How to Treat Stomatitis (Singaw)

Stomatitis or singaw is commonly described as painful mouth ulcers that could be found on the gums, inner sheeks, tongue, lips or palate. This tiny little enemy in the mouth causes you losing appetite and and even talking.

Treat Stomatitis

There are different causes of stomatitis. It could be viral, bacterial, simply mouth irritation, or cold sores. Unlike the first three causes, cold sores (also known as fever blisters)  are contagious. This is caused by herpes simplex virus type 1.

Treatment of stomatitis should be depended on the root cause of the sore. Below are the different treatment for the common symptoms of stomatitis.

To ease the pain and inflammation, try applying the following strategies :

• avoid spicy foods, hot beverages, and citrus fruits and drinks
• suck on ice popsickles or gargle on cold water

To treat the possible infection, you may do the following:

• rinse mouth with 1 cup of cold water with a tablespoon of salt. Do its as often as you can. Salt acts as an antiseptic.
• using hydrogen peroxide is also one way of killing bacteria. with 1:1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide and water, you already have an antibacterial mouthwash
• baking soda with water (1:1 ratio) is also one suggested treatment for mouth ulcers
• antiviral medications as recommended by physician. 

To relieve the pain,  you can you the following as per physician's advise :

• tylenol
• topical anesthetic agent such as lidocaine, or xylocaine
• topical corticosteroid preparations.

Boost your immune system with:

• Adequate fruits and vegetables
•  proper exersice and adequate rest and sleep

Stomatitis, or mouth ulcers should no longer than 2 weeks , even without treatment. If still persists, you better have an appointment with your physician about proper assessment and management.  Some patients with mouth ulcers needs deficiency test for vitamin B 12 or folate.

However, the most important thing to do is to perform frequent mouth care not only concerning your teeth but also to your gums, palate, and tongue. Soft bristled toothbrush is advisable to clean your teeth and slight sweeping on the gums and tongue. Proper mouth rinsing is also recommended. Also, you must avoid alcohol based mouthwashes..

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