Every once and a while, you’ll get a pain somewhere unexpected, and you will not be quite sure why it’s occurring. Take the roof of your mouth, for example. Sometimes it may be easy to explain, like a piece of potato chip broke off and stabbed into the roof of your mouth. Other times, you might get pain and swelling with no apparent reason.
What can cause the roof of your mouth to be sore? Are there many causes of the roof of the mouth pain? We’re going to take a look at the various causes of why the roof of your mouth might be sore and swollen. We will look at the causes, symptoms, and treatment of a sore and swollen roof of the mouth.
Causes of a Sore Roof of Mouth
There are numerous reasons why the roof of your mouth may be sore and swollen. It can be due to injury, infection, or a number of other causes. However, there are a few causes that tend to be more common than others.
1. Infection
The roof of your mouth can be swollen and sore due to infection in your mouth. These can be bacterial infections or viral infections. For the most part, the pain will more than likely subside once treatment for the infection has begun to do its work.
2. Canker Sores
Canker sores or aphthous ulcers are usually found within the gum tissue of the mouth, but they can occasionally cause mouth pain in the roof.
3. Cold Sores
Cold sores tend to be slightly painful, but they can be a little more painful if they end up in the roof of the mouth. The pain can increase when you’re eating, as the chewing and food may add pressure to the cold sore.
4. Dehydration
Dehydration can dry out the mouth enough to make it feel sore and cracked.
5. Burning Mouth Syndrome
The causes of burning mouth syndrome are still unknown. Essentially, it causes a burning sensation in the roof of your mouth, and is usually worse at the start of the day.
There are some more uncommon reasons for the roof of your mouth being sore, like mouth cancer for example, but the above are what you are going to run into more often than not. There are a number of symptoms of a sore roof of the mouth.
Sore Roof of Mouth Symptoms
What exactly constitutes a sore roof of the mouth? What symptoms would help your doctor on the right path for a diagnosis? There are a few common threads that hold true with most cases of a sore roof of the mouth.
1. Pain
Kind of goes with the idea that the roof of your mouth is sore. The type of pain you are experiencing may change, depending on what is actually causing the soreness in your mouth.
2. Dryness
The roof your mouth being sore can often affect the rest of the mouth causing it to be dry.
3. Sores
Sores and blisters can also be a symptom of a sore roof of mouth causes, like canker sores.
Now that we know the causes and symptoms of a sore roof of the mouth, is there any way they can be treated? Or is it something that you have to sit and wait it out?
Treating Sore Roof of Mouth
Depending on what the cause of your particular problem is, there may be a few sore roof of mouth treatments. In the case of dehydration, drinking lots of fluids and avoiding alcohol will help restore the roof of the mouth. Canker sores, on the other hand, don’t usually require treatment as they will just disappear on their own eventually. If the symptoms continue for more than a week, it’s best that you go see a doctor. However, there are a few home remedies that may help you out.
Home Remedies for Sore Roof of Mouth
There are home remedies for the variety of causes for the roof of your mouth being sore. If you aren’t sure if you should try a particular treatment, make sure to talk to your doctor first before attempting them. The following are five remedies that may help you out, and can be done in your own home.
1. Use mouth rinse
There are many natural mouth rinses that may not only be able to help the cause of your sore mouth, but also help hydrate your mouth as well and eliminate dryness. Salt water, for example, has been known to help with canker sores.
2. Avoid spicy food
Spicy food as they can often irritate sore mouths.
3. Use aloe vera
While this will not taste good at all, aloe vera may be able to help heal whatever might be causing the mouth pain. Cut an aloe vera leaf, and carve out the gel you see inside. Take the gel, and apply it to the area of the roof of your mouth that is giving you trouble.
4. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol can dry out your mouth, leading to the pain in the roof of your mouth, especially with excessive drinking. If the pain has already begun, alcohol could make it worse.
5. Drink milk
Milk has long been used for its soothing effects. When drinking, swish it around your mouth a few times as it may help ease the pain.
Preventing Roof of Mouth Soreness
The best treatment for a sore mouth is to never get it in the first place. With that in mind, there are a few things you can do to prevent roof of mouth soreness before it even begins. This won’t stop everything, but these should lessen your chances. Here are three prevention tips.
1. Let your food cool
Super-hot food or drinks can cause damage to the mouth, especially the roof of your mouth. Let it cool down so it won’t burn you.
2. Avoid excessive drinking
Alcohol, as we previously noted, can cause the soreness in the roof of your mouth (mainly due to dehydration).
3. Try to relax
Canker sores can often occur during times of high stress. Try to be less stressed. Easier said than done, we know, but this can help you out not only with canker sores, but with your general mental and physical health as well.
The Roof of Your Mouth Might Be Sore, but Not for Long!
Having soreness in the roof in your mouth can not only be painful, it can also be a pain. Eating can aggravate it, spicy food can make it worse, and it’s just generally not fun. But as you’ve seen above, there are plenty of ways to treat a sore roof of the mouth, and a few ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Sources:
Holland, K., “Swelling on the Roof of Your Mouth: Causes and More,” Healthline, August 1, 2016; http://www.healthline.com/health/roof-of-mouth-swollen#Overview1
“What Causes Pain in the Roof of Mouth?” MD Health; http://www.md-health.com/Roof-Of-Mouth-Hurts.html
Alicia, “Roof of Mouth Sore,” Enki Village; http://www.enki-village.com/roof-of-mouth-sore.html
“Roof of Mouth Hurts,” New Health Guide; http://www.newhealthguide.org/Roof-Of-Mouth-Hurts.html
“Roof Of Mouth Hurts – Pain, Sore and Swollen Palate?” Food Pyramid, 23 September 23, 2013; http://www.foodpyramid.com/conditions-disorders/roof-of-mouth-hurts-10932/