Avoid Eating These Foods If You Have A Painful Canker Sore

You may be familiar with cold sores, but what is the difference between a cold sore and a canker sore? While both are painful, canker sores are a totally different ball game from cold sores. Cold sores reside around the lips, while canker sores form on the delicate insides of the mouth.

Why canker sores form in the first place isn't entirely understood, but smoking, trauma, stress, or certain nutrient deficiencies may play a role in the formation of these small, round, burning sores, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. 

Thankfully, canker sores tend to be on the milder side in 85% of people who develop them, according to InformedHealth.org (via National Library of Medicine). Canker sores don't stick around for long either; they take about two weeks to fully heal. However, pain is usually at its peak for approximately three to five days. The body responds to canker sores with inflammation, and it's during this time that facial movements, such as chewing, can worsen symptoms. The same is true of certain foods, which can further aggravate inflammation. To avoid further discomfort, we'll outline three types of foods to steer clear of while canker sores heal.

If you're waiting for a painful canker sore to run its course, you may want to pass on the bread basket when dining out. Hard rolls, bread crust, or toast can take a painful canker sore from bad to worse by scraping against the injury (via InformedHealth.org, Alberta Health). Similar food items that may poke and prod with their rough edges include crispbread, potato chips, and pretzels.

Anything too spicy, acidic, or high in salt can also exacerbate canker sore symptoms. Grapes, blueberries, and pineapple are a few examples of foods to avoid that are highly acidic (per Healthline), while hot sauce and chili peppers are more spicy foods to stay away from. 

Dairy may also increase the risk of developing canker sores. This makes yogurt, cow's milk, and cheese particularly undesirable when dealing with a canker sore, according to Joshua M. Ignatowicz, DMD & Associates. 

Finally, sugary beverages can worsen canker sore inflammation. Discomfort may be further heightened when drinking soda. Not only are sodas packed with sugar, but they're also carbonated, which can make these yellow, white sores even more painful.

We know which foods are out, so which foods are in when a canker sore is acting up? Experts at Alberta Health say to opt for softer foods, such as cream soup, over hard foods. Not only is soup easier to tolerate, but it protects the delicate inner lining of the mouth (per InformedHealth.org) 

Additionally, instead of eating overly salty foods, pick salt-free snacks or those lower in salt content. While citrus fruits are best avoided, bananas and coconuts are a couple of tasty, less acidic fruit options (per HealthCentral). Another helpful tip: Take smaller bites of food as you eat.

You'll also want to stick with foods and beverages that are on the cooler side of the temperature scale. If that piping hot bowl of soup we mentioned earlier sounded appetizing, just give it time to cool down before eating. Alternatively, cold water and healthy homemade fruit popsicles are about as cool as it gets, which can also help soothe a painful canker sore until your mouth is fully healed. 

However, if you have a stubborn canker sore that just won't go away, you may have an underlying condition. If it lingers more than a few weeks or you have a fever you may want to visit a doctor.