Mouth ulcers affect the softer
area of the mouth, for example the tongue, inner
lip or cheek and often start as a small ‘bubble’ or
blister. The top layer of the skin then opens and
it becomes ulcerated, which is when the pain begins.
There are three main types of
mouth ulcers:
Minor Aphthous Ulcers
These are the most common
ulcer, small and round in appearance they
can be between 4 and 10 millimetres in diameter
and appear in clusters of up to five. They
tend to be yellowish grey in colour, have
a red inflamed rim and can last from seven
to fourteen days. Women are more likely to
suffer from this type of ulcer.
Major Aphthous Ulcers
Less common than the ‘minor’ aphthous,
these ulcers are large, often a centimetre
in diameter and form in clusters of up to ten.
Men are more affected by this type and they
last longer than any other ulcer, weeks, sometimes
even months and they can leave scars.
Herpetiform Ulcers
This type of ulcer is the
least common, with women being more susceptible
than men. The herpetiform ulcer is small, only
1-2 milimitres in diameter however they appear
in clusters of up to 100, often merging. Grey,
but with no red rim they last seven to ten
days and appear on the lip and floor of the
mouth.
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