What causes mouth ulcers I seem to get loads of them in winter

asks PDTV:

A. Mouth ulcers are tiny but very painful ulcerations. They are a yellowy colour with a red halo, usually about 2mm wide - although they can grow much bigger. You get them inside your mouth and lips, on your tongue, inside your cheeks and on the back and floor of your mouth. You can get just one or a cluster of them.

Q. Why do I seem to get them all through winter
A. How often they strike varies from person to person: some people may get one or two attacks a year, but one person in five will have recurring mouth ulcers, with a bout several times a year.

Q. How long do they last
A. They can take up to two weeks to heal.

Q. Who gets them
A. Teenagers are most likely to suffer from mouth ulcers, and women get them more often than men. They tend to run in families, too.

Q. What causes them
A. It's not certain, but there are a number of theories:

• An inherited tendency - they can run in families.
• A inefficient immune system - if you have been overdoing it and not looking after yourself properly, or if you have a condition which lowers your defences (for example, those with autoimmune diseases, HIV infection or severe allergies, such as asthma).
• Wearing a brace or plate or even using a toothpick or brushing the teeth too vigorously makes a mouth ulcer more likely.
• Food sensitivities - the ulcers may be an allergic reaction to certain foods.
• Nutritional deficiencies - UK studies show that about 20% of those with mouth ulcers can be blamed partly on nutritional deficiencies. Most likely are vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc and iron.
• Hormones - mouth ulcers can often appear during menstruation, and women who have recurring mouth ulcers find that they disappear during pregnancy.
• Stress - it doesn't cause mouth ulcers but too much can make you more likely to have an attack.

Q. Are they contagious
A. No.

Q. How can I prevent them
A. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement to prevent a deficiency, and eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
See if your toothpaste contains sodium lauryl sulfate - an irritant detergent.
Visit your dentist regularly - good dental hygiene can help.
Clean your teeth carefully and don't use a toothpick regularly.

If you get mouth ulcers regularly, see your GP. You may need tests to see if they are caused by a nutritional deficiency or allergy.

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By Sheena Miller