How many types of oral ulcers are there?

Oral ulcers are very common in life, and are commonly found on the inner side of the lips, cheek mucosa, tongue and other parts. These parts have poor keratinization, and a slight stimulation can cause oral ulcers. It seems that this oral disease does not have any particularly big impact, but when it occurs, the whole mouth will experience severe pain, and there will be local burning and dryness. In severe cases, it will affect appetite and speaking, and even breathing will feel painful. So what should we do when faced with oral ulcers?

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, oral ulcers are mainly related to blood, dampness and heat. According to the clinical manifestations of different patients, we divide oral ulcers into two types: real fire type and false fire type.

Tools/Raw Materials

TCM Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment

Real fire type

1 Heart fire inflammation: The ulcer area is small, and multiple ulcers may occur, mostly on the tip of the tongue, the front of the tongue or the side edge of the tongue. It is red and painful. It can also be seen on the lower lip and between the lower front teeth and the oral vestibule mucosa, with obvious congestion around it, which may be accompanied by hot mouth and thirst.

2. Spleen and stomach fire: Ulcers are often irregular in shape, of varying sizes, fused together, with a low and flat base covered with yellow secretions, with slightly edematous and raised edges, and a large and obvious congested area around the ulcer.

3 Liver depression and accumulation of heat: accompanied by emotional discomfort, liver depression and qi stagnation turning into fire, and frequent mood changes. Ulcers may occur on the side edges of the tongue, lip mucosa and other parts of the body. They may be the size of rice grains or irregular in shape, with a yellow or grayish white base and a wide red halo surrounding the edges.

Deficiency Fire Type

Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire: ulcers recur repeatedly, with varying sizes, mostly within a few millimeters, round or oval, with a shallow saucer-shaped, flat base, often accompanied by dry mouth and throat, thirst, irritability, and hot hands and feet.

There are several types of oral ulcers

Spleen deficiency and dampness: There are few ulcers, most of which are larger than 3mm in area, with high edema and dark or light red color. The base is gray and dark, and the healing is slow. Often accompanied by symptoms such as heaviness in the head

Weak spleen: Mouth ulcers recur repeatedly, are light red in color, with a light yellow base, have a long course of illness, and heal slowly.