Homeopathic medicine, treatment and remedies for Mouth Ulcer

Following are the homeopathic medicines that are commonly used for treating mouth ulcers, on the basis of symptoms:

• Arsenicum Album
  Common name: Arsenious acid
  Symptoms: Suitable for people who have a lot of fears including fear of death, who are meticulous and keep finding faults in work done by others. Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms: 
  • Stress and anxiety
  • Burning pains in mouth along with ulcers
  • Painful mouth ulcers
  • Hot drinks reduce the pain
  • Unhealthy gums that bleed easily
  • Poor appetite due to ulcers, the patient feels excessive weakness
  • Restlessness along with pain
  • Ulcers seen on tongue have a blue coloured base
  • All symptoms are worse in cold temperatures, after consuming cold food and drinks.
  • Symptoms improve in heat.
  • These people tend to think that they are not going to live and hence, considers it useless to take medicines.
• Mercurious corrosivus
  Common name: Corrosive sublimate
  Symptoms: Patients who can benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms:
  • Chronic untreated mouth ulcers
  • Painful ulcers with bleeding
  • Gums are swollen and spongy
  • Excessive salivation
  • Bad odour from mouth
  • Mouth ulcers associated with excessive pain and tenesmus in the intestine
  • Green, bilious vomiting
  • Stomach region is very sensitive to touch
  • Symptoms increase at night and with consuming strongly acidic food
• Mercurious solubilis
  Common name: Quicksilver
  Symptoms: This remedy is suitable for people who have low will power, are mistrustful, and feel useless. Patients who benefit from this remedy experience some of the following symptoms:
  • Metallic taste in mouth
  • Dribbling of saliva
  • Presence of blood in saliva
  • Gums are very spongy and bleed easily
  • Entire ulcer is red and moist
  • Mouth is sore and painful due to ulcers
  • Bad odour from mouth
  • Burning sensation in mouth
  • All symptoms are worse at night
  • Symptoms improve with consumption of cold water.
• Borax Veneta
  Common name: Borate of sodium
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms:
  • Mouth ulcers feel hot and very sensitive
  • Symptoms worsen by eating acidic foods
  • Dry mouth despite excessive salivation,
  • Ulcers break in the inside of cheeks, gums, and sometimes on tongue
  • In some cases, white fungus-like growth may be noted in the oral cavity
  • Constant sensation of heat inside mouth.
  • Mouth is tender to touch
  • Ulcers bleed easily on the slightest touch
  • Feeling a bitter taste in mouth
•  Nitricum Acidicum
  Common name: Nitric acid
  Symptoms: Nitric acid works well in individuals who are past middle age and those who have a good appetite. Patients who benefit from this remedy are irritable and tend to be vindictive. They report some of the following symptoms:
  • Mouth Ulcers, mainly in the soft upper palate
  • Pain as if some splinter is cutting inside the mouth
  • Excessive salivation
  • Blisters are seen on tongue, and other organs like genitals
  • Ulcers and blisters bleed easily
  • Halitosis
  • Tongue is clean with a furrow in the centre
  • Swelling of gums
  • Bloody saliva
  • Symptoms become worse in the evening
  • Unusual cravings for indigestible things like chalk, mud etc.
  • Constipation
• Carbolicum Acidum
  Common name: Phenol- Carbolic acid
  Symptoms: This remedy can be effective in people of all ages but it is more effective in treating individuals who are past middle age. Patients who benefit from this remedy are addicted to smoking and tobacco and have some of the following symptoms:  
  • Ulcers on the inside of lips
  • Ulcers on the inside of cheeks, mostly due to accidental bites
  • Burning sensation in mouth
  • Redness inside the entire mouth
  • All discharges from ulcers are very offensive
  • Foul-smelling breath associated with constipation
  • Constant nausea and belching
• Nux Vomica
  Common name: Poison- nut
  Symptoms: This remedy suits workaholic individuals, especially men who are thin and irritable. Such people tend to suffer from stress and anxiety due to their perfectionist attitude towards work. Patients who benefit from this remedy report some of the following symptoms:
  • Small but multiple aphthous ulcers
  • Saliva is mixed with blood
  • First half of tongue is clean and the posterior is coated with deep fur, yellow coloured papillae. It is one of the peculiar symptoms of nux vomica.
  • Gums are swollen but are white in colour. They look pale and bleed occasionally
  • Bloated abdomen (Read more: Bloating causes)
  • Symptoms are worsened even by the slightest touch.
  • Overeating and eating spicy food or consuming stimulants like coffee and tea increase the pain.
• Kali Chloricum
  Common name: Chlorate of potassium
  Symptoms: Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms:
  • Stomatitis, that is, swelling of the inside of mouth with dryness and pain
  • Aphthous ulcers, which almost look gangrenous (lost blood supply and look dead)
  • Bad breath
  • Profuse secretion of saliva, which is slightly acidic
  • Swelling in tongue
  • Ulcers that have a grey base  
  • Flatulence, distension of abdomen and a feeling of weight in the stomach

Kali chloricum is also used as a mouth wash to help relieve mouth ulcers.

• Phosphorus
  Common name: Phosphorus
  Symptoms: Phosphorus is known for irritation and inflammation of all mucous membranes like the inside of the mouth. It suits people who are oversensitive to external stimulants like light, smell, and dust. Patients who benefit from this remedy experience some of the following symptoms:
  • Swollen and bleeding gums
  • Edges of the gums look ulcerated
  • Tongue feels very dry
  • Swelling and redness of tongue. Sometimes, tongue looks pale but without coating
  • A feeling of soreness in mouth
  • Constant desire to drink cold water
  • Burping accompanied by a sour taste after every meal due to indigestion
  • Loud belching after eating
• Condurango
  Common name: Condor plant
  Symptoms: This remedy suits people of all ages but it is more effective in individuals who are past middle age. Patients who benefit from this remedy have some of the following symptoms:
  • Mainly used to improve the digestive system
  • Cracks and ulcers in the corner of the mouth
  • Angular stomatitis (mouth ulcers at the corners of the mouth)
  • Constant burning pain felt in the mouth that may extend to the stomach
  • Ulcers are also noted in the stomach and the intestines (Read more: Peptic ulcer symptoms)
  • Associated symptom of vomiting
  • On examination, hardness is felt in the liver region

Do’s

• In acute diseases, it is necessary to instruct the attendants that whatever the patient demands or needs in the form of food or drinks should be given to him or her. This will provide temporary respite from the condition.
• It is necessary for the person to take rest both physically and mentally.

Don’t’s

• Do not use any substance that can interfere with homeopathic medicines, as they are given in their minutest doses. The following things can affect the efficacy of homeopathic medicine:
  • Medicinal substance in herbs, spices, toothpaste, or mouthwashes
  • Highly seasoned foods and sauces
  • Strong- smelling coffee or herbal teas
  • Frozen foods like ice-creams

• Do not allow the person to exert himself or herself with any mental stress or even any exciting emotion.

As per homeopathy, oral ulcers are not only caused due to deficiency of vitamins but also when your body is not able to assimilate vitamins from the diet. Homeopathic medicines will help the body to absorb these essential vitamins thus improving mouth ulcer symptoms. 

In a research done with 100 individuals suffering from minor aphthous ulcers, all the subjects were given homeopathic medicines in the lowest potency twice daily after every 12-hours. Pain, size and number of aphthous ulcers were found to be reduced within 4 to 6 days in all of the subjects. No side effect was reported in any individual.

A Homeopathic physician not only considers disease symptoms but also individual symptoms before selecting and prescribing a certain remedy. To understand this let us see a case study. A person suffering from mouth ulcers also complained of headaches, and nightmares, along wih excessive worries and anxiety. Based on all this, he was prescribed sulphuric acid which cured all the symptoms. This is because homeopathic treatment not only treats disease symptoms but also the underlying miasm or tendency to suffer from a disease. In this case sulphuric acid treats the underlying cause of the disease and works well in anxious and over worried individuals.

Only by treating the miasam, will effective treatment be achieved and recurrence is voided. So, pain, and burning, which present early, are psoric manifestations of mouth ulcers, whereas, offensive, foul-smelling discharge from the ulcer is a presentation of a more advanced and destructive syphilitic miasm.

Interestingly, the homeopathic concept of simmilars is now being used to prepare an entirely new generation of homeopathic drugs by potensising conventional medicines. According to this study, homeopathically prepared doses of conventional medcines can be used for the treatment of symptoms which appear as a side effect of the said drug for example: medicines like abacavir (which is used for treating HIV but causes severe hypesentivity) and anti-inflammatory drugs (which can cause stomach pain, rashes and allergy) can be potentised and used homeopathically for treating ulcers and other such gastric conditions. 

It has been known that homeopathic medicines are safe to use when taken under the guidance of an experienced doctor.  It helps in alleviating the root cause of the disease and preventing relapse. There have been no documented side effects with the regular use of homeopathic remedies. 

Mouth ulcers are caused due to multiple reasons. Identifying the cause is necessary for effective treatment. Homeopathy helps to break the tendencies that lead to recurrent ulcers and also, it aids in the assimilation of vitamins in the body, which is one of the major causes of mouth ulcers. Regular use of homeopathic medicines does not cause any side effects, provided it is taken under the supervision of an experienced homeopathic physician.