Aphthous ulcers can be so painful that they can rob you of the reason to smile. Actually, they can keep you from doing a lot of things, from eating a slice of red velvet cake, sipping a cup of cappuccino, to kissing your other half. Fret not as aphthous ulcers tend to go away on their own, and there are various ways to make them more bearable.

Small and really painful ulcerations that form practically anywhere in your mouth like your inner cheeks, lips, tongue, gums, palate and even tonsils — those are aphthous ulcers. According to medical doctors, there are many reasons why they form, ranging from the consumption of acidic fruits, trauma to the mouth and nutritional deficiencies. There are also cases in which they are brought about by stress, hormonal imbalance and certain autoimmune disorders.

Before we discuss some of the most effective home remedies for aphthous ulcers, there’s one very important matter that needs to be tackled: aphthous ulcers and cold sores are entirely different things. Cold sores are due to herpes simplex virus 1 or HSV-1, and they’re very contagious — they can get from person to person via the saliva or skin contact.

Now that such imperative information is out of the way, let’s now take our attention back to those painful aphthous ulcers. If you happen to have one or a bunch of it (something that tends to occur again and again) in your mouth, continue reading. The following are some of the things you may do at home to attain relief from aphthous ulcers:

Salt Water

Various issues concerning the mouth, from a sore throat to swollen gums, can be remedied with warm salt water gargles, and aphthous ulcers are included. To get started, simply dissolve a tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Gargle with it — make sure that it comes into contact with those aphthous ulcers. Do this remedy morning and night.

Baking Soda

There are a couple of ways of employing baking soda for relieving aphthous ulcers. First, you may daub baking soda paste (a little baking soda with a few drops of water) directly on your aphthous ulcers, and then wash it off after a couple of minutes. Second, you may use baking soda as a replacement for salt when gargling.

Aloe Vera Gel

If you have some aloe vera plant in your garden, then you have quick access to a super effective home remedy for those irritating aphthous ulcers. What you need to do is daub aloe vera gel on those aphthous ulcers using a cotton swab. This may be done as often as you like. Rinsing your mouth with 1/4 cup of pure aloe vera juice may be done, too.

Vitamin E

Here’s one of the reasons why aloe vera gel works very well in relieving aphthous ulcers: it’s loaded with vitamin E. So if you are taking vitamin E in capsule form, all you have to do is prick one with a clean needle and daub a little of the oil within on problem areas. You may do this several times a day for faster results.

Used Tea Bags

Many people who are often bugged by aphthous ulcers swear by the effectiveness of pressing used tea bags against those darned sores. Be it black or green tea, it possesses soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, and thus it helps you attain much-needed relief. Make sure that you let the used tea bag stay in place for about 5 minutes.

Antacid

Do you have hyperacidity and that’s why you have a bottle of antacid in your medicine cabinet? Well, you may also count on it for dealing with aphthous ulcers at home. If it comes in tablet form, simply chew one and allow it to come into contact with the sores for a few minutes. If it’s in liquid form, then apply on trouble spots using a cotton swab.

Feel free to share in the comments section below any other home remedy for aphthous ulcers. And also, kindly have this article reposted to let everyone know how simple it is to manage aphthous ulcers!