Mouth ulcers, also known as a canker sores or mouth sores or oral ulcers, are round-shaped or ovoid-shaped external sores within the oral cavity or the upper-part of the throat. They're located inside the cheeks, on the palate, under the tongue, on the inner side of the lips, the mouth floor,the junction between throat and mouth.
Mouth ulcers are often painful, but have no microbian or bacterial origin. They have no risk of contagion. Severe outbreaks can cause problems in speaking, swallowing, eating, and will always trouble the life quality. Although teir causes are widely unknown and they generally come unexpectedly, some people experience swelling, tingling (otw called prodromal symptoms ) 1 to 2 days before the outbreak of mouth ulcers.
(or R.A.S. as in Recurring Aphthous Stomatisis) will often be ranked within 3 categories :
Type of RAS | Symptom | Time span |
Minor Ulcers | 1 -5 mouth ulcers ranging 1-10 mm | 7 - 14 days |
Major Ulcers | 1 - 10 mouth ulcers wider than 1 cm | 10 - 30 days |
Herpes Ulcers | 5-100 mouth ulcers ranging 1- 3 mm, tending to form a large ulcer | 7 -14 days |
Minor ulcers are about 7/10 of all chronic mouth ulcers; major one 2/10 and herpes one 1/10 .