Canker Sores (aka mouth ulcers)

Apparently some 32% of people worldwide suffer from canker sores, and these painful, yet benign, ulcers have stumped the medical world. No one knows what causes them. However, they do know they are hereditary, much like stretch marks and eye color. Great.

I started getting them in high school, about the same time I got my period. Oh joy.

During my pregnancy, I think I had two tiny ones the whole 9 months. Now that I have given birth, I have had two sets of clusters. The first was about 3 weeks ago, when I had two ulcers and I have three now. The thing that sucks is they take 2-3 weeks to go away, so this means I've had them for over a month.

They are extremely painful and, depending where they are in the mouth, they make eating, kissing, and even smiling very difficult. At this moment I can't smile at my little girl without pain. I have one at the corner of my mouth that could be mistaken for a cold sore, because of its location. However, it isn't a cold sore. It's right up to the edge of my inner lip at the corner. It hurts like hell and I'm in a constant state of discomfort. *pic below*

I've read that hormonal imbalance, stress, vitamin deficiency, heredity, mouth injury, etc can bring them on. I'm assuming this onslaught is due to hormones, as I'm taking my prenatal vitamins regularly.

I've read about natural cures, of course, and have heard that bee propolis (available in capsules) is helpful. This is the resin bees produce to protect the hive. I also read that degry....something...licorice makes them go away in a few days rather than a few weeks.

I have to do something. I have the one pictured below, one on the inside of my inner lower lip on the left side, as well as one on my tongue. I'm miserable. When I get them, I usually feel under the weather too, like I'm getting a cold, so not only so I have to deal with the pain, I also have to deal with that.

*big sad face*

For now, I guess Orajel will have to do. I wish I had the dental paste my dentist gave me a few years ago. It truly gave relief and is the only thing I've ever used that actually eliminates the pain. Orajel gives some relief, but it doesn't eliminate the pain.

Ugh, I wish I could just sleep them away, but that's not possible in any sense.

Plus, I have so much to do today and this week to get ready for Christmas festivities. I need to bake oatmeal cookies, banana bread and at least.two coffee cakes. I need to plan our Christmas breakfast and make ahead any dishes I can. I want to clean the house and get all the laundry done as well. I also have to figure out the dessert and appetizer spread for Christmas Eve.

It'll get done and ill try to stay relaxed through all of it. Hopefully I won't immediately get a new cluster after this one.

IF I do, I'm going to try the bee propolis, as long as it is safe when nursing and is bet it is...ill have to research first though.

*fingers crossed*

Remember, with all things:

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