When It's Time for a Doctor for Cankers

I've had cankers all my life and they flat out are a pain to deal with. Too much citrus, stress or chocolate brings them on more than one at a time. There have been plenty of articles expressing the benefits of eating chocolate to melt away stress but if you're prone to cankers, it's best to watch your intake if you find yourself breaking out. If you've dealt with cankers before, you're probably familiar with over the counter products sold in pharmacies, discount and grocery stores. Once a doctor informed me using Kanka by Blistex can actually cause more damage to the canker and surrounding area by causing the area to be burned. Then there's products that claim to heal canker sores with natural ingredients such as Canker Cover by Quantum Health that may help reduce the severity of the canker sore but for some won't heal it completely on the first try. Then there's suggestions that have been around for ages such as rinsing your mouth with baking soda. Or how about rinse with milk of magnesia.

Everyone is different when it comes to canker sores. I recently came upon a canker that surprised even the doctor. It was on the pillar of the throat and was according to her 'the largest she had ever seen'. Self diagnosis doesn't always work as in this case it appeared as strep throat as it matched the appearance of this after searching for an answer.

When you go to the doctor, speak up about the pain you've had whether it be from eating/swallowing and or talking. I once had a doctor inform me to just rinse with baking soda. What a big help he was. This time around I was prescribed a cleansing rinse and a pain killer. Pain killers should only be used under the orders of a doctor and the least amount needed. There are also steroid medicines that can be used as a rinse or taken orally as directed by a doctor. Be sure to ask about all options. Also don't be surprised if the doctor asks to check your skin to see if any rashes have occurred recently. Also cankers are related to the herpes virus and the doctor may request to run a test to rule out this possibility.

If the canker is located on the back of your throat, a strep throat test may be taken to ensure this isn't the problem. It's generally the same test of taking a cotton swab to take some cultures. Then the swab is tested for bacteria. It generally takes about 5-15 minutes for test results. Be sure to go over your diet to rule out any possible irritates. Vitamin deficiencies of vitamin B12 and C may also be a factor in recurring canker sores.

The next time a painful dreadful canker sore is taking over your life, take a moment to consider going to the doctor. It made a difference for me and shorten healing time. Best of all was the pain relief that was never once archived with over the counter products.