OW.
Oh man, I hate it when I get a canker sore, but its not a cold sore, is it?
Right?
Hmm.
We got a question from I.S.
Gomez on YouTube!
Hi!
They asked "What do we know about canker sores?"
The short answer?
Not much.
I mean, doctors know what they ARE but not why they happen.
We talked about it around the DNewsroom, and some people were confused about the difference
between cold and canker sores.
They are both common, really common.
In fact, most of you watching right now have probably had one or the other!
Canker sores, or aphthous (AFF-thus) ulcers, are grey or white sores surrounded by a red
inflamed area and occur ONLY INSIDE THE MOUTH -- so on the tongue or the soft tissues on
the insides of the cheeks, lips, gums or throat.
They affect about 20 percent of the population and are not contagious; they'll usually go
away on their own in a week or two.
Doctors aren't entirely sure what causes them.
Cankers could come from stress, eating acidic or spicy food, from viruses, or as a reaction
to environmental causes like... a mouth injury, dental work, aggressive brushing, or just
biting yourself!
They've been known to appear after using certain mouthwashes, from a lack of B12 vitamins,
because of smoking or menstruation, or because of certain bacteria; there are even reports
that certain foods like chocolate, coffee, nuts, cheese, or eggs can trigger cankers!
Canker sores are more common in teens or young-adults, and more often appear in females for some
reason.
They're also genetically correlated, as some families get them more often than others.
So if you hate them, wait until you're older, they should go away.
Though people who are prone to them can sometimes continue developing them in adulthood.
So, while doctors haven't pinned down an exact cause, they do know they have NOTHING to do
with herpes; unlike cold sores.
If you're getting a sore on your lips, it's probably not a canker, but a cold sore.
Cold sores, or fever blisters, are a cluster of tiny blisters caused by the herpes simplex
virus, which appear on around the lips and then become cloudy before disappearing within
two weeks.
Cold sores usually appear because of stress; be it emotional stress, fever, illness, injury,
or exposure to sunlight.
Women can get them around the time of their menstruation as well.
Cold sores are caused by an infection of the herpes simplex virus.
Yes, it is the same as the virus that causes the genital variety…
sort of.
The cold sore one is HSV-1, and it usually appears above the waist around the lips, while
the genital one is HSV-2 and generally appears below the waist -- though they CAN swap.
The herpes virus has been part a part of humanity for millennia.
In Ancient Rome, Emperor Tiberius banned kissing in public to stem the spread of fever blisters
-- which didn't work obvi.
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 45 to 80 percent
of adults and children in the U.S. get cold sores and most of them acquired the virus
before the age of 10.
Two-thirds of all people infected will never show symptoms, but, when tested, 90 percent
of adults worldwide test positive for HSV-1.
Soooo, while herpes simplex CAN be spread via sexual contact, cold sores can happen
even in a virgin; and That being said, bear in mind that HSV-1 and HSV-2 can be spread
via intercourse or oral sex, even when there's not an outbreak!
But you shouldn't have to be embarrassed!
There are topical and prescription drugs that can lessen cold sore outbreaks, so you can
talk to your doctor if you feel you need to!