Mouth Swelling: Treatment, Cost and Side Effects

Mouth swelling or mouth inflammation can occur due to various reasons. For example, a person can suffer from mouth inflammation owing to certain factors like sudden weight loss, exposure to allergens or viruses. Improper bites during chewing can also cause the mouth to swell. Underlying dental problems like gingivitis can also make the mouth swollen. In that case the patient has to seek the aid of a dentist. Children tend to suffer from mouth swells oftener than adults because they have a weak immune system. Apart from that, adults with autoimmune disorders can develop mouth sores easily. In that case the underlying cause should be treated instead of the side effect itself.

Canker soar in the mouth can make it swollen. The actual cause behind canker soar is not known. Cold soar is a type of mouth inflammation that is caused by a virus and if left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body. The virus is contagious as well. The bottom line is a swollen mouth makes it difficult for a person to eat, talk and in some cases, even sleep. A combination of preventive measures and medicines work to reduce the difficulty that crops up as a result of mouth swelling.

Mouth inflammation is not a very serious condition and with some preventive measures it goes away on its own within a week or two. If you have mouth swelling you must avoid citrus foods like lemons, oranges and tomatoes. You should also stay away from spicy foods. Maintenance of dental hygiene is of utmost importance and for better results gargle with saline lukewarm water. If the mouth soar is causing you a lot of difficulties you can take corticosteroids and pain-killers, only after consulting your doctor. You can also use medicated lip ointment or topical anesthetics like lidocaine to reduce the pain that can shoot up as a result of mouth inflammation. Make sure that you drink mare water and rinse your mouth from time to time.

There are anti-inflammatory toothpastes, gels and mouthwashes to reduce the swelling as well as the resultant pain. Let the doctor decide what type of medication suits you best before you use one of them. You can also chew ice chips in order to relieve the pain as well as the inflammation. If you observe that you develop canker sores frequently, the reason might be vitamin B12 deficiency. In that case, get yourself tested and you might have to take vitamin supplements to get respite from this painful adversity.

The common symptoms of mouth swelling include a yellow patch inside the mouth and swelling around that area. The swelling is associated with pain in most cases. If you have developed canker sores or cold sores inside the mouth go for the treatment.

In the case of canker sores and cold sores, mouth swelling can be treated with a combination of preventive measures and anti-inflammatory medications. But if the underlying cause is different, for example, if the mouth swelling is a side effect of Vitamin B 12 deficiency, a rare type of lip cancer or any type of autoimmune disorder then the treatment routine will be different. The underlying cause has to be treated in such cases and not the symptom itself. Therefore, if your mouth sore does not subside even after 2 weeks, get yourself tested to see if there is any other disorder that you might have developed.

If you get mouth swelling often and you treat it with painkillers or corticosteroids every time, the ultimate result would not be very positive. These drugs can lead to the development of long-term side effects like obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, nausea, and diarrhea. Steroids can even lead to the development of diabetes and osteoporosis. So you should be careful with the drugs that you take.

After recovering from mouth swelling one should make sure that he/she maintains proper dental hygiene. Apart from that gargling with lukewarm, saline water, antiseptic mouthwash on a daily basis reduces the chances of developing mouth sores.

Normal cold sores and canker sores subside within 5 to 7 days with the correct preventive measures and medicines.

Treatment price in India can vary between INR 70 and INR 600.

Mouth swelling subsides within a week or two. However it can recur. To prevent the self from getting mouth sores one must maintain proper dental hygiene.