When to Seek Medical Care

Call your doctor if you are concerned about any of the following:

• A bacterial infection may develop (symptoms may include severe pain, fever, and swollen lymph nodes).
  
  
• Lesions may worsen or continue beyond several weeks.
  
  
• A more serious problem may be present, such as inflammatory bowel disease or an oral cancer. Factors that may lead to oral cancer include smoking, tobacco chewing, and use of alcohol.

Exams and Tests

Canker sores are diagnosed by their typical appearance. No testing is needed in the majority of cases.

• The doctor, however, must consider the possibility of herpes or fungal infections, trauma, or sores that will not heal that could signal cancer. The oral lesions of hand-foot-and-mouth disease can appear similar to canker sores.
  
  
• Canker sores may be seen in people with HIV infection, with inflammatory and other bowel diseases, and with certain medical conditions.
  
  
• Herpetiform aphthous ulcers may be distinguished from true herpes sores by the fact that with the herpetiform canker sores, no vesicles (small blisters) appear before the ulcers do.

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Canker Sores - Effective Treatments

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