(HealthDay News) -- Canker sores are shallow, painful sores in your mouth. They are usually red or may sometimes have a white coating over them. You might get them on the inside of your lips, the inside of your cheeks or under your tongue. Canker sores are different from fever blisters, which usually are on the outside of your lips or the corners of your mouth.
If you have small canker sores, you can treat them at home, according to the Academy of Family Physicians. You can try taking ibuprofen (e.g., Advil) or acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) for pain. Other medicines, such as Anbesol, Oragel, Orabase and Zilactin-B, might keep your canker sores from becoming irritated by eating, drinking or brushing your teeth. These medicines can be put right on the sore.
You can also mix equal amounts of milk of magnesia and Benadryl allergy liquid. After it is mixed, you can swish a teaspoonful in your mouth for about one minute and then spit it out.
If you do this every four to six hours, your canker sores may hurt less. In addition, some people think that sucking on zinc lozenges, taking vitamin C or vitamin B complex, using a sage-and-chamomile mouthwash, or taking a lysine supplement helps their canker cores heal faster.
If your canker sores are large, last longer than a week, or are so sore that you can't eat, you should make an appointment to see your doctor.
