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Canker sores and fever blisters? what's the difference
What is a canker sore and what are fever blisters (cold sores)? Canker sores are often confused with cold sores. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to remember that canker sores occur inside the mouth, and cold sores usually occur outside the mouth. A canker sore is an ulcer (open sore) in the mouth, appearing as either a painful white (yellow) sore surrounded by a reddish grey border. The medical term for canker sores are Apthous Stomatitis. These apthous ulcers are usually small (1-5 mm), appearing either solitary or as a cluster of small ulcers. They can however sometimes be larger (5-10mm). They can occur at any age, but occur more commonly in women. Canker sores only occur inside the mouth, appearing on the movable tissue of the mouth i.e. the tongue, soft palate, cheeks and inside lining of the lips or the bottom of the gums (vestibule). It usually starts with a burning sensation, followed by a red area that ulcerates. These painful ulcers can take 1-2 weeks to heal. The sores are rarely associated with any other diseases and fever is rare. Canker sores must not be confused with Herpes (commonly known as fever blisters or cold sores). Herpes most commonly occurs outside the mouth on and around the lips and facial area. When Herpes occurs within the mouth, it will only occur on the non-movable tissue which are the gums adjacent to teeth (gingiva) and on the hard palate (roof of the mouth) Herpes ulcers are smaller than canker sores and form blisters before ulcerating. Canker sores usually heal in about a week or two. Rinsing with antimicrobial mouthrinses may help reduce the irritation. Over-the-counter topical anesthetics can also provide relief. A cold sore, which is also called fever blister or herpes simplex, is composed of groups of painful, fluid-filled blisters that often erupt around the lips and sometime under the nose or under the chin. Cold sores are usually caused by herpes virus type I and are very contagious. Cold sores usually heal in about a week. Over-the-counter topical anesthetics can provide temporary relief and prescription antiviral drugs may reduce these kinds of viral infections. Canker sore outbreaks are common and may continue for years. Canker sores are not contagious and no need to worry about spreading them to others. Products to help with canker sores (Apthous Stomatits) click here Products to help with cold sores / fever blisters (Herpes virus) click here
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