Mouth blisters, including canker sores and cold sores, can be inside or outside the mouth and caused by various factors. Canker sores are not contagious and typically go away on their own, while cold sores are contagious and caused by the herpes simplex virus. Both can be treated with numbing pastes and avoiding acidic products.
Mouth blisters are irritating and occasionally embarrassing. They can be inside or outside the mouth. There are various types of mouth lesions, including the common cold sore and canker sores. Caused by a variety of causes, oral blisters can last for several days. Some types are treatable and others go away on their own.
Canker sores are ulcers found inside the mouth. These mouth blisters are also called canker sores. They are visible to the naked eye. Whitish yellow in color, these superficial sores appear with a red border. While basically round, they are irregular in shape with jagged edges.
A canker sore can develop on the cheeks, gums, tongue, or lips—just about anywhere inside the mouth. These mouth blisters vary in size, although they are typically smaller than the diameter of a pea. They can group or appear singly. Mouth blisters like this cause further irritation when eating or even talking. They are extremely painful to the touch.
A canker sore usually goes away on its own within 10-0.5 days. While excruciatingly painful at any size, any aphthae larger than 1.27 inches (1.27 cm) in diameter should be seen by a doctor. A doctor may be able to shed some light on whether it is actually a different type of oral ulcer or blister.
Canker sores can be hereditary. They are not contagious, though. While there is no cure for these oral blisters, there are numbing pastes that help ease the pain of a rash. Staying away from acidic products like tomatoes and orange juice will also help ease the pain of an ulcer.
Unlike canker sores, cold sores are contagious. Also called oral herpes, cold sores are a lesion that surrounds the outside of the mouth. They are caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).
Cold sores can also be caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), commonly known as genital herpes. The oral herpes virus can be transmitted through sexual acts, particularly when the infected person is spreading the virus. It can also be spread through kissing and sharing drinks.
HSV is a latent virus, which means that after the first breakout, it often lies dormant under the skin for some time. In the case of oral herpes, a cold sore can occasionally appear during a particularly stressful time. A canker sore, on the other hand, can be triggered after a small cut on the lip or accidental cheek biting.
Oral herpes mouth blisters are red and filled with fluid. These cold sores usually last a week or two and crust over before disappearing without leaving a scar. Those who have experienced many breakouts may be familiar with a tingling or mildly itchy sensation that occurs right before a breakout.
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