Although they sound similar and many confuse the two as the same thing, there are marked differences between cold sores and canker sores. Knowing how they differ from one another is vital to understanding how they develop and what steps you should take to prevent them from occurring.
What Do Cold Sores Look Like?
A cold sore resembles a pimple and it’s typically located around the outside of your mouth. Cold sores are very contagious, requiring specific and sometimes complicated treatments to remove them. Though most cold sores are not a serious condition, they can prove to be potentially deadly for sufferers with a diminished immune system due to medication or other contributing diseases.
Causes of Cold Sores
Cold sores are spread through viral contact. They can be passed among individuals who come into close contact with one another by way of kissing or other similar physical contact. Cold sores can also be transmitted by people who eat from the same fork or spoon, drink from the same glass, and so on.
Most of us will experience a cold sore at least once and many are first exposed to the HSV 1 type virus, the primary cause of cold sores, by the time they reach the age of five. If you have the virus it doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop a cold sore. It can remain dormant but still be transmittable even if you never experience any cold sores. An outbreak can be the result of hormonal changes, stress, suppressed immune system, a viral infection, fatigue, even direct sunlight.
What Do Canker Sores Look Like?
A canker sore appears a white circle or oval that is located within the mouth. It can develop inside the lip, on the gums, the tongue, or the interior of the mouth at the cheek. They can grow in size and become extremely painful, making it difficult to eat, drink, or speak without discomfort. But despite the pain, canker sores are not a serious condition and they will often clear up in anywhere from two to three weeks’ time.
Causes of Canker Sores
Canker sores usually come about as a signal that you aren’t taking the best care of yourself. They can develop if you are stressed out or fatigued, maybe you’re not eating well and lack certain vitamins or nutrients in your diet, or you’ve eaten foods that are highly acidic. They can also be caused by an oral injury in the mouth that didn’t heal fully or properly resulting from eating something sharp such as a potato chip or biting the inside of your cheek or tongue by mistake. Hormonal changes are also a cause of canker sores.
