| WHAT
ARE CANKER SORES? |
| Canker
sores, also called Aphthous ulcers, are painful sores that occur inside
the mouth. They can interfere with smiling and the pleasure of eating.
Canker sores are the most common ulcerative condition in the mouth.
About 20% of adults suffer from canker sores and about two thirds of canker
sore suffers are women. Once a person has initially experienced a
canker sore the probability of their reoccurrence is high. No specific
cause for canker sores is known and they are NOT caused by a virus.
It is believed that canker sores develop when the body's own immune system
attacks the cells lining the inside of the mouth. A number of factors are
linked to the development of canker sores: stress, hormonal changes, trauma,
nutritional deficiencies, allergies and immunological abnormalities. |
| WHAT
DOES A CANKER SORE LOOK LIKE? |
 Canker
sores look like small, whitish sores with red borders. In its
earliest stage, a canker sore will start with the formation of a reddish
area, possibly it may be slightly elevated and often produces a tingling
sensation. This initial lesion progresses into an ulcer taking the
following classic form:
-
A shallow individual
ulcer which is round or oval in shape.
-
The ulcer will
usually be no more than a 1/4 inch in diameter.
-
The center
of the ulcer will be covered by a loosely attached white or grayish membrane.
-
The edges of
the ulcer will be regular and surrounded by a halo. The tissue adjacent
to the canker sore will be healthy in appearance.
|
| IN
WHAT LOCATIONS DO CANKER SORES FORM? |
| Canker
sores only form on the loose tissues of the mouth, those areas where the
skin is not tightly bound to the underlying bone. Canker sores
usually occur on the inside of the lips and cheeks, the floor of the mouth,
the tongue, the soft palate, and the tonsillar areas. You may get only
one sore in the mouth. However, about
15 million patients suffer from "recurrent aphthous stomatitis," in which
one experiences breakouts of multiple canker sores several times a month. |
| WHAT
ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A CANKER SORE? |
| Canker
sores, even a tiny sore the size of a pin head, can be very painful and
make it difficult to eat, drink or even speak without discomfort.
Sometimes the spot where the sore will occur tingles or burns for a day
or so before the sores actually appear. Canker sores generally take
about 10 - 14 days to disappear. |
| WHAT
IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CANKER SORES & COLD SORES? |
| Canker
sores are small painful ulcerations occurring inside the mouth or gums.
They seem to be caused by stress, a physical nick or diet. Unlike
cold sores, canker sores are NOT contagious and NOT associated with the
herpes simplex virus. The main distinguishing feature is that cold
sores erupt outside of the mouth on the lips, chin and sometimes under
the nose, canker sores occur inside the mouth. |
| WHAT
IS APHTHASOL & HOW DOES IT WORK? |
| Aphthasol
(5% amlexanox in an adhesive oral paste) is a NEW prescription medication
designed to provide relief and accelerate the healing of canker sores.
Aphthasol is the first FDA-approved prescription paste for treating Canker
Sores in patients with normal immune systems. Aphthasol is believed
to work by inhibiting the formation and/or release of inflammatory mediators
and it has the effect of limiting the extent of the progression of the
ulceration of the canker sore. |
| WHEN
SHOULD I USE APHTHASOL? |
| APHTHASOL
is the only proven treatment specific for canker sores that inhibits
the progression of the ulceration. If you have ever been diagnosed by a
physician with canker sores and suffer from recurrent outbreaks then Aphthasol
may work for you. Aphthasol paste should be applied as soon as possible
after noticing the symptoms of an aphthous ulcer and should be used FOUR
times daily, preferably following oral hygiene after breakfast, lunch,
dinner, and at bedtime. If you suffer from canker sores than be prepared
and always have a tube on hand so you can use it at the first tingling
signs of the onset of a canker sore. Aphthasol will help stop
the progression of the ulceration and lessen the discomfort, pain, severity
and duration of the canker sore resulting in the canker sores to disappear
quicker! |
| WHAT
ARE THE INDICATIONS FOR APHTHASOL? |
| Aphthasol
is indicated for the treatment of canker sores in healthy adults with NORMAL
immune systems. Aphthasol is for topical use only for canker sores
inside the mouth. Avoid contact with the eyes. |
| HOW
LONG DO I HAVE TO USE APHTHASOL?
|
| Aphthasol
should be used until the ulcer heals. If significant healing or pain
reduction has not occurred in 10 days, consult your dentist or physician! |
| WHAT
ARE THE SIDE
EFFECTS OF APHTHASOL? |
| There
are very minimal side effects associated with Aphthasol topical application.
The most common adverse effects reported by 1 - 2 % of patients are transient
pain, burning and/or stinging sensations at the site of application
No life-threatening symptoms have ever been reported. Aphthasol paste
is to be applied topically and used externally only. It is NOT intended
for internal use. |
WHO SHOULD NOT USE
APHTHASOL?
WHAT ARE THE CONTRAINDICATIONS
FOR APHTHASOL?
|
| CONTRAINDICATIONS:
In order to proceed to the medical consultation, you must go to the next
page and read the contraindications and verify that you do not have any
of the contraindications, you are not pregnant and are not breast feeding,
and understand that if you have AIDS, or a suppressed immune system you
must NOT use Aphthasol (it's efficacy and safety have only been tested
in healthy adults only)! Aphthasol is CONTRAINDICATED in anyone with
known hypersensitivity to the product or any of its components:
You must not use Aphthasol if you have a hypersensitivity to amlexanox
:or any of the inactive ingredients benzyl alcohol, gelatin,
glycerl monostearate, mineral oil, pectin, petrolatum or sodium carboxymethylcellulose.
Always inform your doctor before starting therapy. |
| Under
NO circumstance is any child under the age of 18, in anyone pregnant
or breast-feeding, anyone with a compromised immune system or advanced
HIV use Aphthasol because Aphthasol has only been studied in healthy
adults. |
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