Mouth ulcers, IBD and Aloeride®
People suffering from Coeliac disease or IBD (Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease) sometimes get extra-intestinal symptoms next to their digestive problem. One of such is small ulcers in the mouth.
Recurrent Aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and recurrent intraoral herpes (RIH) are the two most commonly presenting oral lesions in dentistry recurrent. Recurrent Aphthous Ulcerations (RAU) is another form of mouth ulcer but is considered an immunological deficiency. Why aphts appear in people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease is unknown but often it coincides with flare-ups and usually the ulcer(s) heal(s) with remission of the IBD.
Aloeride® has proven exceptionally useful in the management of mouth ulcers, it significantly speeds up healing time and helps with pain. How to use Aloeride® is discussed further on, first however a little more information to put mouth ulcers in context.
Causes of mouth ulcers can be linked to microbial disease (like Herpes, chickenpox, infectious mononucleosis), to gastrointestinal disease (Coeliac, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis), to skin disease (like lichen planus, erythema multiforme), to blood disorders (like leukaemia, neutropenia), to rheumatoid diseases (like systemic lupus erythematosus, Behçet’s disease, Reiter’s syndrome) or to drugs (cytotoxic agents, Nicorandril, NSAIDs and oral nicotine replacement therapy). Reading this list you can understand why, if a mouth ulcer persists for more than 3 weeks, a differential diagnosis should be made, possibly via biopsy or other investigations to exclude malignancy or serious conditions.
When not caused by a specific condition, mouth ulcers can be related to food sensitivities or nutritional deficiencies (Oral Surg, 1982, 54: 388-95; BMJ, 1975; 2: 490-3). In one study of 330 individuals with recurrent mouth ulcers, 14.2% proved to be deficient in Iron, Folic Acid and/or vitamin B12. The majority of whom achieved a complete remission when their deficiencies were eliminated by supplements. (J Oral Path, 1978; 7: 418-23). For patients who are deficient in Zinc, taking extra zinc supplements has proved effective (BMJ, 1975; 2: 490-3) and this is because Zinc is required for the development and activation of T-lymphocytes. For centuries, medicated zinc bandages have been found to have a soothing and beneficial effect on leg ulcers.
It is well known that people with Coeliac disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease suffer from a varying degree of impaired tolerance to foods and a reduced uptake of nutrients. Gluten and wheat sensitivity are on the top of that list. Finding well tolerated, highly absorbable wholefood supplements whilst using Aloeride® both as a buffer and to facilitate nutrient uptake will help to overcome such a deficiency.