Mouth ulcers - how to deal with aphthous stomatitis

Painful small mouth ulcers periodically cause concern for approximately 30% of the population, and women complain about them more often than men. The disease can begin at almost any age, often affects several family members at the same time and recurs at intervals of several days to several months. Aphthous dermatitis is not dangerous, but it delivers extremely unpleasant painful sensations to the patient, especially with frequent repetitions, and therefore requires adequate treatment.

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis – these are painful ulcerations in the oral cavity (the word "afta" means "ulcer") that affects the mucous membrane and recurs at certain intervals.

The disease has been known and described for a very long time, but its causes are still controversial. Modern scientific evidence supports the concept of impaired cellular immunity, and the following are considered predisposing factors for the development of aphthous stomatitis:

• infections – herpes, streptococci, HIV;
• gastric disorders;
• stress;
• injuries of the oral mucosa;
• endocrine diseases;
• immunological disorders;
• food hypersensitivity.

Clinical course of aphthous stomatitis and its symptoms

Aphthous dermatitis usually begins with discomfort and erythema that persists in the mouth for 1 day. This is followed by the rapid appearance of an ulcer in the oral cavity.

Most often, these are small painful oval sores 2-6 mm in size, covered with a yellowish necrotic membrane with an erythematous rim. Ulcers in the oral cavity may be single or 2-6 of them may appear, persist for about a week or a little longer, heal without scarring, but may reappear after a month and a half.

Rarely, aphthous dermatitis occurs in the form of large, deep, very painful ulcers up to 2 cm in diameter. Such severe ulcers in the oral cavity persist for 3-4 weeks  and heal with the formation of scars, also recur – in 1-3 months.

Ulcers are usually localized on the cheeks, lips, palate, tongue and sublingual region. Sometimes the gums are affected.

 

Methods of treatment of aphthous stomatitis and prevention

In the treatment of aphthous stomatitis, it is important to exclude the possibility of an ulcer in the oral cavity due to systemic diseases. Successful treatment of aphthous dermatitis requires accurate determination of the provoking factors for the appearance of an ulcer in the oral cavity.

Treatment of aphthous dermatitis should pursue the following objectives:

• eliminate pain and discomfort in the mouth;
• reduce the duration of illness;
• prevent relapse.

Treating patients to keep a food diary to identify the precipitating agent, as well as the use of a gluten-free diet, has worked well. When prescribing treatment, it is necessary to take into account the presence of stress factors and hormonal disruptions, frequent injuries of the mucous membrane due to poor-quality fillings, dentures, and other reasons.

The application of clobetasol propionate in the form of a gel on oral ulcers and the use of diclofenac to relieve pain gives a good effect. For large ulcers, systemic corticosteroids are used. Methods for the long-term and safe prevention of aphthous stomatitis are not yet & nbsp; known.