Canker sores are painful ulcerations that occur on the soft tissues inside your mouth and gums. Unlike herpes-caused cold sores, canker sores are not contagious, and they usually disappear in 10 to 14 days. If you don't want to live with the pain for that long, practitioners of alternative medicine recommend drug-free options, including licorice extract. Before self-treating, however, check with your medical provider if you have overly large or unusually painful sores that won't heal.
Canker Sores
The medical community doesn't know why some people get canker sores, technically known as aphthous ulcers, but, according to MayoClinic.com, risk factors include a faulty immune system, stress, food allergies, bites, inflammatory bowel diseases, vitamin deficiencies and sensitivity to the Streptococcus sanguis bacteria. Frequently confused with herpes-caused cold sores, canker sores have white centers with red rims, while cold sores produce red bumps that develop into blisters.
Licorice Fast Facts
Well known as a distinctive candy flavoring, licorice is a small perennial shrub indigenous to Europe and Asia. It grows to heights of 3 feet and produces dark green leaves, pinkish flowers and reddish-brown fruit pods. A member of the pea family, licorice has sweet rhizomes, or roots. They constitute the source of its medicinal powers and when dried for liquid extracts for folk remedies, the roots treat stomach, intestinal, lung and skin problems.
Canker Sore Licorice Link
According to Phyllis A. Balch, certified nutritional consultant and author of the book "Prescription for Herbal Healing," licorice contains key ingredients that accelerate healing and relieve pain associated with canker sores. Steven Foster, author of the book "National Geographic Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine," adds that licorice appears to stimulate your immune system, helping to eliminate one of the risk factors for canker sores. Additionally, MayoClinic.com recommends applying a paste of deglycyrrhizinated licorice directly on your canker sores to ease pain and inflammation.
Adverse Effects
High doses of licorice can result in pseudoaldosteronism, a condition characterized by fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure, water retention and heart attacks. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, even low doses can induce muscle pain or numbness in your arms and legs. Pregnant and nursing women, children, and others with kidney disease, liver damage, heart problems, hypertension and diabetes should avoid licorice.
References
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Licorice
- MayoClinic.com: Canker Sore Causes
- "Prescription for Herbal Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch; 2002
- "National Geographic Desk Reference to Nature's Medicine"; Steven Foster, et al.; 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Canker Sore Alternative Treatment
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Licorice
