It can be hard to find a canker sore remedy that works for you, but use any of these ingredients found around your kitchen to make your own canker sore home remedy and you can be pain-free quickly and cheaply.
Aphthous ulcers, commonly known as canker sores, are oral ulcers that can appear in the mouth or throat. They are often painful and restrict eating, and their exact cause is unknown. Canker sores manifest as yellowish lesions on the inside of the lip or in the cheek. Many medications are available for canker sores but these usually take a long time to kick into effect and do not help ease the pain caused by the sores. Looking for an effective canker sore remedy can be difficult but try using some of the following household products to help quicken healing and numb the pain.
Potato
Potatoes are easily available and make for a great canker sore remedy. Potatoes are rich in salt and starch, which help heal the sore and alleviate the pain. Apply a raw slice of potato to the canker sore for as long as possible and repeat this three times a day. Many people have sworn by this method and it takes the healing time down from 1 week to 2 days.
Yogurt
Another easily available ingredient, yogurt contains many active bacterial cultures which kill off canker sores and put them on the path to recovery. When buying yogurt, make sure you buy one with active cultures (such as Activia) as these will also help your digestive system while cooling down your canker sore. Hold some yogurt in your mouth for about 20-30 seconds, and then swallow it. Use cold yogurt to help numb the pain.
Table Salt
Make a quick and cheap canker sore remedy by using table salt, available everywhere! Salt is great for absorbing water and drying things out, and many people use it as an efficient and effective canker sore home remedy. Simply dip a Q-tip in salt and hold it on your canker sore. It will sting at the beginning but the pain will soon subside. Do this three times a day and it will help dry out the canker sore, allowing it to heal sooner.
Sage
This herb is often used to add a little bit of spice to turkey stuffing, but it makes for a great canker sore remedy too. There are a couple of ways you can use sage to calm down a canker sore:
Add 3 teaspoons of sage leaves to a pint of boiling water, allowing it to steep for 15 minutes. Cool down the mixture and gargle with it three times a day.
Crush sage leaves into a powder and apply directly to the sore.
Aloe
This versatile plant is great to have around the house because of its many uses. Burns, cuts, skin ailments, even canker sores can be quickly treated with some aloe gel. It is a great idea to grow an aloe plant in the house as they require very little maintenance and can grow in almost all conditions. Peel back the upper layer of an aloe leaf and squeeze out the gel. Use this gel to rinse over the canker sore several times a day to cool it down and numb the pain.
Remember, if sores persist for over ten days, see a doctor. If you're in need for a quick canker sore home remedy, use some of the things lying around your kitchen to fix yourself up easily.