Military Life, Stress, Cold Sores and Canker Sores
You may think you know what to expect. Family Resource Groups (FRGs) may give classes to spouses for how to handle the stress, the worry, and the sudden shock of a different way of living. But if youre a military spouse or the close relative of a young man or woman deployed to a war zone, you dont know what its really like until youre a month in.
Your friends congratulate you on your brave loved one. Strangers may even tell you how they appreciate the sacrifices theyre making, and the ones youre making as a result. And you smile and thank them and go on, thankful that you, like a swan, can hide your frantically-padding feet under a veneer of serene calm.
Beneath it all, of course, things are very different. Wives are suddenly, in effect, single parents if they have children, social widows if they dont. The FRG and other resources to draw on at your local base may help, but for some people, it may not be enough. If your family member is in the National Guard, you are at least near home, though you are left to hold together all those ties he or she left dangling in his absence. If your family member is deployed on active duty, you may find yourself alone, hundreds or thousands of miles from family and friends.
Lay on top of this the worry. If your darling is in the Navy, you just worry about the stray terrorist, or things that can go wrong on a submarine, or whats happening over near the Korean DMZ. If hes deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq or another hot war zone, you may go to bed every night with tears in your eyes, not knowing where he is or what hes doing or if hes even still alive.
War is hell. Its even worse for the spouses, mothers, children of the soldiers. They can only wait.
Top that off with this: returning personnel also cause stress. Family structures that have settled into new hierarchies must accommodate the parent who has come back, and the parent must also settle back into his family and get used to a less-rigid daily structure.
Unfortunately, the waiting and the smiling and the controlling and the worry and the adjusting is not without consequence. Stress, worry, and lack of sleep takes its toll on you, and especially on that invisible barrier, your immune system. Suddenly, youre getting sick more often, healing less effectively, and to add insult to all this injury, you are suddenly having cold sore or canker sore outbreaks.
Cold sores occur most frequently near your lips or nose, and occasionally elsewhere on your face; canker sores develop inside your mouth, making eating a nearly impossible task. Cold sores, and many canker sores, are caused by a virus that resides in your body, lurking like a sleeper cell waiting for your weak moments.
You cant get rid of the stress of being part of a military family. But you can at least get rid of two effects of that stress.
Preventing and Eliminating Cold Sores
Prevention is always the best policy. If youre prone to cold sores and under a great deal of stress, one method is to take a daily supplement of lysine, whether you have symptoms or not. Avoid sunlight and ultraviolet rays, and use a high-SPF lip balm on days that you cannot.
If you are having that tingling or numb sensation that presages a cold sore, you can apply two drops of Echinacea or eucalyptus oil mixed with two teaspoons of sunflower oil or a similar base; while there is no guarantee, this sometimes prevents the sores eruption.
If you want to eliminate the hit and miss nature of trying one herb or remedy after another, try an all-in-one topical herbal remedy, Cold Sores Begone®. This remedy blends several different herbs that has been shown to be extraordinarily effective in preventing cold sores at the early warning symptom, a tingling sensation.
Treating Those Nasty Canker Sores
Its frustrating that there seems to be no consensus on what causes them - if they can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections, allergic reactions to food or product ingredients (such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate found in toothpaste), a vitamin deficiency, or even if they are contagious.
It appears that different causes may be the trigger for different people. To find an effective treatment, its important to identify, if possible, the cause of your mouth sores. If a canker sore is caused by a food allergy, treating it with an anti-bacterial or anti-viral agent will be disappointing. To find relief, or even prevention, be tenacious and work down the list of possible solutions to find the answer to your bodys unique chemistry.
Narrow the list of possibilities by paying attention to patterns of occurrence.
VIRAL CLUES
Does your mouth sore occur after a dental procedure, when you are under stress, over tired, or receiving chemo therapy or radiation treatments? You might consider a virus as the culprit, so look to remedies known for their anti-viral properties. Here are a few of the most promising--
Propolis
Produced by bees, propolis is used as a construction material in bee hives, comprised of a complex of chemicals (especially flavonoids), which play a role as an antiviral agent. Some individuals have allergic reactions to Propolis, and for them, this would not be a good choice.
Golden Seal Mouth Wash
Golden Seal is an herb. You can make your own golden seal mouth wash by mixing a quarter teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of golden seal powder (contents of one capsule) into a cup of warm water. Be aware that the golden seal powder will not dissolve completely but the mixture will still work just fine as a mouth wash. Rinse your mouth with this mouth wash at least three times a day.
Slippery Elm
Make a paste by mixing this herbal powder and water. Smear the paste directly on your canker sores as often as you feel you need to. This mixture has been found to completely heal canker sores in some people.
Canker Sores Begone®
The same company which make Cold Sores Begone® makes another excellent product, Canker Sores Begone® for virus related oral ulcerations. Both their remedies often work when nothing else does.
FOOD ALLERGIES
If youve noticed a canker sore after eating acidic foods such as citrus fruit or a tomato, or other foods such as chocolate, strawberries, certain nuts, peanut butter, cinnamon, sugar, coffee, spicy or salty foods, eggs, wheat, or pork you may be close to solving the puzzle. There are a couple of approaches if you suspect food allergy to be the cause. The first one requires patience and for some, self-discipline. Eliminate the suspected foods for a few weeks, and then reintroduce them one at a time to see which one triggers a canker.
The second approach which some individuals might find easier than food elimination is through nutritional supplementation. "Take 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of buffered vitamin C daily to help reduce the level of histamines in your body," says Jennifer Brett, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut. "To enhance the effectiveness of the vitamin C, take 1,000 milligrams of quercetin or 100 milligrams of grapeseed extract daily as a preventive," she says. "These are both bioflavonoids, compounds that inhibit histamine release, reduce inflammation, and speed healing."
VITAMIN DEFICIENCY
Thiamin
Research shows that a deficiency of thiamin can lead to recurrent mouth ulcers. Dr. Brett recommends taking 100 milligrams of thiamin daily as a preventive.
A High-Potency Multivitamin May Be the Answer
"If purchased at a health food store, it should give you the nutrients that are necessary to prevent recurrent canker sores," says Dr. Brett. "Take 500 to 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of iron, 800 micrograms of folic acid, and 15 to 20 milligrams of zinc," she says. "If your multivitamin doesnt include all you need, simply add separate supplements to make up the difference."
COULD IT BE YOUR TOOTHPASTE?
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also known as SLS, is a foaming agent found in most commercial toothpastes. Certain individuals have found that switching to toothpastes without this ingredient has helped to reduce or eliminate canker sores. Two toothpastes you can try - Biotene found in drugstores and Rembrandt in selected drugstores and supermarkets, and online.
STILL NOT SURE?
Many canker sore sufferers swear by these remedies:
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)
This is a form of the herb known as licorice. It has anti-inflammatory properties, speeds the healing process, and soothes the discomfort of canker sores. Take two 200-milligram tablets 20 minutes before meals, or chew one or two tablets two or three times a day. While chewing, use your tongue to position the tablet residue on the sore to promote even speedier healing. You should use DGL until the sore heals. In addition, you can empty the powder from a capsule into 1â„2 cup of lukewarm water, dissolve the DGL, and swish the solution around in your mouth. Repeat this at least two or three times a day until the sore has healed.
Alum
The preservative alum can be put on the canker. It will probably burn like crazy for a few minutes and taste terrible, but it should relieve the pain and help clear the sore up quickly. Rinse with water after a few minutes. Repeat once or twice a day, as needed. Alum can be found in the spice section of your grocery store.
Tea Bag
Tannin from tea may relieve the pain almost instantly. Hold a used tea bag against the sore for a few minutes.
Dont despair if one remedy doesnt work after giving it a chance, and move on to the next remedy you have not yet tried. For many, solving this problem requires patience and persistence, so be willing to invest it.
The herbs and vitamins are available in health food stores, and at most nutritional online retailers, such as www.vitacost.com (800-381-0759). Canker Sores Begone® and Cold Sores Begone® can be purchased at selected health food stores, online at www.csbegone.com, or calling the company directly at (888) 877-6315.