1) I have recurrent canker sores, does this mean I have any disease?
A: No. Up to 20% of the population suffers from recurrent canker sores without this indicating the presence of another disease.
2) Everyone who has thrush has problems with the stomach?
A: No. Actually, only a small part of these people have any gastric problems.
3) I have a big cold sore in my mouth and I noticed an enlarged ganglion around my neck. Is one thing related to the other?
A: Yes. The presence of lesions in the oral cavity may be the cause of enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. The same reasoning applies to lesions on the face and scalp.
4) Every time I accidentally bite my lips or tongue there is a cold sore. This is normal?
A: Yes. Trauma to the oral cavity is one of the main causes of thrush.
5) I heard that putting bicarbonate on the cold sores helps to heal the injury. Does this proceed?
A: Yes and no. Avoid placing baking powder directly on the cold sore as this may increase inflammation. However, rinsing with a teaspoon of diluted bicarbonate in a glass of water is one of the suggested treatments.
6) What foods should be avoided when there is an active cold?
Acidic foods such as citrus juices and soft drinks; foods with lots of salt, condiment or spicy. Also try to avoid very hard foods that may injure and further irritate the cold sore while chewing.
7) Spending royal powder on the cold sore helps to heal it?
A: No. On the contrary.
8) Spending toothpaste on the cold sore helps to heal it?
A: No. Actually, some types of toothpaste can worsen the lesions.
9) Piercing the cold sore with a needle helps in healing
A: NO!
10) Whenever I eat pineapple, I have canker sores. Does this make sense?
A: It may be. Some people have a kind of allergy to certain foods, causing them to develop thrush. The most cited are walnut, hazelnut, pineapple and other citrus fruits and cinnamon.
11) Can cold sore cause fever?
A: It may, but in these cases a medical evaluation is always indicated to rule out other causes, since the vast majority of canker sores do not cause fever.
12.) Whenever I sleep on a full stomach, I appear with a cold sore in the following days. Does this make sense?
A: Yes. People who have gastroesophageal reflux present worse if they lie down right after feeding. This can increase the acidity of the mouth and cause thrush.
13) Can H.pylori bacteria cause thrush?
A: Yes.
14) Is the cold sore transmitted by the kiss?
A: No. Canker sores is not a communicable disease.
15) Can stress cause thrush?
A: Yes. It's a common cause.
16) How many days does a cold sore last?
A: On average, 7 days.
17) Does the presence of cold sore in the mouth increase the risk of transmitting sexually transmitted diseases during oral sex?
A: Theoretically yes, however, there are no papers that actually demonstrate how much this increase is.
18) Can cold sores be confused with cold sores?
A: Not by doctors. The lesions are usually different.
19) Does cigarette cause cold sore?
A: Yes. Some people also have canker sores right after they quit because of the stress they experience in the first few days without a cigarette.
20) Can cold sore become cancer?
A: No. However, some mouth cancers may manifest as ulcers that do not heal.
