinced science will catch up with this theory eventually and it will be shown that canker sores are closely related to allergies. Anyways, if you suffer from canker sores, try eliminating milk from your diet for 30 days and see what happens; I bet you'll be glad you did!
Baking Soda
Posted by Hayley (Rochester, NY) on 08/09/2007
★★★★★
I get canker sores often and they cause me alot of pain when I eat or talk. I heard that baking soda can help. I started using baking soda and it takes the pain out for hours at a time. First I mix it with water to make a paste, and apply it to the sore, hold it on for a straigt minute. (yes, it stings and will bring tears to your eyes) then swish with water and spit it out. I can go to work for 6 hours and have no pain. Rinsing mouth out with a teaspon of baking soda in a glass of water periodically during the day helps too.
Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Precious (Austin, TX) on 06/20/2007
★★★★★
Vinegar and Peroxide (mouth sores) I learned from my mother to treat mouth sores (whether a bit lip/tongue or a cold sore) with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar (any type of vinegar seems to work okay, but Apple Cider is the best and most palatable). I have always used this remedy, and nothing else has ever worked. I've tried many OTC remedies and none relieve the pain AND speed the healing process like this mixture. What I want to know is... why doesn't H2O2 alone have as good an effect? Some people seem to swear by it, but it has never been as effective when I tried it alone.
Vinegar
Posted by Kelsey (St. Louis, Mo) on 05/16/2007
★★★★★
Ok I had this terrible sore on my upper lip. I wear braces, so the braces were digging into it making it even more painful. I tried the vinegar and q-tip thing and it really worked! It's been about 2 minutes since I tried it, and I can't feel anything anymore. Thanks so much.
Vinegar
Posted by John (Fitchburg, MA) on 05/11/2007
★★★★★
i have two canker sores , one small one on my upper lip and a big one on my lower lip. i used saltwater but it just tasted nasty, stung, and didnt help at all. i put regular vinegar on a q-tip and held it on each sore for a minute. it stung but after another minute it stopped hurting. i could finally put on my chapstick with out using my finger to spread it. i just tried it so im still waiting to see if itll last until tomorrow
Green Tea
Posted by Steve (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) on 04/01/2007
★★★★★
For ALL of my adult life, I've been plagued by horrible outbreaks of canker sores, typically 2-3 very large sores at any given time. Six months ago I began drinking green tea daily as a substitute for soda. To my amazement, my canker sores disappeared and did not return. Green tea was the only dietary change I made (I still drink soda, just not as much). In addition, occasionally I will not have green tea for about a week, and soon enough the canker sores return.
I am not the type of person who really believes in folk or herbal remedies, but after discovering accidentally that green tea elminated my chronic canker sores, I am a believer in at least the health properties of green tea. I really cannot express what an improvement in quality of life this is for me and likely other chronic canker sore sufferers, so spread the word!
Yogurt
Posted by Michael (Ocean City, NJ) on 03/20/2007
★★★★★
I've had horrible canker sores my whole life. They would turn into huge open wounds that would usually last 2 weeks or so (unless I accidentally bit one) no matter what I did. I was able to figure out that acidic fruit, nuts, etc... caused them but sometimes I 'd get them anyway. I tried most remedies on this site before finding the one that works -- a yogurt a day! Now, regardless of what I eat, I never get one (unless I run out of yogurt) and if I do, they go away quickly. Good news for yogurt lovers... bummer for the others.
Yogurt
Posted by Katherine (Portland, Oregon) on 03/20/2007
★★★★★
I have a really easy cure/method of prevention for canker sores. I read this remedy for canker sores in "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedy's" about 12 years ago. I had suffered miserably from chronic canker sores since I was a child. It seemed like I constantly had them and always several at once(never just one) All you have to do is eat a cup of yogurt every day. I think the book said to eat 4 oz of plain yogurt daily but it doesn't matter. You are eating it for the LIVE CULTURES. (Don't freeze it - frozen yogurt wont work - it will kill the cultures) You can eat any flavor you like, any brand (store brand, Yoplait, Dannon, etc), fruit on the bottom, pre-stirred,etc. Doesn't matter. It will take a few weeks for the canker sores to disappear so be patient and stick with it, but if you continue to eat the yogurt they will not come back. I have not had bad canker sores now in years. I do notice that if I don't happen to eat it for more than a couple days I can feel the canker sores returning. This has been a wonderful solution for me. I hope this will help someone else. It is an easy solution for kids because there's sure to be a flavor they like.
Wasabi
Posted by Paul (Mountain View, CA) on 02/06/2007
★★★★★
After years of suffering from painful mouth ulcers (Canker sores) and trying several unsuccessful natural cures, wasabi did the trick. I stumbled on this cure accidentally, but have used it successfully for the last 2 years. At the first sign of sores, I eat wasabi chips or wasabi peas and the development of the ulcers are arrested and they are completely gone in 12-36 hours. Usually just a handful of chips a couple of times a day does the trick. I have also tried wasabi mayonnaise and straight wasabi. They do work well; but the combination of the wasabi and salt in the chips and peas seems to work best. I know it sounds crazy, but try it! Just make sure the wasabi comes in contact with affected area for a minute or two. What used to cause 7-10 days of agony on a regular basis, is now barely a ripple in my life. I don't know if it will work for all types of mouth ulcers, but it worked for mine.
Oral Care
Posted by Catherine (Corona, CA) on 12/27/2006
★★★★★
I've had a lot of success with rotating toothbrushes. Make sure you have at least four toothbrushes and when you have canker sores brush your teeth four times a day, but never use a toothbrush more than once in 24 hours. This worked very well for me for about ten years.
Salt
Posted by Carlie (Dallas, TX) on 11/23/2006
★★★★★
I think that if you put on enough salt at night, by the morning it should be gone. I use sea salt though!:-) if you use table salt it might be different.
Salt
Posted by Bea (Philippines) on 11/10/2006
★★★★★
I had several canker sores on my tongue and cheeks which made eating difficult. It was painful! I tried the salt-water remedy and in 3 days, the sores are gone! Thanks
Yogurt
Posted by Teri (Denham Springs, LA) on 11/04/2006
★★★★★
Okay, i have tried everything under the sun... including almost all of the remedies shown here but didn't get any real relief of prevention until i tried one thing... a supplement called lactobacillus acidophilus. i use the extra strength one. it is amazing! i used to get 5 even 6 sores at a time! i stayed with several all the time. now after being on this supplement i rarely get any. it has now been three weeks and i am still canker soar free. if i do get one it barely bothers me and is gone in no time. i have done alot of research on this and i promise it truley works. i was told by a doctor that canker sore also come from a build up of in yeast in your system so i was told to eat yogurt everyday but i felt i needed more (i also got tired of eating it everyday) so i found what was in yogurt (probiotics) and found an extra strength formula because my outbreaks were so bad and it really worked!!!!!! please try it....you will be amazed! remebmer to keep the bottle in the refrigerator and give it a few weeks to really start working...also remember to take it every day!!!! good luck!
Comfrey Tea
Posted by Doss (Denver, CO) on 09/16/2006
★★★★★
My midwife suggested this after a tooth extraction.
Us Irish have different blood/body chemistry. Many of us are allergic/sensitive to foods high in vitamin C, like tomatoes and oranges. These things CAUSE canker sores for us, believe it or not. I have a lot of irish blood, and I recently got my tooth pulled. I have stitches in my mouth, and here is what works for relieving the pain:
fresh comfrey tea leaves put in a small tea bag, put tea bag in warm water (about 1/4 cup) until a tea forms. Rub the tea bag until the outside kind of feels slippery or oily, similar to aloe vera. Hold the tea bag over the sore.
Hold until pain subsides, or bite down on bag instead of gauze as dentist suggests after extraction. Research Comfrey Root and leaves for more information on uses.
Also drink Throat Coat tea (gypsy cold cure in your grocery store aisle) with black licorice in it for swelling, and rinse mouth with Tom's baking soda and witch hazel mouthwash to keep wounds bacteria free. Follow with a tepid salt water gargle and gentle spit.
This is a good "Ora-gel" for very sensitive skin/people. It won't work for people who have a high tolerence to over the counter drugs. Less Sensitive individuals would need aloe mixed with Ora-gel, and to go the gargle with Green Tea/Orange Juice route.
