Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Year 21, No. 248, Page 19-21 By Dr. Wittawat Wannawiboon
Mouth ulcer, or Aphthous ulcer in medical theory, has unknown exact cause as tt may related to immune reactions.
As there are symptoms of stress, indigestion, constipation, menstruation, rest is not enough, one’s body could appear the mouth ulcer. Treatment can be done by yourself by gargling with salt water, taking care of one health, having enough rest or taking painkillers. The mouth ulcer will disappear within 1-2 weeks.
Mouth ulcers are a result of abnormalities in one’s body. It can be prevented by taking care of one’s own health, having enough sleep and preventing constipation. As if the condition then chronic for more than 3 weeks, seeing a doctor is recommended.
Chinese treatment in Mouth ulcer
The cause of mouth ulcers is the imbalance in the body (also called Yin and Yang), too much heat in the body, probably due to consuming of spicy food, eating Yang foods such as durian, longan, lychee, fried food, etc. including having stress and less sleep. For the treatment of mouth ulcer in the Chinese technique, it can be done with hot poison relief, but in the long run, it is recommended to take a Yin kidney treatment tonic to balance the body power.
In the aspect of Chinese doctors, mouth ulcers are often associated with the balance of the main body’s system, namely the stomach, spleen, liver, heart. Treatment of mouth ulcers must diagnose based on the various symptoms of the body along with the main cause exploratory. Once the diagnosis is correct, the treatment could be done by removing hot toxin combined with creating the balance of the body together with the treatment of diseases and prevent other diseases to be developed.
Chinese treatment is a long-term balancing solution that emphasizes health care, food, and emotion as the basic factors that serve each causes.
Therefore, the treatment should be carried out along with protecting oneself from other diseases.
Mouth ulcer: How to deal with intermittent mouth ulcer?
A patient went to see the doctor at the hospital for treatment.
| Patient : | “I have a problem with my mouth ulcers. It appears to be often and intermittent as well as not completely healed.” |
| Doctors : | “You are experiencing mouth ulcer and it is not terrifying. This medical disease is called Aphthous ulcer and the exact cause is unclear. It is believed to be related to immune reactions, causes mouth ulcers. Mostly, mouth ulcer often correlated with stress, indigestion, constipation, menstruation, and resting. The treatment is to use mouthwash with salt water, have enough rest, take some medicine to relieve the pain. It will disappear within 1-2 weeks.” |
| Patient : | “Is it completely gone?” |
| Doctors : | “If the mouth ulcer is a result of abnormalities of the body, focus on health care, make sure you have enough rest, and be aware of constipation, etc., The condition would not appear frequently. But if found that it is not easy to heal, and it becomes chronic for more than 3 weeks, then you should come to see me again.” |
| Traditional Chinese doctor : | “Let me see the wound. Is the wound has the same spot of occurance? Are there any other symptoms? “ |
| Patient : | “It changed and I have dry mouth and dry throat. I drink water several bottles a day but feel my palm and hand hot.” |
| Traditional Chinese doctor : | “Do you have any pain in the waist, knee or tinnitus?” |
| Patient : | “Sometimes, I guess but not tinnitus or any hearing problem” Chinese doctors let the patient roll off the tongue and then check the pulse. |
| Traditional Chinese doctor : | “Your tongue is red, no pellicle occurrence. Light pulse, short and fast. It shows that you have a Yin kidney problem, such as lack of water in the body. Your body has the more Yang balance so the mouth ulcers often relapse. When receiving additional heat or fire factors such as eating spicy food, a lot of yang food, such as durian, lychee, longan, fried food, etc., or not enough sleep and sleep late. The treatment is to relieve the hot poison, but in the long run, it is recommended to use Yin kidney treatment tonic to create a balance of the body power.” |
Mouth ulcers, according to the Traditional Chinese doctor’s meaning, are the condition of the oral mucosa, such as lips, tongue, bulge, cheek, palate or gums, has a single or multiple lesions in round shape. The lesions may be yellow, white, or gray. It is often found in young adults and women at the period of menstruation.
Chinese medicine has divided the mouth ulcers into 2 types of, namely
1. The strong form, mainly caused by external factors, such as eating spicy food, fried foods, accumulate heat regarding the heart and spleen at a high level. The extreme heat is transmitted through the breath of the spleen and heart, results in mouth ulcers. It is also caused by emotions and menstruation condition. There are three types of exacerbations: hot fire at stomach and spleen recurrent, hot fire at heart recurrent, fire at liver breath malfunction and recurrent.
2. The lacking form. The primary cause is lacking of Yin (lack of water elements in the body). Lacking Yin is often caused by illness, indigestion, overwork and restless, results in lacking and kidney malfunction. It is also believed that firepower from the depletion to the top and may be caused by the depletion of the spleen power, causing poor digestion and the obstruction of water and moisture in the body. There are 3 characteristics of depletion: Yin kidney recurrent, spleen dampness obstruction, Yang of spleen and kidney depletion.
It can be concluded that the mouth ulcers in modern medicine aspects often focusing on external causes primarily, such as sores from herpes, a fungal infection. Therefore, the treatment is given according to the cause.
If the wound is in the corner of the mouth at 2 sides and lack of nutrients, it is treated by giving vitamin B2. As for the mouth ulcer is caused by the abnormalities of the body’s immune system. The treatment emphasized on self-caring and topical treatment. If it is a chronic wound with a thick, white, not easily remedied or appear for more than 3 weeks, it is recommended to concern about oral cancer, which must be examined and treated specifically.
In the aspect of traditional Chinese doctors, mouth ulcers are often associated with the balance of the body’s system, namely the stomach, spleen, heart, liver, and kidney. Treatment of mouth ulcers must diagnose based on the various symptoms of the body along with the main cause exploratory. Once the diagnosis is correct, the treatment could be done by removing hot toxin combined with creating the balance of the body together with the treatment of diseases and prevent other diseases to be developed.
On the other side, is to create a balance of the body and not to develop disease, by focusing more on balancing the long-term body balance, like health care, food, and emotions are the basic elements that must be appropriate treated to suits each aspects.
Nevertheless, modern medicine can integrate distinct features in the treatment and prevention of disease development better than using only specific knowledge aspect. The wisdom of the East and the West medication are equal and parallel.
