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Everything you need to know about stomatitis

Stomatitis is a type of mucositis, a condition defined as pain or inflammation of the mucous membrane.

Mucositis is a relatively common side effect of chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy. It can affect the inside of the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, and throat.

Stomatitis that reoccurs and includes mouth ulcers is called recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and is the most common diseaseTrusted Source affecting the mouth area, with around 5-25 percent of the United States population affected in some way.

Causes

Stomatitis can be caused by a variety of different factors, which may overlap with each other at the same time. Often it will be due to injury, infection, allergy, or skin disease.

The  most common causes are:

trauma from ill-fitting dentures or braces, biting the inside of the cheek, tongue, or lip, and surgery, chemotherapy treatment for cancer, viral infection, such as herpes, yeast infection, such as thrush, any condition associated with xerostomia, or dry mouth, smoking or chewing tobacco.

Other examples include:

Bacterial infections, sexually transmitted infections, weakened or deficient immune system, irritation from strong chemicals, stress, certain diseases, including Behcet’s disease, Crohn’s disease, and lupus medications, including sulfa drugs, anti-epileptics, and some antibiotics, nutritional deficiencies, allergic reactions, burns caused by hot food and drink.

It is important to identify the cause of stomatitis in order to treat it properly.

Symptoms

Stomatitis often results in pain, stinging, and soreness. Each person may experience different symptoms. These can include:

mouth ulcers with a white or yellow layer and red base, usually inside the lips, cheek, or on the tongue, red patches, blisters, swelling, oral dysaesthesia – a burning feeling in the mouth, lesions that heal in 4-14 days and often recur.

Treatment

Treatment for stomatitis will depend on the cause. Treating the root cause is important for stomatitis caused by the following:

Allergy: If caused by an allergic reaction, then the doctor will try to identify what the allergy is and look to eliminate its effects.

Infection: Stomatitis caused by an infection may require specialized treatment and medications depending on what the infection is.

Disease: If a specific disease causes stomatitis, a doctor will aim to identify this and treat it.

Nutritional deficiency: A doctor can identify and address nutritional problems with medication or diet.

Topical treatment

Topical treatments applied directly to the skin have been found to helpTrusted Source lessen the pain and speed up healing. Types of topical treatment include:

Topical corticosteroids: Often a rinse, these aim to eliminate symptoms to allow the person to eat, drink, and speak without pain or discomfort.

Topical antibiotics: These are usually in gel or rinse format and have anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties.

Topical anesthetics: These are numbing medications, mostly available by prescription that people can apply directly to the sores for temporary pain relief.

Kanka: An over-the-counter product that provides a barrier layer to mouth sores, giving temporary pain relief.

(04/18/2021)
by Medical News Today

More Information: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317839

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