Canker Sore Home Remedy

1. Pickle Juice

This canker sore home remedy works great. Sip some pickle juice but without the straw. Let the juice stay in the mouth for some time. It generally does not hurt the ulcer. However, do not eat pickle for mouth ulcers because it may worsen them. 

Pickle juice contains salt in high concentration, so sip it in small quantity. You can comfortably sip about 30 ml of pickle juice. Because of the salt, it is highly alkaline in nature and relieves the pH imbalance in mouth. 

It is believed that canker sore is caused or aggravated by acidic environment in mouth which is neutralized by alkaline things. 

This idea of acid - alkaline balance is quite effective in treating a canker sore. All we do is to eat or drink alkaline foods or drinks. Going by this logic, there are many highly effective canker sore remedies. 

                                                                                                                     ( Photo Courtesy: valeriebb )

2. Alum

Take food grade alum. For those of you who don't know, alum is a crystal. It is mild antiseptic and helps to heal skin. 

• Ingredients
  Get food grade alum
• Directions / How to use
  Break a sizeable chunk out of it. Hold it in your fingers and gently rub it over the canker sore. It hurts initially , but promotes the ulcer to subdue. Do this for every canker sore. 
• Why it works ?
  Alum is alkaline. It reduces acidity around the ulcer. Moreover, it has antiseptic properties which prevent infection from spreading. 

3. Milk of Magnesia 
This is the most common antacid on the planet. Milk of magnesia is actually magnesium hydroxide. It is a powerful alkaline substance, so do not overuse it. Just put a little on your finger and apply on each canker sore. That is it. Within a few minutes, it starts working and provides relief from burning pain of an ulcer. In some hours, it subsides. You can reapply 3 - 4 times to completely get rid of canker sores.

If you do not have milk of magnesia, then take a common antacid tablet. Dissolve it in very small amount of water, like 1/2 tablespoon and apply this on the canker sore. This helps a lot.

                                                                                                      ( Photo Courtesy: icanchangethisright )



4. Eat frozen yogurt
And also put some on the sore for some minutes. The relief provided by cool yogurt is awesome. It also improves intestinal health. The fact that yogurt contains probiotics improves body's ability to fight back any infection which might be causing the canker sores. It has been observed that canker sores may be body's reaction to poor digestive health which can occur if there is low concentration of healthy bacteria in our gut.

So, consuming yogurt and buttermilk regularly improves digestion and helps to curb canker sores, besides many other conditions.

And as I mentioned, eat frozen yogurt because its cooling is exceptionally good. You almost forget you had an ulcer.

                                                                                                             ( Photo Courtesy: stuart_spivack )



5. Salt Water Gargle ( Rinse your sores out )
Put some salt in a glass of warm water and gargle with this multiple times. Keep the concentration of salt high if you do not dislike it. Salt acts as a disinfectant and promotes the ulcer to heal.




6. Baking Soda
When there is a need to alkalize something, baking soda emerges as a champion. It works for canker sores brilliantly. Just take a pinch of baking soda and place it right over the canker sore. Do this for each one of them. Let the baking soda stay as it is . With 2 - 3 treatments, the sores should start reducing.

Placing turmeric on canker sore also seems to have similar effect.





7. Black Tea bag to punch the sore
This is a wonderful remedy to soothe the redness and inflammation of a sore. Prepare strong black tea and drink it. But, wait, don't throw the teabag yet. Place it on the canker sores for 5 minutes and see the difference.

                                                                                                                   ( Photo Courtesy: agirlwithtea )



8. Apple Cider Vinegar : Add a few tablespoonfuls of ACV to water. Drink it slowly, passing it over the canker sore. It provides temporary relief and prevention from further sores.




9. Golden-seal Root tea 
This is not strictly a home remedy, more into herbal remedies, but I included it here because goldenseal is a popular herb and can be obtained easily. How to apply goldenseal for canker sore ?
Prepare a herbal tea by putting 1 tablespoon root powder to a approx 300 ml water. Boil it repeatedly to make the herbal tea stronger. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare the herbal infusion. Then let it cool.
Dip a cotton ball in the tea and apply it on canker sore. Throw it away. Get another cotton ball and repeat. Do this till you start to get relief from ulcer.

                                                                                                                         ( Photo Courtesy: aecole )



10. Honey 
Many people get relief from canker sore by applying honey on it every single time. It resolves within a day or two. Honey is a mild antibiotic and it coats the mouth nicely. Most other remedies are quickly washed away by saliva, but when it comes it honey, it stays put. Honey is pretty viscous and it works for many hours.

Honey is excellent remedy for when you are on the move. You can keep a small vial of honey in your purse or luggage. This is very helpful as honey is pretty helpful for common travel time complaints like sore throat, cold and ulcers.

Now you can enjoy your favorite dishes !

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11. Guava tea ( Best remedy for all kinds of mouth ulcers )
You may be surprised what this is ? Well, just get some guava leaves. Make tea from crushed leaves and drink it. This is a brilliant remedy for canker sores.

• Ingredients
  Fresh, smallest guava leaves from a tree.
• Directions / how to use
  Either chew 1/2 tablespoon of leaves or prepare a herbal tea. When the tea is ready, apply it using cotton balls. This reduces canker sore in a single application in most cases.
• Why it works ?
  Guava leaves are one of the new health boosters on the block. They are being studied for their effects in numerous health conditions. There is something in guava leaves which curbs canker sores very fast.

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12. Holy Basil leaves
Take a handful of fragrant basil leaves and they should be green. Wash them and chew them up. Circulate the juice within the mouth for a few seconds and then either swallow or spit it out. This can help with canker sore that doesn't respond to above mentioned methods. It is generally difficult to get holy basil leaves but you can plant it in your house. Holy basil is an immensely valuable herb.

13. Aloe Vera mouthwash 
Make a suspension of Aloe Vera gel in really cold water. Try and mix them well and then wash your mouth with it. Not only does this suppress the ulcer, it also prevents further breakouts.

• Ingredients
  gel from a freshly cut aloe leaf
  Cool water
• Directions / How to use
  Mix about 2 tablespoon gel in about 30 ml water. Stir really fast and then put in the mouth. Swish it around a few seconds and then spit it out.
• Why it works ?
  Aloe vera reduces inflammation and reduces the pain of canker sore.

So far so good, we have home remedies for treating an outbreak of canker sores. But, ever wondered why they even occur and why you should suffer from them ? Numerous people suffer from chronic canker sores, in which they keep coming back year after year. It is still not clear what causes canker sores or what they actually are at grassroots levels. On the surface, it is nothing but an ulcer.

People have made significant inroads and found remedies to keep canker sores away for life.

• Pumpkin seeds : These seeds are quite nutritious. Eat them for added support. They can curb the emergence of new canker sores in people who often get them. 
• Zinc in diet : Make sure you do not have zinc deficiency. It may be the trigger for canker sores. maybe that is why pumpkin seeds help as they are rich in zinc. 
• Avoid toothpastes which have Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in them. This is possibly a trigger for canker sores. 
• Canker sores may be reaction to specific food item. It may not be as severe as allergic reaction, but still the body doesn't like it so it produces ulcers. Common culprits are food additives in packed foods, sauces and fast food. Try to eat more organic foods. 
• Avoid eating foods containing citric acid and which are particularly acidic, like lemons and other citrus fruits. 
• Avoid eating tomatoes. They have been known to trigger canker sores in some people. 
• Use garnishing on food : Eat coriander leaves, parsley and thyme in small amount and one can expect the canker sore to be gone. Garnishing improves appetite and boosts secretion of digestive juices. When food is better digested , there are lesser chances of health issues. According to Ayurveda, spices like black pepper stimulate " Agni " ( digestive fire ) which consumes food and provides nutrients to body. 
• Eat foods rich in L-lysine. This is an amino acid which is required by the body. Foods rich in lysine are grapes, hazelnuts, oranges, red meat and cheese. 

                                                                                                                            ( Photo Courtesy: jaxzin )

Aloe Vera Mouthwash	Prevents further breakouts
Pickle Juice	Works very well
Apple Cider Vinegar	Helps in prevention
Honey	Easy to use
Guava Tea	Excellent herbal remedy