Have you ever had a sore on the inside of your cheek that is so painful it makes it hard to eat or talk? This is one form of stomatitis, the medical term for a sore and inflamed mouth. Stomatitis can occur anywhere in the mouth, including the gums, cheek, tongue, lips, and even the roof of your mouth! If you have ever experienced this, you know it can be extremely uncomfortable and make talking, eating, and even sleeping very difficult, if not impossible. Specific forms of stomatitis include canker sores, cold sores, or general irritation caused by a number of things.
Causes of Stomatitis:
Canker sores can be caused by
- stress,
- trauma,
- certain medications,
- viruses,
- lack of sleep,
- or poor nutrition.
They are painful and typically last between 5-10 days. Developing canker sores may occur during periods of sickness or high stress, or it may just be an unfortunate event. The exact triggers of canker sores are not well known; however, canker sores are not contagious. It has been hypothesized that frequent canker sores may be due to a folate or vitamin B deficiency.
