what exactly are canker sores? a variation of cold sores? ie herpes simplex?
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rosie (
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May 23rd, 2007
Canker sores seem quite innocuous. Are they more than just the simple little sores they seem to be?
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Canker sores are merely ulcers in your mouth, not caused by herpes simplex
IANAD, but canker sores are merely ulcers in your mouth, not caused by herpes simplex.
Same as cold sores. Cause is a mystery...http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/613.html
Irritating but not dangerous if they disappear in under 2 weeks,
Look up aphthous stomatitis (the medical term for canker sores). They are ulcerations of the oral mucosa usually caused by your own immune system. They usually resolve in 7-10 days. Only a subset of canker sores are caused by Herpes Virus. Herpes infects nerves and can lay dormant for several years. With stress it can travel from nerves back to the mouth and reinfect causing canker sore. Usually they are harmless but can be caused by certain diseases like crohn's disease, celiac disease, etc.
It’s important to remember that some times but not always those canker sores are actually a form of the herpes virus HSV-1 which almost everyone has anyway. Other times it’s just a sore caused by irritation or stress.
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