Aphthous Ulcers - Aphthous Ulcers symptom, causes & treatment

Aphthous ulcers are typically recurrent round or oval sores or ulcers that occur inside the mouth on areas where the skin is not tightly bound to the underlying bone.

Synonyms and related keywords: aphthous stomatitis, canker sores, mouth sores, mouth ulcers, recurrent aphthous ulcers, RAU, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, RAS, aphthae minor, ulcerative stomatitis, Sutton disease, Sutton's disease, minor aphthous ulcers, major aphthous ulcers, herpetiform ulcers

Causes of Aphthous Ulcers

• Emotional stress and lack of sleep
• Mechanical trauma, for example self-inflicted bite
• Nutritional deficiencies, particularly vitamins B, iron, and folic acid
• Certain foods including chocolate
• Certain toothpastes
• Menstrual cycle

Recurrent minor aphthous ulcers, which occur in up to 80% of aphthous ulcer cases. They are usually less than 5mm in diameter and heal within 1-2 weeks.

Major aphthous ulcers, which are large ulcers (more than 10mm) that take weeks or months to heal and do so with scarring.

Herpetiform ulcers, which are multiple pinpoint ulcers that heal within a month. These are most commonly on the tongue.