Why am I prone to canker sores?

Aphthous ulcers, which are painful but benign, most often appear inside the cheeks. They can also occur on the tongue, inside the lips, under the tongue, on the palate, or on the gums.

The most common time for these sores is childhood, and their frequency decreases after age 50. For some of us, the luckiest, these mouth ulcers are practically unheard of. For others, more susceptible, several outbreaks can occur, sometimes up to six per year. This is known as recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

This vulnerability will depend on your reaction if exposed to one or more of the main risk factors:

• Sensitivity to certain foods such as nuts, peanuts, Emmental cheese, vinegar, lemon, oranges, tomatoes, chocolate, coffee
• The sensitivity of mucous membranes to medications such as oral contraceptives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, or molecules indicated in the treatment of cancer
• Physical and/or mental fatigue (stress) weakens your immune system.
• The impact of hormonal fluctuations, particularly during menstruation in women
• The effect of quitting smoking will alter the composition of the oral flora.

Regular mouth ulcers can also be a sign of a deficiency in vitamin B12 (fish, meat, eggs), iron (red meat, legumes…) or even of a gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

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