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Mouth Sores
Definition
Various types of sores can appear anywhere within the mouth, including the inner cheeks, gums, tongue, lips, or palate.
Pictures & Images
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Common Causes
Mouth sores are most often mechanical irritations, cold sores (also called fever blisters), or canker sores. Mechanical irritation can happen from:
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Accidentally biting your cheek, tongue, or lip
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Chewing tobacco
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Wearing braces
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Rubbing from a sharp or broken tooth or poorly fitting dentures
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Burning your mouth from hot food or drinks
Cold sores are caused by herpes simplex virus and are very contagious. Usually, you have tenderness, tingling or burning before the actual lesion appears. Herpes lesions appear as blisters which then crust over.
The herpes virus can reside in your body for years, appearing as a mouth sore only when something provokes it. Such circumstances may include another illness, especially if there is a fever, stress, hormonal changes (like menstruation), and sun exposure.
Canker sores are NOT contagious and can appear as a single pale or yellow ulcer with a red outer ring, or as a cluster of such lesions. The cause of canker sores is not entirely clear, but may be related to:
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A virus
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A temporary weakness in your immune system (for example, if you have a cold or flu)
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Hormonal changes
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Mechanical irritation
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Stress
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Low levels of vitamin B12 or folate
For unknown reasons, women seem to get canker sores more often than men. This may be related to hormonal changes.
Less commonly, mouth sores can be a sign of an underlying illness, tumor, or reaction to a medication. Such potential illnesses can be grouped into several broad categories:
Drugs that might cause mouth sores include chemotherapeutic agents for cancer, aspirin, barbiturates (used for insomnia), gold (used for rheumatoid arthritis), penicillin, phenytoin (used for seizures), streptomycin, or sulfonamides.
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Jump to another section
• Definition
• Mouth Sores: Common Causes
• Mouth Sores: Home Care & Treatment
• Mouth Sores: Prevention
• Call your Health Care Provider if
• What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• AIDS
• Autoimmune Disorders
• Bleeding Disorders
• Hand - Foot - Mouth Disease
Other Topics
• Fever
• Fever Blisters and Canker Sores
• Malignancy
• Patches
Review Date : 10/17/2003
Reviewed By : Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Boston, Ma., and Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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