Oral Ulcers, Mouth Sores: Battling Lupus Symptoms

Why do Mouth Ulcers Happen? The most common way of getting a mouth ulcer is through an injury to the mouth. This can be accidentally biting the inside of their mouth, burning the mouth on food or drink that is too hot, or eating rough-textured or sharp foods that cut the mouth. Over-enthusiastic toothbrushing and irritating mouthwashes can also cause these injuries, which then become sores as they heal. Most oral ulcers caused by injury heal in 2-3 days. Hormone changes can also cause sores. Some hormone medications, as well as the normal menstrual cycles of women, can cause sores to appear in the mouth. Because women with lupus are more sensitive to hormone changes, they have more of these sores. While these are the most common reasons for the development of mouth sores, they are not the only reasons that they may develop. Genetics, diets low in vitamin B12 or iron, and some medications (especially steroid medications) can lead to the appearance of oral ulcers. Autoimmune diseases including lupus, allergies, and stress have also been linked to mouth sores. With lupus, the sores are often painful and easily irritated, and may resemble the discoid lesions of cutaneous lupus. Most doctors believe that oral ulcers are the mouth equivalent to these skin symptoms of lupus.

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