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From first-hand experience, canker sores can be passed from one person to another, so one way to avoid them is to avoid kissing someone who has them. But that's just one way. They aren't cold sores so it's not the end of the world if you do catch one (they go away within a week or so), but they certainly are uncomfortable, so prevention is key.

Science isn't sure what causes canker sores, and that's frustrating because knowing how to prevent them would be a lot better than just alleviating the pain. I'm no scientist and I'm not claiming to know more than any scientist, but I have discovered exactly what causes canker sores in me. Chocolate and lemons. How do I know? When I eat these foods they come and when I stop they go.

I didn't just discover this in passing. I'm a true veteran of canker sores (I still get them from time to time when I get careless with chocolate or lemons). It became so severe with me at one point that they had spread down my throat and were affecting my vocal chords a little. I went to an ENT twice. The first time he prescribed antacids while the second time he prescribed muscle relaxants. Neither of these helped. $800.00 plus dollars later I decided to take a look at the theory of food allergies. Since there are known and legitimate cases of food allergies (peanuts, strawberries...etc.), perhaps I was mildly allergic to something I was eating a lot of. Sure enough it was chocolate and lemons for me.

How does this help you? It might not. Maybe it's not chocolate that causes them in you, maybe it's something else. Most people think it's just acidic foods. I thought so too at first because when I would eat acidic foods the canker sores would hurt. But what hurts them is not necessarily what causes them. When you get a canker sore, stop and think about what you've been eating a lot of lately. You might just discover what causes them in you because they may be an allergic reaction to something you're eating.

It's much better to figure out how to prevent them than to simply try and alleviate the pain.

When I used to get them a lot though, the best relief for me was always Anbesol.

Learn more about this author, Peter Johns.
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