Are mouth ulcers caused by herpes virus?

Mouth ulcers, that painful and annoying sensation that you can’t help but poke with your tongue as a morning hobby. It has been said that these types of sores are caused by the herpes virus. But is it really true? Or is this just another myth to add to the “is it contagious?” pile. In this article, we’ll investigate whether or not mouth ulcers are caused by herpes virus.

What are Mouth Ulcers?

Let’s start with a brief overview of what mouth ulcers actually are. A mouth ulcer is an open sore on the delicate tissues inside your mouth. They can be extremely tender and uncomfortable for days at a time, making eating and drinking difficult – especially if they’re located in sensitive areas like your tongue or gums.

Mouth ulcers come in many shapes and sizes; some may appear flat while others can have raised edges surrounding them (these types tend to be more painful). Size-wise they vary too: some being as small as pinheads, whilst others measure several centimetres across.

It’s worth noting that there are different types of oral lesions which people often mistake for ulceration such as cold sores (caused by viral infection) or cancerous growths.

The Culprit: A Herpes Virus

Contrary to popular belief, most canker sores (the most common type of mouth ulcer) aren’t linked with viral infections like herpes simplex.

However,Herpangina, another type of oral lesion that presents itself similarly, is indeed caused by viruses including coxsackievirus A16 & Enteroviruses 71, 72 etc; confusing right?

And here’s where things get even stranger! Cold Sores – those notorious red dots usually found around our lips- are definitely due to infection from the herpes simplex virus- either HSV-1 or HSV-2. and whilst they can be very unpleasant, cold sores are not to be confused with actual mouth ulcers.

So the chances of a regular, non-cold sore-type mouth ulcer being caused by herpes simplex is actually pretty low.

Potential Causes

But then how ARE regular mouther ulcers caused?

Well it’s believed there are many possible causes for these frustrating blisters including some type of trauma… that’s right folks accidentally biting your cheek too hard when eating/speaking could well cause those painful little buggers!

Some general factors which have been known to contribute include stress, immune system deficiencies (such as in people living with HIV), hormonal imbalances and even allergies – this seems like every disease ever! poor us!.

Symptoms

Symptoms will differ depending on the location and size of the affected area but some common signs you may notice if you’ve got one sneaky patch brewing up includes:

  • Painful red spot(s)
  • Swelling
  • Blistery appearance
  • Burning sensation

How Long Do They Last?

On average a mouth ulcer hang about for 7-10 days before your poor oral tissue heals back up forming new skin over time However larger ones might take more than two weeks! remember anything longer than three weeks needs an expert opinion & medical attention

Although usually nothing major does happen however occasionally symptoms such as fever accompany certain types like herpangina ,but even that mild soar throat & headache feeling won’t last forever!

Treating Mouth Ulcerations

Treatment for most gum/mouth disorders tends to aim towards reducing discomfort rather than completely curing them unfortunately; but fear not – here are some top tips to aid pain relief:

Analgesics

Topical creams / gels containing benzocaine (e.g. Orajel) can help reduce pain levels temporarily.

Anti-Inflammatory Meds

NSAIDs like ibuprofen can help reduce swelling and inflammation if taken for a few days.

Good Hygiene & Care

Maintaining cleanliness is surely critical in terms of the prevention&/healing process, yup brush,floss,rinse -you know what it takes.

Although many times recurrence may be inevitable one key factor usually always helps to fend off future episodes though – addressing potential triggers/stressors accordingly.

Conclusion

So as we covered earlier, most mouth ulcers including regular sores are usually not affiliated with herpes viruses Buut some variations like Herpangina (& cold sores) still very much do stem from such viral intrusion- so maybe it’s worth discussing your symptoms with that lovely doctor at least!

Either way don’t worry too much since they’re not contagious [whew] but certainly can stick around for weeks on end unfortunately! Making life quite uncomfortable; although pain relief is readily available over-the-counter or simply by changing certain lifestyle factors.

And there we have it folks great reasons to take care of our week little intra oral messengers because who then said painful oral pods couldn’t hold any sense-altering messages anyway? 😉

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