Malaysia is a country with a tropical rainforest climate with hot weather throughout the year. As a result, it’s quite easy to develop mouth ulcers with even a slight mishap.Mouth ulcers are a common oral health issue, some individuals experience recurring ulcers, with some even take a long time to heal. This condition is also known as oral sores and can manifest as tongue ulcers. It corresponds to modern medicine’s concept of oral aphthous ulcers.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ulcers are often attributed to “fire.” Mouth ulcers are primarily caused by “excessive fire,” but there is a distinction between excessive fire due to “fullness” and due to “deficiency.” For instance, if immoderate consumption of tobacco and alcohol or diet high in greasy foods causes heat retention and internal heat, or if external factors such as wind-heat or damp-heat invade the body and transform into internal heat, or if emotional stress leads to long-term fire accumulation, these are often considered as “fullness” excessive fire. On the other hand, individuals with preexisting Yin deficiency, heat-induced damage, inadequate sleep, or prolonged fatigue leading to overall physical weakness may experience “deficiency” excessive fire.
What to do for Ulcers
1) Maintaining oral hygiene is the first step in alleviating mouth ulcers. After meals, rinse your mouth with mouthwash to clear away bacteria and food residues in your mouth, which can also help reduce pain. Avoid consuming hot soups or spicy foods to prevent worsening the condition.
2) Gargling saltwater in your mouth for 10 minutes, then spit it out. Repeat this process 3 to 5 times daily. Over time, this can alleviate symptoms of mouth and tongue ulcers. Saltwater has anti-inflammatory properties and can help eliminate harmful bacteria in the oral cavity, providing some therapeutic benefits for oral and tongue ulcers.
3) Gargling with strong tea, tea contains various vitamins and can help prevent and treat inflammation, providing some complementary therapeutic effects for oral ulcers.
4) To expedite the healing of oral ulcers, you can use medications that promote wound healing, such as watermelon frost. Applying these medications to the ulcerated area can alleviate pain and facilitate the healing process.
5) To alleviate the symptoms of oral pain, you can use anti-inflammatory drugs as recommended by a doctor, such as amoxicillin and metronidazole. These medications can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Daily prevention
1) Pay attention to your diet: Take less spicy food, reduce alcohol intake and drink plenty of water. You can eat balsam pear, lotus seeds, chrysanthemum tea, mung beans, grapefruit and other foods that can reduce internal heat. Opt for lighter, less greasy meals and incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Avoid fried foods and limit the consumption of meats like beef and lamb, which are known to induce excessive internal heat.
2) Maintain emotional stability: In addition to diet, emotions can be a factor to internal heat. It is crucial to keep your emotions stable, avoiding excessive sadness or anger. Try to release stress in a healthy manner and find constructive outlets for emotional expression. Do not suppress your emotions excessively or allow them to spiral out of control. Engaging in activities like swimming, playing sports, or traveling can be effective ways to release pent-up emotions.
3) Ensure an Adequate Sleep: People with insufficient sleep are more prone to develop excessive internal heat. It’s advisable to maintain eight hours of sleep each day and avoid staying up late. If staying up late is unavoidable, make sure to catch up on sleep the following day. If you experience insomnia, address it promptly and do not let it persist. The quality of sleep is also crucial, so avoid sleeping in excessively noisy environments.
4) Exercise Regularly: Individuals with weaker physical health are more susceptible to internal heat. It’s essential to engage in regular exercise to boost your resistance. A healthy body is closely tied to emotional well-being, and positive emotions can improve sleep quality. Therefore, physical exercise is not only a means of maintaining physical fitness but also has interconnected effects on various aspects of your life.
Recommended Medicinal Diets
1) Silver Ear Soup: Silver ear soup is a nutritious medicinal diet known for its ability to nourish Yin, moisten dryness and clear heat. Silver ear (white fungus) is rich in mucin protein, which helps moisturize the oral mucosa and alleviate the pain associated with mouth ulcers.
To prepare: soak the silver ear until it softens, tear it into small pieces, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, and mix in rock sugar until the silver ear becomes soft and sticky.
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2) Wild Chrysanthemum Honey Drink: This drink has the benefits of clearing heat, detoxifying, moistening dryness, and alleviating pain. It is effective in relieving symptoms of mouth ulcers.
To prepare: boil wild chrysanthemum flowers in an appropriate amount of water, remove the flowers, and stir in a suitable amount of honey.
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3) Honeyed Watermelon Drink: This drink is known for its cooling and thirst-quenching properties. It is effective in relieving the pain and dryness caused by mouth ulcers.
To prepare: peel and cut watermelon into chunks, boil it in an appropriate amount of water, and mix in a suitable amount of honey.
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Usually mouth ulcers lasts for about ten days. If mouth ulcers recur or persist for an extended period, it is advisable to promptly seek professional medical advice from a reputable clinic or hospital to avoid any delay in treatment.
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简体中文 (Chinese (Simplified)) 
Melayu (Malay)
