What’s causing my mouth ulcer? Symptoms:

You have sores at the corners of your mouth, ulcers keep appearing in your mouth, your tongue is smooth, you’re pale and you’re short of breath.

You have one mouth ulcer after another, you sometimes get them during your period, your mother also suffered with mouth ulcers.

You’ve got a painless yellowish ulcer on the side of your tongue opposite a sharp tooth which is getting bigger no matter what you put on it. You’re a smoker and you like a drink.

It could be: Vitamin B12 deficiency,a

vitamin essential for the formation of red blood cells so deficiency causes anaemia and numbness in your hands and feet.

Recurrent mouth ulcers.

It’s not always clear why mouth ulcers keep returning but triggers include stress and anxiety, toothpaste, hormonal changes and foods such as chocolate and coffee. In four out of 10 people it runs in the family.

Mouth cancer which is more common in smokers and heavy drinkers, it can also be caused by HPV (human papilloma virus), the same virus that causes genital warts.

Stop it:

Consult your doctor about having blood tests to confirm the diagnosis and start monthly injections of vitamin B12 with routine checks.

Apply a protective paste from your pharmacist, avoid hard, spicy, salty, acidic or hot food and drink through a straw until the ulcer heals. Try an antibacterial mouthwash. Use painkillers in gel or spray form.

Always report a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than three weeks to your dentist or doctor to exclude cancer. The HPV vaccination can prevent mouth ulcers as well as genital warts.